Reserves home to abandoned military explosives

Monday, November 26, 2007  

Canada's Defence Department says as many as 25 reserves across the country could be littered with abandoned military explosives.

A document from the department lists 731 sites on reserves that were used as training grounds throughout the 20th century. A contractor says bombs, mortars and even torpedoes could be located on reserves.

Staring in 2008, the department plans to go through the list to determine where the unexploded explosive ordnances, or UXOs, might be located. It could take years to resolve the issue, an official said.

Some First Nations have already begun efforts to clean up their land. The Tsuu T’ina Nation in Alberta was used as a training ground from 1910 to the 1990s and has formed its own company to find and remove the UXOs.

Get the Story:
Dozens of reserves could contain abandoned military explosives: report (Canada Free Press 11/26)

$rl Unexploded Explosive Ordnance (UXO) and Legacy Sites Program - http://www.uxocanada.forces.gc.ca
National Defence - http://www.forces.gc.ca