The Department of National Defence has found and detonated another unexploded bomb buried in the soil at the former Blair Rifle Range lands.
Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) contractors, who have been working with metal detectors to clear the former military training site since 2018, found a two-inch illumination mortar round on Tuesday. They kept the item secure overnight and Canadian Forces experts came in early Wednesday morning to plant a charge on the remnant munition and safely destroy it.
Just after 7:30 a.m., residents in the Blueridge neighbourhood reported hearing the detonation.
It is the eighth time the experts have been called in to deal with potentially deadly explosives. Previous items include different types of mortar shells and one Mk36 grenade.
For safety reasons, the Department of National Defence cannot say exactly where the mortar shell was buried, but it was in the southwestern section of the area currently being cleared, which aligns roughly with the top of the Northlands Golf Course and Hyannis Drive.
Beyond that, the team has removed more than 714 kilograms of munitions scrap from Blair Rifle Range lands and more than 10,000 kg of other assorted garbage.
Since the clearance work began in 2018, the UXO team has covered about 17 of the area’s 22.5 hectares to be searched. When the team returned to the site in February, they estimated the project would wrap by November, but also cautioned it may get pushed into 2026.
“Our UXO contractors are currently finishing up the southern section of the site and will be moving to the northern priority by mid-June,” DND’s statement read. “Large quantities of non-munition related garbage and debris found in the southern area have been slowing down progress.”
The clearance work has required rotating trail closures and the removal of some trees.
Between the 1930s and 1960s, the land off Mount Seymour Parkway was a military training site. Today, it is jointly owned by the province and CMHC and is used exclusively for trails and recreation.
Because of the potential for other UXO lurking in the soil, the Department of National Defence always advises against digging or lighting fires in the area, as it could trigger an explosion that may be lethal to anyone within 10 metres. Anyone who discovers a potential UXO on the site should leave immediately and call 911.
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