Around 1:00 AM, Saturday October 19, 2013:

The first thing we noticed was a bright orange light. The entire night sky was briefly illuminated in light. Then we noticed the power fluctuate on and out, and finally the sight of a rising fireball. The fireball eventually dimmed and was replaced by rising smoke that formed into a mushroom cloud. We heard minor shock waves, but felt no significant ground tremors. Rushing towards it we observed the cloud grow and then blow out and disperse. The glow of a local fire was evident, as the lights of vehicles approached the scene. The full moon suddenly became somewhat obscured, after an evening of completely clear skies, likely due to the smoke of the fire and the dispersal of dirt and debris. 

Turns out there was a train derailment and explosion less than 12 kilometres away:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/cn-fuel-cars-derail-explode-west-of-edmonton-1.2126678

To put this into perspective, here is the distance between our place and Gainford.
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So yeah. Wow.