The Land That Ugly Forgot The Bewildering, Beautiful and Blithe Happenings Around Vancouver, BC

9 O’Clock Gun

If you live in downtown Vancouver and wonder what on earth the explosion sound is around 9pm every night, it's this! Impressive that it still goes on today, and definitely worth checking out because it's loud, exciting, delights kids and adults alike, and it's not everyday you can smell gun powder (sulphur - stinky!). The 12-pound muzzle-loaded naval cannon was made in Woolwich, England in 1816. In 1894 it was brought to Stanley Park by the Marine Department to warn fishermen of the 6pm Sunday close of fishing. The 9pm firing later became a time signal for ships, and the tradition carries on today with the cannon being loaded daily with a black powder charge and activated automatically by an electronic trigger. See the video below for the full effect and lead-up, and make sure your speakers are on!