Oct. 3, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of one of the biggest and deadliest industrial accidents in Metro Vancouver history.

On Oct. 3, 1975, a fire and two explosions at the Burrard Grain Terminals in North Vancouver killed five men and severely burned 12 others.

“Anyone that was old enough and around will remember that day,” Mike Kalanj told Global News.

His dad, of the same name, was one of the workers at the terminals who survived but was burned over 55 per cent of his body.

The second explosion at the site was caused by grain dust, which can be 35 times more explosive than TNT. Nearby homes had to be evacuated as large pieces of charred wood rained down on the houses.

At the time of the accident, Kalanj’s mother was in the hospital, about to give birth to him and his twin br

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