The incident was one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military.The soldiers and reserve members were participating in exercises ahead of a planned deployment to Latvia, where Canadian forces have their largest international military operation.The Wainwright base is one of the largest bases operated by the Canadian Armed Forces. It regularly hosts training exercises involving military personnel from NATO countries.During the final months of World War II and for several months in 1946, the base was used as an internment centre for German prisoners of war.