9 O'Clock Gun

The 9 O'Clock Gun is a 12-pound naval muzzle-loading cannon positioned on the Stanley Park Seawall near Coal Harbour, where it has fired nightly for over a century as a time signal for residents and ships.

Cast in 1816 at Woolwich, England, bearing the crests of King George III and the Earl of Mulgrave, the cannon was shipped to Vancouver in 1894 to help fishermen and lighthouse keepers set their chronometers accurately for maritime activities.

The gun has become a cherished local tradition and symbol of Vancouver's maritime heritage, with its nightly firing serving as a familiar daily ritual that marks the evening for residents and connects the city to its nautical past.

Located on the south side of Brockton Point in Stanley Park, the cannon can be reached by car via Stanley Park Drive or on foot along the seawall, with parking available near the Totem Poles or Brockton Point areas for visitors.

In 1969, engineering students from the University of British Columbia removed the 1,800-pound (816-kilogram) cannon in a playful kidnapping stunt, hiding it across Vancouver and leaving ransom notes before the gun was eventually returned to its proper location.