Close X
Sunday, November 17, 2024
ADVT 
National

Historic Vancouver cannon silenced indefinitely

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Feb, 2022 03:50 PM
  • Historic Vancouver cannon silenced indefinitely

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver parks board says the city's historic Nine O'Clock Gun is being silenced by a lack of explosive powder that's needed to fire it.

A statement from the board says the type of black powder needed to fire the five-kilogram, muzzle-loaded naval cannon is difficult to find in most parts of the world but it will continue to search for alternative stocks.

The board's supplier closed last fall and it bought as much of the charcoal, saltpetre and sulphur mix as possible but reserves have run out.

The 200-year-old canon was scheduled to fire Thursday night but there was no word when it will boom again.

The gun has been fired over Vancouver's Coal Harbour daily at 9 p.m. for more than a century although the park board website says the time was shifted to 7 p.m. at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to honour health-care workers.

The gun was also briefly silenced last October when a falling tree damaged the shed where the explosive charges are prepared, but firing resumed within a month.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

1853 COVID19 cases over 3 days

1853 COVID19 cases over 3 days
84.2% (3,904,121) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 76.4% (3,541,731) received their second dose.

1853 COVID19 cases over 3 days

Cleaning, dietary workers coming back in-house at B.C. hospitals

Cleaning, dietary workers coming back in-house at B.C. hospitals
The province is working with the Hospital Employees' Union, health authorities and contractors on its plan, he said. The transition to government employment will end before most of the contracts expire by March, Dix said.

Cleaning, dietary workers coming back in-house at B.C. hospitals

Charges laid for fire that razed Coptic Orthodox Church, 35 year old woman arrested

Charges laid for fire that razed Coptic Orthodox Church, 35 year old woman arrested
The St. George church was the target of two incidents of arson, the first on July 14, the second on July 19, 2021, that destroyed the church.  Following an investigation by the Surrey RCMP Major Crime Section, a 35-year old woman was arrested on August 26, 2021.

Charges laid for fire that razed Coptic Orthodox Church, 35 year old woman arrested

Parties pounce on problematic candidates

Parties pounce on problematic candidates
The Conservatives started the day by questioning tax arrears that Liberal candidate Steven Guilbeault disclosed in a parliamentary ethics filing, which the heritage minister later explained to reporters travelling on the campaign stem from his separation and are being resolved.

Parties pounce on problematic candidates

B.C. evacuation orders, wildfires slowly tick down

B.C. evacuation orders, wildfires slowly tick down
Emergency Management BC says 28 orders were in place today, covering more than 3,900 properties, while residents of another 6,255 properties were told to be ready to leave on short notice.    

B.C. evacuation orders, wildfires slowly tick down

Shooting in parking lot of a fast food restaurant in Whalley: Surrey RCMP

Shooting in parking lot of a fast food restaurant in Whalley: Surrey RCMP
Members of the public reported seeing an argument between two groups of males, which escalated into the use of pepper spray and then shots were fired. The males left the area in two separate vehicles prior to police arrival.

Shooting in parking lot of a fast food restaurant in Whalley: Surrey RCMP