Grenades, mortars and rockets: What to do if you find military explosives

A gloved hand is pictured holding a decommissioned grenade over a table display that includes other munitions. (Amanda Debison, CTV Atlantic)

Police responded to two separate munitions discoveries in the Maritimes this week, prompting the public to ask: What do you do if you find, dangerous, potentially explosive items?

“There are absolutely things that members of the public should do, and absolutely things that members of the public should not do,” says Nick Monteiro, UXO Legacy Site’s program manager for the Department of National Defence.

Unexploded Explosive Ordnance, or UXO, is defined by the Department of Defence as “military explosives that did not explode or function as intended.” Examples include bombs, grenades, mortars and rockets. Experts say if you suspect you find something ammunition-related, don’t touch it, record the location and call 911 or local police.

“911 will dispatch whoever they feel is necessary, whether it’s police, ambulance, or fire,” explains Monteiro. “They are the ones that make the determination as to whether they will contact the military. And if they do, EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) technicians are sent to the sites. They’ll take control of the site, and they’ll determine what has to be done.”

The Government of Canada says all UXO must be considered dangerous. Disturbing or moving the item could make it explode, causing injury or death.

In Kensington, P.E.I., on Monday, the municipal building, which includes the police department and town hall, was closed and evacuated as a precaution after a Second World War-era mortar shell and a canister containing rocket fuel were found inside. The Canadian Armed Forces responded and removed the two items.

“There was an 11-and-a-half-pound practice bomb, and a solid rocket motor,” says Monteiro. He says the practice bomb is the most common UXO found in Canada.

On Tuesday, a live grenade was thrown onto a property on Pauline Crescent in Dartmouth, N.S. Halifax Regional Police evacuated nearby homes and closed access to the street, while an explosive disposal unit from Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic removed the grenade and detonated it that afternoon. The case is currently under investigation by HRP.

No one was hurt in either case.

More than 300 calls a year

Monteiro says DND receives more than 300 EOD calls a year across the country and they are more common during spring cleaning and construction season.

“UXO do not necessarily become less dangerous with time,” says Monteiro. “Sometimes they do. Sometimes they actually become more dangerous, and it takes an expert to make that determination.”

If you’re in doubt, Monteiro says there’s no harm in calling police.

“For instance, people have thought parts of transmission from cars have been mines. We’ve had bits and pieces from lawnmowers that individuals thought were potentially dangerous. It’s better to err on the side of caution.”

The risk differs from place to place. DND holds outreach programs at schools in areas where there are UXO “legacy sites” – primarily in western Canada. These sites were often used for military training. According to the federal government, the Legacy Sites Program “manages UXO risks on UXO Legacy Sites across the country contributing to the health and safety of Canadians.

“The sole purpose of what we do is to protect Canadians from any kind of explosive risk,” says Monteiro. “If you find anything, you don’t touch it, make note of where it is, and call 911.”

Souvenirs and collections

Sometimes a UXO is a souvenir brought to Canada by veterans who served overseas.

“Things that grandpa brought home as souvenirs, put them in the basement or attic, that you might find,” says Gary Melville, a veteran and the executive director of the Army Museum Halifax Citadel.

The Army Museum is home to more than 70,000 military artifacts.

“I’ve had people call and say, ‘we have something to donate to the museum’, and I always ask, ‘what it is?’” says Melville. “As soon as they say, ‘I have a grenade’, I go ‘Stop. Okay. Don’t touch it. Please call the police.’”

Melville says those calls often come after a family member has passed, leaving behind souvenirs found in basements, attics and trunks.

“We don’t know if it’s live, or inert,” says Melville. “I did not deactivate it, and it’s not worth me losing my fingers just to make sure that I can get another grenade for display.”

Monteiro says some of those lost items would be demilitarized and rendered safe but the chain of custody can lead to misinformation.

“The problem is many of these items are very old and the understanding as to what was done with them has disappeared over time,” adds Monteiro.

Both Melville and Monteiro say if someone comes into possession of a private UXO collection, it should be disposed of by trained professionals.

“If you don’t know where it came from or who made it inert, it should not be in your home, in my opinion,” said Melville. “You don’t know what it’s going to do, and it’s your life or the life of your children, your grandchildren that stumble upon it twenty years from now. If you don’t know that it’s inert, don’t keep it around.”

The Government Canada has more details on its website how to identify UXO and what to do if you find one.

A third explosive device was brought to Sussex RCMP on July 4, said Sgt. Kevin Gloade in an email to CTV. He said the Explosive Disposal Unit safely disposed of the object and evacuated the area as a safety measure. He said no charges were laid.