WW I machine-guns, 1870s cannons unearthed at PNE grounds in Vancouver

2 month_ago 28

British Columbia·New

More subject artifacts person been unearthed astatine the PNE grounds successful Vancouver, arsenic operation crews enactment connected gathering a caller amphitheater. The country was erstwhile utilized to bid troops for war.

Archivist believes much artillery is buried successful Hastings Park, wherever troops were trained during WW I

Jon Azpiri · CBC News

· Posted: May 04, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Photo of a subject limb unearthed astatine the PNE.

German machine-guns and 19th period cannons are among the latest subject artifacts unearthed by operation crews at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) successful Vancouver.

Crews moving to conception the PNE's new amphitheatre successful Hastings Park first uncovered a portion of wartime worldly successful precocious March — a captured First World War-era German howitzer. The caller discoveries came a period later, connected April 23, during excavation work.

Among the latest artifacts recovered are four German machine-guns from the First World War.

"What we've been capable to find is that 2 of these machine-guns were allocated to South Vancouver arsenic warfare trophies," James Calhoun, a curator and archivist with the Vancouver-based Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, told CBC News.

WATCH | Machine-guns, cannons unearthed in Hastings Park:

More subject artifacts unearthed astatine Vancouver's PNE

A tract weapon from the First World War is among the latest subject artifacts discovered during amphitheatre operation astatine Vancouver's PNE grounds. Michelle Morton reports connected the findings and what they uncover astir the site's subject past.

Two British-Canadian "nine-pounder" cannons from the 1870s were besides found. Calhoun says he's spoken to subject experts who aren't sure how the weapons ended up successful Vancouver.

"They speculate that the astir logical mentation is that they astir apt came from the naval basal successful Esquimalt," helium said. "In 1905, the British turned that implicit to the Canadian forces and these were astir apt successful banal there."

PNE spokesperson Laura Ballance said antecedently that crews were excavating connected March 27 when they "hit something" that turned retired to beryllium a German howitzer from the First World War.

Black-and-white photograph of German machine-guns.

Calhoun believes it was brought backmost to Vancouver arsenic a warfare trophy and was connected show astatine Hastings Park from 1921 until the 1930s. A way for the howitzer was among the items recovered successful April.

He called the findings "historically significant," noting that the narration betwixt Hastings Park and the Canadian subject dates backmost much than a century.

WATCH | Artillery recovered astatine the PNE grounds:

Historic tract artillery unearthed astatine the PNE

A portion of Canadian subject past has been dug up successful Hastings Park. PNE officials accidental operation crews uncovered an aboriginal 20th-century tract artillery piece. It was buried nether the main signifier country of the erstwhile amphitheatre. As Michelle Morton reports, it's believed determination could beryllium much hidden successful the area.

The PNE says the tract was utilized for subject purposes during the First World War, mostly for assembling and grooming troops, arsenic good arsenic subject parades and deployment.

It went connected to accidental it is moving with a Vancouver Park Board archeologist and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Museum to measure the artifacts and instrumentality them to the Canadian Armed Forces arsenic depository pieces.

Calhoun believes there's much artillery buried astatine the parkland and helium wants to enactment with the PNE and metropolis to usage ground-penetrating radar to hunt for much pieces.