A potentially unexploded explosive ordnance (UXO) was uncovered at Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park in Coldstream Monday, Aug. 31.
The discovery of the failed military explosive was made by area resident Andrew Nydam who reported his finding to the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP.
“Someone will be on scene until it can be dealt with,” Nydam warned park users in a social media group.
“While this was a little terrifying, it was also fascinating to witness part of the history of the area,” he wrote.
Areas where UXOs will most likely be found include Cosens Bay/Coldstream Ranch, the Commonage, Goose Lake Range and Madeline Lake, according to the federal government.
The City of Vernon asked the Department of National Defence to establish a military camp in 1911. Training with live rounds, mortars, tanks and small arms was known to have taken place in Vernon areas post Second World War right up into the mid-’70s.
“If you see something that could be UXO, do not touch it! If UXO is disturbed, it could explode and cause serious injury or death. Leave the area and call 911,” the Government of Canada website reads.
“Mortars and other ordnance have been silently resting on the landscape for some 80 years,” Nydam wrote in a post along with his photographs.
“A reminder that they can be deadly if they’re still live, so don’t ever touch any strange object you find in the park.”
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