08/20/2026
A Note Following Last Night’s Candidate Forum
Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for the Hinton Municipal Candidates Forum.
At the conclusion of the evening, an incident occurred at the Legion that resulted in the building being evacuated and emergency services attending. The safety of everyone in attendance was our first priority, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation as the situation was addressed.
Hinton Fire Rescue has now provided an official statement regarding the incident, which we are sharing below so our community has accurate information directly from the appropriate authority.
We are grateful to Hinton Fire Rescue, RCMP, EMS and ATCO Gas for their response, and to everyone who followed directions and helped ensure the evacuation happened calmly and safely.
We also want to thank the Royal Canadian Legion for hosting the forum and everyone who participated in the evening.
Please refer to the official statement below for information regarding the findings.
At 8:02 p.m. on Aug. 19, 2026, Hinton Fire Rescue responded to 250 Pembina Ave. (Hinton Royal Canadian Legion) following reports of an unknown odour, gas leak or chemical hazard that had affected multiple people.
As a precaution, the building was evacuated and the RCMP and EMS were called to assist at the scene.
Occupants were moved to an upwind location while firefighters completed interior searches. Hinton Fire Rescue, with assistance from the RCMP, conducted a thorough secondary search to identify the source of the complaint. The search found no hazardous substance or other source of concern, and investigators ruled out any criminal activity.
ATCO Gas also attended the scene and conducted comprehensive testing of gas lines and appliances throughout the building. During these inspections, technicians detected elevated levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in several areas. As a safety precaution, the affected appliances were isolated and locked out.
Building management was informed of the findings and has arranged for a qualified service contractor to address the issues as quickly as possible.
