The Nine O’Clock Gun was cast in England in 1816. It’s a naval-type, 12-pound, muzzle-loader cannon. It was brought to Vancouver in 1894. Fishermen used the gun to set their chronometers, and it also alerted them to when the fishing day was coming to a close. The gun replaced dynamite as the alert system.
The cannon is still used today. It fires at 9:00 p.m. It has also been sounded on New Year’s, to signal the end of World War II, and on Remembrance Day. During World War II, the gun remained silent.
You can find the Nine O’Clock Gun near the Georgia Street entrance to Stanley Park.
Historical Marker Inscription
This gun is a naval type twelve pound muzzle-loader. Cast in 1816 at Woolwich, England, it was brought to Vancouver around 1894. The crests of King George III and of the Earl of Mulgrave, Master General of Ordnance are on the barrel.
Gun restoration and pavilion were centennial gifts in 1986 to the City of Vancouver from:
EBCO Industries Ltd. Chester F. Millar
First Generation Capital Corporation Hudson’s Bay Company
Historical Markers of the World 