‘We don’t stay alive if we don’t pay attention’: Inside Canada’s blasting industry
Canada's blasting industry plays a crucial role in various sectors, including mining and construction. Dave Metcalfe, president of DAMet, has extensive experience in handling explosives for unique projects, such as sinking the HMCS Annapolis. His work spans over 37 years and includes diverse tasks from decommissioning dynamite to rigging explosives for films.
- ▪Canada's mining, construction, and quarrying sectors consume millions of kilograms of explosives annually.
- ▪Dave Metcalfe has worked on a variety of projects, including sinking naval vessels and creating pyrotechnics for airshows.
- ▪Metcalfe's company, DAMet, was founded after he gained a reputation for solving complex blasting jobs.
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| Original publisher | The Globe and Mail |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-we-dont-stay-alive-if-we-dont-pay-attention-inside-canadas-blasting/ |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-21T13:06:11.034Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-21T13:06:11.034Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
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Open this photo in gallery:From highways and quarries to retired warships and special events, Canada’s blasters take on high-risk jobs that require technical expertise, planning and precision. Here, David Metcalfe (far right) and his team work a 2006 airshow in Halifax as part of the event’s pyrotechnique crew.SuppliedShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountDave Metcalfe was standing in the engine room of the decommissioned and stripped HMCS Annapolis, a massive naval destroyer floating in British Columbia’s Howe Sound, when it occurred to him: he was going to need more explosives. He’d already planned for 12 charges in parallel running the length of the ship, but had second thoughts during a site inspection with the marine architect.
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