A southern Alberta man made an interesting discovery on his rural property just outside of Lethbridge. Patrick Berthelot unearthed a couple of World War 2 explosives.
When he first unearthed the military explosives, Berthelot thought they’d look great in his man cave. But he checked with RCMP who said that was the last place they should be.
READ MORE: NB man searching for coins finds live WWII-era explosives instead
“Things came to life pretty quick after they saw the pictures,” Bethelot said.
He said RCMP told him the two military ordnance were from World War 2 and he had been sitting on a ticking time bomb.
“They came back and confirmed that one of them was a live round and to clear the area.”
RCMP immediately came to his property and remained on site until a military bomb team from Canadian Forces Base Wainwright removed the explosives.
“Apparently it wasn’t a bomb,” Bethelot said. “What it was, was an explosive night flare that was made to light up the night sky, so it was packing a lot of powder for light …They explained that when these things sit in the ground, they become more volatile.”
Staff Sgt. Glenn Henry with the Coaldale RCMP said these types of discoveries have happened in the past and it’s important for people to take them very seriously.
“Keep a safe distance and contact us, the RCMP, directly and quickly – don’t store them. They are not to be treated as artefacts.”
Berthelot said the accidental find has turned into a very important learning experience.
READ MORE: Explosives found in rural area ditch in Sicamous
If you have made a historic find like this, Henry said the RCMP want to hear from you.
“We are not passing judgment on people. If they’ve discovered something in the past and they are holding on to it, we still encourage them to call us.”