ODDS’N’SODS — A most dangerous assignment at the Granduc

On learning of the recent demise of William Bill Pryde, I recalled a hair-raising venture which I shared with him at the Granduc mine site in 1965.

A climax avalanche swept over the Leduc Portal camp of Granduc in February of that year and resulted in a heavy loss of life and property. Tunnel-driving was under way at that time and, in this regard, 50 tons of explosives had been delivered to the site and stored under special permits. Unfortunately, the rush of snow and debris engulfed the storage magazines and spread stick powder all over the lower Leduc Glacier area. The scattered explosives posed a distinct danger to the environment and subsequent activities, so explosives expert Bill Pryde was called in to deal with the problem.

Bill came in immediately to tour the area with me. He concluded that the powder may have become partially energized from the dynamics of the avalanche and that, as such, it had to be handled by skilled personnel. A special crew was called in to gather and transport the explosives to an isolated site at the head of the north Leduc Glacier. This program was ongoing for several weeks before the crew departed, leaving the area with a clean bill of health. Here is where Bill and I embarked on our special assignment.

The explosives could not be left unattended even in this remote location with grizzly bears and many other innocents patrolling the terrain. Hence Bill told me to have a helicopter standing by on his next visit. This happened in short order and Bill appeared on the scene with a special container of supplies. We boarded the helicopter special case clutched in Bills hands and departed for the location of the stored powder.

Bill had been judgmental in his selection of the site. The explosives had been piled in a narrow ravine at the base of a steep mountain face and well away from the ice mass of the Leduc Glacier. We landed, and Bill advised the pilot to keep the rotors and engine working since we would not be long. Approaching the mass of jumbled powder, Bill opened his package and extracted a dozen long, red fuses each 20 ft. in length and a dozen special sticks of powder to be used as primer. Bill proceeded gently to cap the fuse and assemble the primers. He placed the dozen special primers in the mass of the explosive debris and led the fuse ends to a single location. He told me to go and tell the pilot to rev up and then return to him.

When I approached Bill, he had placed all 12 detonating fuse ends in a single container, from which they all would be instantly and simultaneously ignited. Bill lit the main ignition mechanism and we both exited hastily to the helicopter.

How high? asked the pilot, and Bill advised him to go up to 5,000 ft. and hover over the centre of the glacier so we could observe the site. We watched and waited with pounding hearts. Bill glanced frequently at his watch. Any time now, he informed us. Almost immediately, a sheet of red flame engulfed the face of the mountain and a huge black cloud of dust and rock erupted over the area. Fortunately, we did not experience any bump in the craft and we were free of the scattered debris. We breathed a deep sigh of collective relief. Hover for a while, Bill told the pilot, and well just watch the area for slides or other disturbances.

No other action occurred, so after 15 minutes had passed, Bill instructed the pilot to approach the site and land. This he did, and soon all three of us left the helicopter and went to check the area.

A huge crater marked the spot and smoke was still clouding and emerging from the hole. On close examination, there was not a trace of the powder remaining. Meantime, the face of the mountain was strangely undisturbed and we intended to examine this more closely upon our departure. I dont know what the atomic blast was like, but I do know Bill set off a sizable explosion that day at Granduc and eliminated future hazards in the terrain. It was business as usual when we returned to camp.

S.J. Hunter is a retired mining engineer who resides in Vancouver.