CARLI BERRY
news@pqbnews.com
The dynamite that was found in the Qualicum Bay area last Tuesday was too old to have proper expiration labels, Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman said.
Foreman said the dynamite labels “predated” the mandate used now to determine how old a dynamite stick is.
The dynamite was found in a freezer in the back yard of a man’s property, Foreman said.
He wasn’t sure how the man came into possession of the dynamite but no charges will be laid as “he was trying to do the right thing.”
Former Parksville Mayor Chris Burger who owns the Meadowood Store across from the Dashwood Firehall where the dynamite was destroyed, said “People were coming into the store and asking questions.”
He said he was notified beforehand about the explosions but there were a lot of people in the area that didn’t know what was going on.
There were “big bangs, and you could feel the pressure wave,” Burger said.
“Treating that kind of material… you don’t want to attract a lot of people,” he said.
Foreman said people were not notified because the RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit had another situation in Comox and couldn’t wait until morning to properly notify the public.
“It wasn’t an optimum situation,” Foreman said.
He didn’t know the specific amount of dynamite found, but said it was a “significant amount.”
The dynamite was destroyed on July 7 at the Dashwood Fire Department gravel pit in five blasts.
