5 homes evacuated, military called in to deal with antique explosive at North Vancouver home
Five homes in North Vancouver were evacuated and the Department of National Defence was called in Wednesday as authorities dealt with a military artifact in a residential neighbourhood.
North Vancouver RCMP said on Twitter that they had closed Dollarton Highway between Roche Point Drive and Dollar Road after being notified of a "historical ordnance" that was "bought as a novelty," but may be hazardous.
Angelina Kekic was running errands in the morning and tried going back home around 1 p.m., but couldn’t get close to her house.
“The police stopped us and said we’re not allowed in," she told CTV News Vancouver.
Kekic, who was supposed to be working from home, had to cancel her scheduled work appointments. When she asked police what was going on, she was told a potentially explosive device had been found in a home.
“I wanted to know, is it my house? Where this this happening? Where is this explosive? Are there people around my home? For me, that was unnerving, not knowing what was happening," she said.
Sgt. Peter DeVries, spokesperson for North Vancouver RCMP, told CTV News the item in question is a military shell of some kind, and is believed to be quite old.
The person who bought it thought it was decommissioned, but had second thoughts and contacted police, DeVries said.
Officers evacuated four surrounding homes and secured the area around the house where the explosive is located, DeVries said.
The area was shut down for several hours Wednesday afternoon as police awaited the arrival of Canadian Armed Forces experts.
RCMP confirmed Canadian Armed Forces personnel determined the ordnance might be live and dangerous and removed it from the home. By 6:30 p.m. the road reopened and evacuated residents had been allowed to return home.
Sgt. Devries said the incident was not criminal in nature. No fines or charges have been laid. No one was hurt, but some residents were troubled by the hours-long ordeal in their normally quiet community.
“I called my neighbours and made sure they were safe,” said Kekic. “We’re fortunate that we have a good neighbourhood and we watch out for each other.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.