Suffield, Alberta, is situated approximately 40km northwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta. A few "large explosive events" (100 to 500 tons) were conducted at the Defence Research Board's (DRB) Suffield Experimental Station in the 1960s. On 19 January 1961, Medicine Hat citizens felt tremors in the community as a result of five tons of TNT being detonated at the station. The station director attributed this anomaly to freak atmospheric and weather conditions. At the time the DRB was testing the effects of shock waves on military equipment.
In July 1964, the Suffield Experimental Station detonated 30,600 blocks of TNT - 500 tons - to test the largest, non-nuclear, non-confined, surface blast. Placed in various sections radiating from ground zero to test the effects of the blast were targets, dummy-men, miscellaneous instruments, mines, model ships, nose cones, repirators, vehicles, subterranean chambers, shelters, tunnels, foxholes, and trenches. Several hundred people were expected to observe the blast, including 80 "official observers" and a VIP party of military and research personnel from Canada, the United States, and Britain.
(Sources: "Hellyer Heads VIP List Coming Here for SES Blast," Medicine Hat News, 09 July 1964, 7; Patrick J.Roe, "Blast Area Awaits a Cloudless Day," Medicine Hat News, 16 July 1964, 2; "Suffield Explosion Felt Here," Medicine Hat News, 19 January 1961, 7)
Scope and Content
Photograph shows observors waiting for a detonation at the Suffield Experimental Station. Camera operators can be seen on the right waiting to film the blast.
Suffield, Alberta, is situated approximately 40km northwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta. A few "large explosive events" (100 to 500 tons) were conducted at the Defence Research Board's (DRB) Suffield Experimental Station in the 1960s. On 19 January 1961, Medicine Hat citizens felt tremors in the community as a result of five tons of TNT being detonated at the station. The station director attributed this anomaly to freak atmospheric and weather conditions. At the time the DRB was testing the effects of shock waves on military equipment.
In July 1964, the Suffield Experimental Station detonated 30,600 blocks of TNT - 500 tons - to test the largest, non-nuclear, non-confined, surface blast. Placed in various sections radiating from ground zero to test the effects of the blast were targets, dummy-men, miscellaneous instruments, mines, model ships, nose cones, repirators, vehicles, subterranean chambers, shelters, tunnels, foxholes, and trenches. Several hundred people were expected to observe the blast, including 80 "official observers" and a VIP party of military and research personnel from Canada, the United States, and Britain.
(Sources: "Hellyer Heads VIP List Coming Here for SES Blast," Medicine Hat News, 09 July 1964, 7; Patrick J.Roe, "Blast Area Awaits a Cloudless Day," Medicine Hat News, 16 July 1964, 2; "Suffield Explosion Felt Here," Medicine Hat News, 19 January 1961, 7)
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a detonation at the Suffield Experimental Station.
Suffield, Alberta, is situated approximately 40km northwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta. A few "large explosive events" (100 to 500 tons) were conducted at the Defence Research Board's (DRB) Suffield Experimental Station in the 1960s. On 19 January 1961, Medicine Hat citizens felt tremors in the community as a result of five tons of TNT being detonated at the station. The station director attributed this anomaly to freak atmospheric and weather conditions. At the time the DRB was testing the effects of shock waves on military equipment.
In July 1964, the Suffield Experimental Station detonated 30,600 blocks of TNT - 500 tons - to test the largest, non-nuclear, non-confined, surface blast. Placed in various sections radiating from ground zero to test the effects of the blast were targets, dummy-men, miscellaneous instruments, mines, model ships, nose cones, repirators, vehicles, subterranean chambers, shelters, tunnels, foxholes, and trenches. Several hundred people were expected to observe the blast, including 80 "official observers" and a VIP party of military and research personnel from Canada, the United States, and Britain.
(Sources: "Hellyer Heads VIP List Coming Here for SES Blast," Medicine Hat News, 09 July 1964, 7; Patrick J.Roe, "Blast Area Awaits a Cloudless Day," Medicine Hat News, 16 July 1964, 2; "Suffield Explosion Felt Here," Medicine Hat News, 19 January 1961, 7)
Scope and Content
Photograph shows blast targets/dummies pre-detonation at the Suffield Experimental Station.
Suffield, Alberta, is situated approximately 40km northwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta. A few "large explosive events" (100 to 500 tons) were conducted at the Defence Research Board's (DRB) Suffield Experimental Station in the 1960s. On 19 January 1961, Medicine Hat citizens felt tremors in the community as a result of five tons of TNT being detonated at the station. The station director attributed this anomaly to freak atmospheric and weather conditions. At the time the DRB was testing the effects of shock waves on military equipment.
In July 1964, the Suffield Experimental Station detonated 30,600 blocks of TNT - 500 tons - to test the largest, non-nuclear, non-confined, surface blast. Placed in various sections radiating from ground zero to test the effects of the blast were targets, dummy-men, miscellaneous instruments, mines, model ships, nose cones, repirators, vehicles, subterranean chambers, shelters, tunnels, foxholes, and trenches. Several hundred people were expected to observe the blast, including 80 "official observers" and a VIP party of military and research personnel from Canada, the United States, and Britain.
(Sources: "Hellyer Heads VIP List Coming Here for SES Blast," Medicine Hat News, 09 July 1964, 7; Patrick J.Roe, "Blast Area Awaits a Cloudless Day," Medicine Hat News, 16 July 1964, 2; "Suffield Explosion Felt Here," Medicine Hat News, 19 January 1961, 7)
Scope and Content
Photograph shows blast targets/dummies post-detonation at the Suffield Experimental Station.
Emulsion is cracking and photograph is starting to warp
History / Biographical
Suffield, Alberta, is situated approximately 40km northwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta. A few "large explosive events" (100 to 500 tons) were conducted at the Defence Research Board's (DRB) Suffield Experimental Station in the 1960s. On 19 January 1961, Medicine Hat citizens felt tremors in the community as a result of five tons of TNT being detonated at the station. The station director attributed this anomaly to freak atmospheric and weather conditions. At the time the DRB was testing the effects of shock waves on military equipment.
In July 1964, the Suffield Experimental Station detonated 30,600 blocks of TNT - 500 tons - to test the largest, non-nuclear, non-confined, surface blast. Placed in various sections radiating from ground zero to test the effects of the blast were targets, dummy-men, miscellaneous instruments, mines, model ships, nose cones, repirators, vehicles, subterranean chambers, shelters, tunnels, foxholes, and trenches. Several hundred people were expected to observe the blast, including 80 "official observers" and a VIP party of military and research personnel from Canada, the United States, and Britain.
(Sources: "Hellyer Heads VIP List Coming Here for SES Blast," Medicine Hat News, 09 July 1964, 7; Patrick J.Roe, "Blast Area Awaits a Cloudless Day," Medicine Hat News, 16 July 1964, 2; "Suffield Explosion Felt Here," Medicine Hat News, 19 January 1961, 7)
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a detonation at the Suffield Experimental Station.
Frank Robb was Assistant Secretary Treasurer for School District of Brandon No. 129 and Curator of the B.J. Hales Natural History Museum exhibition for Brandon's 75th Anniversary (1957). Robb left Brandon ca. 1969 and relocated to Minaki, Ontario.
Custodial History
Frank Robb sent the slides to Fred McGuiness ca. 1986. McGuiness gave them to Eileen McFadden at the McKee Archives in April 1986.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 155 slides taken by Frank Robb, an inventory for the slides prepared by Robb and a letter from Robb to Fred McGuiness regarding the slides and memories of Brandon ca. 1950s.
