Yellowknife (July 23/04) - A grenade discovered Tuesday in a Bigelow Crescent backyard was safely detonated Wednesday night.

Two disposal experts from Cold Lake, Alta., arrived earlier in the day, examined the device, then -- with an RCMP escort fore and aft of the bomb disposal vehicle -- drove it straight to the sandpits where it was exploded at 10:40 p.m.

Neighbours Ian Gaffney and Theresa Grandmond pose with, at right, Annike Watts and her father Graham beside the pile of sandbags shielding the grenade in the Watts' backyard. They had just been allowed back into their houses. - Chris Woodall/NNSL photo

"After the explosive ordinance disposal team examined the grenade, it was put into a (solidly built) ammunition box," said Maj. Alan McIntosh, senior operations officer, Canadian Forces Northern Area here in Yellowknife.

The fist-sized grenade is a Mark II type, a pineapple-shaped bomb used in the Second World War, and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, McIntosh said.

"It could kill within 25 feet and injure within 100 feet," he said of the potential explosive force.

The Bigelow Crescent grenade was missing its pin and could have been dangerous.

"We could only assume it was armed," he said.

That said, the anti-bomb experts were not wearing any bomb-proof clothing and actually picked up the grenade with their hands.

"They have intensive training for this and handled the grenade very carefully," McIntosh explained.

Graham Watts also handled the grenade, but before he knew what it was when he discovered it in his daughter Annike Watts' backyard.

"We were cleaning the yard," Annike Watts said. The bomb was sitting in a small hole along with some garbage.

"I've seen these things on TV, but I had really no idea what it was," Graham Watts said.

"I told him to put it down," Annike said.

They called the RCMP to report the discovery. The Mounties cordoned off the neighbourhood until the grenade's potential for danger was established, warning residents to stay indoors.

The Watts and their next-door neighbours were asked to evacuate the area.

The grenade was removed from the hole and placed under a pile of sandbags about 10 feet away and against a shed wall.

By mid-evening Tuesday, police had removed street barricades on Bigelow Crescent and Williams Avenue (behind the Watts house). A constable was on hand overnight to guard the site.

For Graham Watts, the episode made his vacation from Edmonton more interesting.

"This is my first visit here," he said. "I've never been this far North."

It isn't known how old the grenade was, McIntosh said. "We have no idea how it got here."

Souvenirs of this sort are common, he said.

"It's not unusual to find this kind of relic lying around," he said. "People have had live ordinance sitting on their mantel or in a box in their basement.

"The museum in Fort Smith had a number of items that had to be destroyed," McIntosh said of a "house cleaning" last year that proved to be surprising.

The grenade discovery is a lesson for next time.

"If an individual sees something of a military nature, don't touch it -- call the RCMP," McIntosh said.