Okanagan Indian Band clearing decades-old unexploded ammunition near Vernon

Members of the Okanagan Indian Band are learning to detect and locate unexploded military ammunition so they can help clear their reserve near Vernon, B.C.

Canada's militaryused the ranges at Goose and Madelinelakes to train soldiers to fire live ammunition until about 30 years ago.

Over the past century, there have been 11 casualties from people finding unexploded ordnancesin the area.

The Department of National Defense is training nineband members to locate the ammunition.

OkanaganIndian Band member Don Louishas helped find and pull 44 live mortars in the past year alone.He's also collectednearly 5,000 kilograms of metal from the hills.

"We've found the two and three-inch mortars, we've found the 25-pounders, shrapnel, bazooka rocket ends. A variety of old ordnance, just laying in the ground," said Louis.

The risk posed by the ammunitionmeans that1,500 hectares of theOkanagan Indian Band's 11,000-hectare territoryis too dangerous to use for anything other than range land.

"There is always a risk digging these out," said Louis."Some of them contain high explosives."

Louis says it'll take 15 to 20 years to free all the range land from the danger lurking in the ground.