Visitors to Vancouver's Stanley Park this weekend may hear what will sound like gunshots near the south side of the seawall.
That's because the Royal Canadian Navy will be conducting a training exercise at HMCS Discovery on Deadman's Island Saturday and Sunday, March 15 and 16, 2025.
Bystanders can expect to see military members with unloaded service rifles at the entrance gates of Discovery, according to a statement issued by the HMCS Discovery.
Blank ammunition will be used during the two-day stint, known as "Exercise Steadfast Defender," which focuses on security operations.
"The exercise, taking place within the confines of HMCS Discovery on Deadman Island with boat operations in the vicinity of Stanley Park, is aimed at developing and maintaining the unit’s security operations capabilities," the statement explained.
An exact timeframe for the exercise was not indicated.
A separate diving operation, including wreckage diving, will take place further east towards Belcarra in the area of Indian Arm.
HMCS Discovery "provides force generation" so trained sailors and officers can be employed at sea for a variety of domestic and international missions.
The landmark is the sole Naval Reserve Division in all of B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
Need-to-know facts about HMCS Discovery
HMCS Discovery, named after Capt. George Vancouver's ship, has served as a land base since 1923, fully commissioned in 1941, for both the navy and local sea cadet corps.
It was mobilized during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as maritime security — to date, the largest peacetime domestic operation ever conducted in Canada.
"With its own helipad and sea access, it offers a secure command and control capability and an ideal location to coordinate efforts between the Department of National Defence, the port, and other federal departments," the Government of Canada's website states.
Discovery's lifetime has included two battle honours: the Battle of Portland (England) during the 1st Dutch War in 1653, and the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 during the French Revolutionary War.
Its busiest time was at the end of WWII, serving as a demobilization centre for Canada's West Coast.
With a file from Brendan Kergin
