A suspicious object that appeared to be an improvised explosive device brought a Kelowna neighbourhood to a standstill, forcing police to close roads for hours while a specialized RCMP bomb squad travelled from Metro Vancouver.
A busy neighbourhood had to work around large shut down areas for 11 hours, the length of time between the call was made and the bomb squad from Vancouver arrived.
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The device was discovered just before 3 p.m Monday by a landscaping crew near the corner of Barlee Road and Springfield Road. Kelowna RCMP quickly evacuated the area, closed surrounding streets and requested assistance from the B.C. RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit.
Because the RCMP’s only bomb squad serving communities outside the Lower Mainland is based in Metro Vancouver, specialists had to travel to Kelowna before the device could be safely examined, leaving Springfield Road closed well into the evening.
Part of the bomb squad waiting for situation to be resolved.
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“Everything we’ve heard is that it’s so safe here. Nothing happens,” said resident Dia Borromeo. “We’ve been here for a month, and now there’s a bomb?”
Dia and Kate Borromeo, who recently moved to Kelowna, said they felt police should have communicated more information. Despite living in the affected area, they said they were left in the dark about what was happening.
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Steven Mac, who lives nearby, said public safety has been an ongoing concern.
“Our vehicles were getting broken into, and you hear people screaming all night,” he said.
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The road closures were lifted shortly after 11:30 p.m. after the RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit determined the device was inert and posed no risk to the public.
Police have not identified who left the object or what their motivation may have been. Investigators are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Kelowna RCMP.
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