Suspicious package in downtown Vancouver not an explosive, police say

Police respond to a suspicious package left outside a building on West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver, on Sept. 5, 2024.

A suspicious package that prompted a major police response in downtown Vancouver Thursday was not an explosive device, authorities have confirmed.

The Vancouver Police Department blocked off a stretch of West Georgia Street after the package was discovered outside a building along the busy traffic artery at some point in the afternoon.

A loud bang rang out from the scene around 9 p.m., after the VPD's Emergency Response Team had been dispatched to examine the package.

On Friday, police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison confirmed the package itself was not an explosive, and that there was no threat to public safety.

"We are continuing our investigation to determine who left the package and what their intentions were," Addison said in an email.

Before police cleared the scene, a strewn-apart package could be seen on the ground with the word "Look" printed on one side.