A suspected explosive device that was donated to a Sidney thrift store and caused an evacuation in the area has been determined to be a fake, police say.
On Saturday afternoon, Sidney-North Saanich RCMP evacuated the 9700-block of Fourth Street, where the Beacon Community Services thrift store is located, due to the report of a potential “historical military explosive device” being dropped off at the store.
Thrift store staff called police about the donation about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, they said.
Police evacuated and contained the area as a safety precaution and waited for CFB Esquimalt ordnance personnel, RCMP said in a statement issued at about 5 p.m. Saturday.
In an update on Sunday, police said that navy explosive experts went to the scene at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday and determined the donate to be a fake.
A description of the device that prompted the evacuation has not been made public.
