The 9 O'Clock Gun

[Phat Eagle]

http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2013/05/30/history-of-stanley-park-nine-oclock-gun/

Yup... still going!

 

[tonyg]

I remember as a young man , sitting out in front of the gun , in my runabout . Took my 2 nieces out to see and they nearly spoiled the seats when it went off. that was 50 years ago , glad to know it is still sounding off .

 

[josquin]

I can remember years ago someone sneaked up and loaded it up with a Cannonball.It put a hole through the O in the Esso marine fuel station.They did something after that so nobody could prank again with the old gun.I lived 7 miles away and could hear it clearly at 9 o'clock.

Yes- MANY years ago, like in the 60's I think. We had a boat at the RVYC back then and would sometimes see it go off if we were coming home around 9pm. Rather than a cannonball (although maybe you could buy those, too, at Harkley & Haywood back then...) some kids/idiots snuck around the front and put a bunch of rocks down the barrel and it did some nasty stuff to one of the fuel barges. I think after that the Parks Board put chain link fence or heavy wire mesh over the business end of the enclosure.

I just wernt online and found this Mental Floss article which said this happened in 1964, which sounds about right. I'd forgotten about UBC students stealing it in 1969, though!

 

[Suther]

Yes- MANY years ago, like in the 60's I think. We had a boat at the RVYC back then and would sometimes see it go off if we were coming home around 9pm. Rather than a cannonball (although maybe you could buy those, too, at Harkley & Haywood back then...) some kids/idiots snuck around the front and put a bunch of rocks down the barrel and it did some nasty stuff to one of the fuel barges. I think after that the Parks Board put chain link fence or heavy wire mesh over the business end of the enclosure.

I just wernt online and found this Mental Floss article which said this happened in 1964, which sounds about right. I'd forgotten about UBC students stealing it in 1969, though!

Wait, 5 pin bowling is a unique past time??? wtf I thought it was common? lol

 

[wr.sainsbury]

Back about 1962 it was the starting gun for a road race around the park then back to Len's place in East Van for the start of Friday nite party.We would wait across the water at HMCS Discovery for it to go off-have vivid memory of good buddy spinning out on wet road into the bushes at Third Beach then back out and continuing on, Good memories--sigh!!!

 

[josquin]

Back about 1962 it was the starting gun for a road race around the park then back to Len's place in East Van for the start of Friday nite party.We would wait across the water at HMCS Discovery for it to go off-have vivid memory of good buddy spinning out on wet road into the bushes at Third Beach then back out and continuing on, Good memories--sigh!!!

LOL. "You're an older man than I am, Gunga Din" I was only 10 in '62.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be...