Proof and Experimental Test Establishment

The Proof and Experimental Test Establishment (French: Centre d’essais et d’expérimentation, or PETE^[2]) is a Canadian Forces military weapons testing facility located west of Nicolet, Quebec on the shore of Lake Saint Pierre.^[3] The site is operated by General Dynamics Ordinance and Tactical Systems Canada, a major supplier of ammunition to the Canadian Forces.^[4]

Proof and Experimental Test Establishment
Centre d’essais et d’expérimentation
Near Nicolet, Quebec in Canada
Site information
Type	Munitions and Weapons Testing
Operator	Canadian Army
Status	Active
Location
Location of Proof and Experimental Test Establishment
Coordinates	46.22124°N 72.64753°W / 46.22124; -72.64753
Area	~20 km2 (7.7 sq mi)
Site history
In use	1952[1] - Current
Test information
Remediation	Partial Remediation of Lac Saint-Pierre

Lake Saint Pierre firing range

Between 1952 and 2000, the nearby Lake Saint Pierre was used as a firing range. Munitions testing over this period resulted in the accumulation of over 300,000 shells on the lake floor, approximately 8000 of which are unexploded ordinance.^[5] The unexploded shells continue to present a danger to the significant number of year-round recreational users of the lake. Cleanup efforts are additionally impeded by the sheer number of shells. They are also made substantially more difficult due to the great environmental importance and the protected status of the lake according to several international agreements.^[6][7]

The centre still conducts munitions tests close by but no longer in or above the lake.^[8]