Drones Uncover WWII Bombs Hidden in Ottawa’s Mer Bleue Bog: A Surprising Find

Hold onto your hiking boots, DroneXL fans, because Ottawa’s Mer Bleue Bog just revealed a explosive secret! Carleton University grad students used drones to uncover over 17 unexploded WWII bombs in this serene conservation area, once a military bombing range. For our 50-year-old drone enthusiasts, this is the kind of story that mixes high-tech with history, showing drones can do more than snap cool videos—they can unearth hidden dangers without wrecking nature. From wartime relics to cutting-edge drone scans, let’s dive into how this project is making waves in Ottawa’s east end.

What’s Happening at Mer Bleue?

Mer Bleue Bog, a 3,500-hectare gem in Ottawa’s east end, is a hiker’s paradise with rare plants and wildlife, managed by the National Capital Commission (NCC).

But from 1942 to 1945, it was a Canadian military bombing range, littered with bombs up to 900 pounds. A 1960 cleanup attempt sank in the bog’s mushy peat, leaving an unknown number of unexploded ordnances (UXOs) behind.

Enter grad students Pablo Arzate and Sareh Mirbagheri, who flew drones with magnetometers over a small section of the bog for four days, five hours daily.

Their drones picked up magnetic signals from non-organic objects—like bombs—standing out in the bog’s organic peat. In just one zone, they counted over 17 UXOs, a shocking find. “It was really interesting to see that result,” Mirbagheri said, while Arzate noted the tech flags anomalies, not specific objects, but the bog’s history points to bombs. The Department of National Defence (DND) knows the bomb drop zones from old maps but not their numbers, and they’re cheering this drone innovation for UXO detection.

How It Compares

This project stands apart from our recent drone stories. The HoverAir Aqua’s great for water selfies, Amazon’s MK30 is dropping packages in pools, and Skyports’ drones are delivering meds in Belgium.

The Navy’s Skydweller soars for 73 hours, but it’s all about surveillance. Mer Bleue’s drones are like high-tech archaeologists, using magnetometers to map hidden dangers without disturbing the bog’s delicate ecosystem. Unlike heavy machinery that’d tear up the terrain, these drones glide above, offering a green, efficient way to tackle old hazards. It’s a unique niche showing drones’ versatility.

The Catch

The bombs are low-risk for now, buried deep in areas hikers don’t reach, per DND’s Andrée-Anne Poulin. There’s no cleanup planned unless the land’s redeveloped, keeping the bog safe as parkland. But the survey covered only a small area—17 UXOs in one zone hints at a bigger problem. The tech can’t confirm if anomalies are bombs or junk, needing ground checks to be sure. Arzate’s team pulled this off without big funding, which limits scaling up, but the tech’s potential for mining or other remediation projects is exciting.

DroneXL’s Take

As a drone pilot who’s dodged branches and battled wind, I’m blown away by this project. Using drones to hunt WWII bombs in a bog is straight-up Indiana Jones-level cool. The fact that they mapped 17 UXOs in a small area without touching the ground is a win for tech and nature. I’ve flown drones in tough spots, so pulling this off over four days is impressive. This is drones doing serious detective work.

I’m itching to know how many bombs are really out there—17 is a lot for one zone! The low risk to hikers is great, but I’d stick to the boardwalk. This project shows drones can solve real-world problems, and I’m pumped to see it expand—maybe old battlefields next? What do you think—would you stroll Mer Bleue with bombs below?

Photographs courtesy of CBC News