P.E.I. Potato Harvest Unearths Two Suspected Mortars in Slemon Park Field

Sourced from 3 news outlets · most facts from East Prince RCMP · no points in dispute. How we sourced this

Potato harvesting at a North Bedeque farm has led to two police calls in as many days after suspected military ordnance was found in a Slemon Park field.

Key facts

• East Prince RCMP says a potato harvester found a suspected mortar in a field on Slemon Park in North Bedeque and police were called at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to the farm.
• RCMP says the call came one day after a potential explosive was discovered in the same Slemon Park field while potatoes were being unloaded.
• In both incidents, the Department of National Defence was contacted to deal with the suspected mortar and other ordnance.
• RCMP says both suspected mortars were collected from a field that used to be part of the military base in Slemon Park.

East Prince RCMP said a potato harvester uncovered a suspected mortar Wednesday, prompting a call to police at 6:30 p.m. The discovery came one day after a potential explosive was found while potatoes from the same field were being unloaded.

Slemon Park field's military history

Police say both suspected mortars were collected from land that once formed part of the military base in Slemon Park.

The base was decommissioned in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since then, RCMP say, the field has been used for farming for many years. It was rented this year by the farmer who uncovered the two items.

Defence Department Contacted

The Department of National Defence was contacted in both incidents to deal with the suspected mortar and other ordnance, RCMP said.

Questions about any further concerns involving the field will be addressed by the property owner in concert with the Department of National Defence, according to police.

Cpl. Gavin Moore, the P.E.I. RCMP’s media relations officer, said discoveries of this kind happen occasionally on the Island, though they are not frequent.

Treat Suspected Devices As Live

RCMP are urging anyone who encounters an item that appears to be explosive to leave it alone.

“Our advice in any situation like this is for people to stand clear, act as if this is a live explosive that could go off and do not bring this into any military or police detachment,” Moore said.

Instead, police say people should call authorities and allow officers to respond and secure the scene while the item is dealt with.

What we don't know yet

• Police have not said that the devices have been definitively identified beyond describing them as a suspected mortar or a possible explosive munition.

How outlets covered it

• CBC News (CBC/Radio-Canada) — “Another suspected historic mortar found in P.E.I. potato field, police say”, Oct. 30, 2026. By Khushy Vashisht. Quoted Cpl. Gavin Moore, the media relations officer for the P.E.I. RCMP.
• SaltWire (Postmedia) — “Farmer finds second suspected explosive in P.E.I. potato field”, Oct. 29, 2026. Quoted RCMP. Not in the other reports here: the Oct. 27 RCMP response date.
• CTV News (Bell Media) — “P.E.I. potato farmer discovers second suspected explosive device: RCMP”, Oct. 29, 2026. By Stephanie Tsicos. Led with a farmer's discovery of another possible explosive device. Quoted police.

How we sourced this story

Also used

• Possible historic explosive munition found during potato harvesting, RCMP say — CBC News, Oct. 28, 2026 (background)
• Farmer finds possible historic explosive munition in P.E.I. potato field — SaltWire, Oct. 28, 2026 (background)

How we put this together: we compare reporting from the outlets above, draft with the help of AI tools, and an editor checks every story before it's published. Our methodology.