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Stanley Park's 9 o'clock gun is back in action following black powder shortage

The boom is back!
stanley-park-cannon
The 9 o'clock gun in Stanley Park is back to firing again following a global shortage of black powder. Shutterstock

After a nearly 20-day ceasefire, Vancouver's 9 o'clock gun has resumed its nightly chorus of fire and smoke. 

On Feb. 10, the 200-year-old cannon fell silent due to a global shortage of black powder, the explosive material used in the cannon. Eighteen days later on Feb. 28, the Vancouver Park Board announced the gun would be back to its regularly scheduled programming after staff had acquired more black powder through a new supplier.

Due to federal regulations though only two months of powder can be stored at a time. 

The cannon was originally installed in 1894 as a way to tell mariners what time it is.

Want to know more about Vancouver's unique nightly ritual? Watch our video: Meet the man who loads Vancouver's historic 9 o'clock gun