Ex-general says reservists face 32% pay penalty

OTTAWA – A retired major-general who led the Canadian military’s reserves and cadets says the deadly training fire at CFB Wainwright has exposed a pay gap between part-time reservists and regular force members, one he puts at about 32 per cent.

John Milne, a former director general for reserves and cadets, told The Canadian Press that reservists on short-term contracts get less compensation than the regular force members they train beside. He said the Wainwright fire, which killed four soldiers and injured 39 others last month, shows those reservists face the same risks.

Milne, who has written academic papers on military pay structure, said the formula used to set daily reservist pay amounts to an earnings penalty of roughly 32 per cent. In plain terms, a reservist doing the same day of work as a regular force member would be paid about $68 for every $100, by our arithmetic. He said it is a “matter of equity” for the rates to match and for the benefits policy to be rewritten.

Reservists injured in training normally receive lower-tier compensation during recovery, he said. Milne said he believes the military has reclassified the Wainwright reservists’ contracts from short-term to long-term service classes to improve their access to benefits. The Department of National Defence did not respond to questions about that by deadline.

Official information about the fire has been limited, and three separate investigations are under way. Milne has sent a submission to the House of Commons national defence committee and wrote to Defence Minister David McGuinty. A reply from the minister’s office said military pay is complex and involves “specific military considerations,” and denied that Milne had identified inequities.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a military pay raise last year that included a 13 per cent increase for some reserve ranks, but it did not change how reserve pay is structured. The Canadian Armed Forces Ombud has flagged financial inequities and administrative delays in reservist pay for years, with little progress reported.

The fire has dominated recent national mourning. Communities held services for the dead on Remembrance Day, including a packed arena in Wainwright, a wreath-laying in Montreal and a tribute from Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew.

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This report is based on a story by The Canadian Press, first published Nov. 14, 2026.