Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) recently made a significant historical discovery during a construction project at Hastings Park. A collection of First World War artifacts, including cannons, machine guns, and other military pieces, was unearthed below the park’s grounds.
During the construction of the new Freedom Mobile Arch amphitheatre in March, a German Howitzer from the First World War was uncovered. Subsequently, two additional cannons, four machine guns, and various military items were also found a month later.
Geordie Howe, an archaeologist from the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, revealed that rumors about buried weapons at the PNE had circulated for years. “You can read stories in the old newspapers, and now they’ve become a reality,” Howe shared with CityNews.
The artifacts were recently returned to the Canadian military in a public ceremony, where it was announced that the two nine-pounder cannons would be temporarily displayed at the PNE before finding a permanent home at the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Museum in Kitsilano.
Curator James Calhoun expressed his amazement at the discovery, noting that what was initially believed to be captured guns turned out to be muzzle-loaders with Queen Victoria’s cypher. The artifacts are now set to undergo restoration after consultations with the Canadian War Museum and the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum in Manitoba.
While the restoration process may take years, the artifacts serve as a poignant reminder of the soldiers who served during the war. Lt.-Col. Steve McNally of the Seaforth Highlanders emphasized the importance of recognizing military history and the sacrifices made by those who used such equipment.
With experts suspecting more artifacts may lie buried on the PNE grounds, further investigations utilizing ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry are planned to uncover potential additional historical treasures.