A voting sign to be used for the 2026 Alberta Referendum in Edmonton, Alta., on Sept. 3, 2026. The Canadian Press/James Maclennan
Ten advance polling locations across Alberta were disrupted or closed on Oct. 17, the final day of advance voting in the provincial referendum, due to high winds and a deadly fire at a Canadian Forces base near Wainwright.
Elections Alberta announced Oct. 17 that the Wainwright Communiplex Advance Vote location was closed after reports that a large fire broke out near CFB Wainwright and, due to high winds, had spread into the town, which is about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton and has a population of around 7,000.
The agency also announced adjusted hours for six voting locations in central Alberta due to high winds, along with the closure of one location and the temporary closure of two locations. Two Hills Recreation Centre was closed due to wind, with voters redirected to Vegreville, while the Ma-Me-O Beach Community Hall and Co-op Place Wetaskiwin were “temporarily closed due to a separate incident.”
Hours were reduced at Barrhead Seniors Centre (serving electoral division Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock), the Killam Community Centre (serving Camrose), the Warburg Pioneer (serving Drayton Valley-Devon), the Coast Nisku Inn and Conference Centre (serving Leduc-Beaumont), the Four Points by Sheraton (serving Sherwood Park), and the Emerald Hills Shopping Centre (serving Strathcona-Sherwood Park).
Voters affected by the Wainwright fire were asked to vote at the Border Inn in Lloydminster or the Vermilion Elks Hall in Vermilion.
In an email to The Epoch Times, Elections Alberta said it had also redirected voters to Lloydminster and Vermilion for voting on Oct. 18 after it closed the Wainwright Communiplex location at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 17
The Communiplex and one other voting location at Legion Branch 29 Wainwright would be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for voting on Oct. 19, Elections Alberta said.
The fire at Wainwright started within the training area of the military base around 4 p.m. on Oct. 17, spreading rapidly beyond the boundaries of the training area before being brought under control by military and civilian emergency services.
Response efforts were hampered by strong winds that affected many areas in central and southern Alberta. Environment Canada issued a weather warning at 2:42 a.m. local time on Oct. 18, which indicated peak wind gusts of between 91 and 130 kilometres per hour in 25 locations. No wind advisories were in effect for Referendum Election Day as of press time on Oct. 18.
The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed there are fatalities and injuries but said it will not reveal details until after next of kin is notified, according to an Oct. 18 Department of National Defence news release.
Voters can use Elections Alberta’s “Where Do I Vote” tool before heading to polling stations on Election Day, to confirm hours and get updates on any closures.
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