UPDATE: Nanaimo RCMP say it was the right call to evacuate people from an area of Discontent City yesterday, with explosive materials inside a sharps container.
RCMP91Ƶs Explosives Disposal Unit came to the homeless camp Friday night, examined the item found and removed it safely from the encampment, said Const. Gary O91ƵBrien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman.
He said the items that caused the concern were parts for commercial fireworks, 91Ƶwhich are quite volatile.91Ƶ
The resident at tent city who located the materials placed them in an empty sharps container, O91ƵBrien said.
91ƵSo EDU has advised that if in fact it was lit, because there was a fuse inside, it could have caused significant harm because of the shrapnel from the sharps container,91Ƶ he said. 91ƵNothing malicious; they just didn91Ƶt realize.91Ƶ
RELATED:
Some residents were evacuated to the New Hope Centre, not the conference centre as police initially reported.
91ƵEDU were the ones to advise to empty that portion of the encampment, because how it was described to them, it posed a significant risk to the public if there was an ignition source,91Ƶ O91ƵBrien said.
He said the investigation is continuing and 91Ƶeverything is back to normal91Ƶ at the camp.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Nanaimo RCMP have evacuated people out of a section of Discontent City and have called in a bomb disposal unit after finding what police have described as an explosive device in the homeless camp Friday afternoon.
Const. Gary O91ƵBrien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said the device was found shortly after 4 p.m. Police have cordoned off the area and are evacuating some of the camp91Ƶs residents.
RCMP at the scene were extending the police line outward on Friday evening.
91ƵOur explosives disposal unit is coming over 91Ƶ it probably won91Ƶt get here until about 10 p.m. 91Ƶ and they91Ƶll go in and assess it and take it away and safely dispose of it,91Ƶ O91ƵBrien said.
He said the device was found along the fence line across the street from Port Place shopping centre and an area within a radius of about 100 metres from where the device was located has been evacuated.
Police did not immediately elaborate on the nature or type of the explosive materials found.
The RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit is coming from Vancouver.
The incident happened the same day an injunction against the homeless camp took effect, though City of Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay announced this afternoon that there will be until the B.C. Supreme Court has had a chance to consider an extension for residents to relocate. The provincial government announced earlier this month that would be set up in Nanaimo in November.
Nanaimo RCMP have set up a police line around part of Discontent City and are extending that police line out after an explosive device was found this afternoon. A bomb disposal unit is en route.
91Ƶ Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin)