Canadian Historic struggling to find blackpowder thanks to Federal rules, limited supply
A long standing tradition in Vancouver is struggling to continue thanks to limited production of North American blackpowder and strict federal rules. Traditionally, each night at 9pm, the Stanley Park 207-year-old cannon can be heard all over Vancouver and the North Shore. Originally, this daily firing was meant to be a marker of time for sailers. Since technology has outpaced the daily firing of a cannon for timekeeping, the firing has become a fun tradition for modern day Vancouver.
Over the last few years, the Nine O'Clock gun has gone silent several times due to a shortage of gunpowder. Last year the gun was quiet for 20 days between February and March and a recent announcement from the Vancouver parks board says it's happening again.
The parks board anticipates that this latest break will last a week. But why does the gunpowder keep running out? Surely they can just order more in advance?
It's not that simple. A City of Vancouver spokesperson explains that "the black powder cannot be stockpiled or bought in bulk. We are regulated by the Federal Government as to how much black powder we can store, alongside where it is stored, how and where it is prepared and who prepares the charges. We cannot, for any reason, exceed the maximum amount of powder that can be stored at one time."
Additionally, the park board's usual supplier closed in 2021 and there are limited manufacturing sources and distributors for the specific type of black powder used to fire the Nine O’Clock gun in North America.
The city has managed to secure a new supplier based on the east coast but they tell V.I.A that the supplier also occasionally runs out of black powder.
The difficulties shared here by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation highlight the issues Canadian Muzzleloading enthusiasts have had for several years now. And while it’s not a large enough of an issue to cause any change at the federal level, especially given the Canadian Government’s war on Canadian gun rights of ALL types, it’s important to not forget our neighbors to the north and their passion for muzzleloading.
Much like the people of Vancouver would like to continue a longstanding tradition, so do thousands of Canadian muzzleloading enthusiasts. Both are hurt by limited North American made supply and overly strict import rules and regulations.