North Vancouver RCMP is investigating after two separate reports of loud bangs or explosions in the early hours of Friday morning (June 27), with one explosive device hitting Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma's North Vancouver constituency office.
Mounties were first called to the 100-block of West 1st Street around 2:45 a.m. for a report of a "loud bang," Cpl. Mansoor Sahak told reporters during a media briefing at the North Vancouver RCMP detachment Friday afternoon. He said officers went to the scene and searched, but no evidence was found.
Then around 4:15, he said, police were called again, this time for a report of a "loud explosion" near the intersection of West Esplanade and Chesterfield avenues. When officers arrived, they found evidence of damage to the front door of an office building. The RCMP's explosives disposal unit was called in.
No Injuries were reported.
Sahak said the investigation is in its early stages, but the office has been cleared and deemed safe. Other businesses in the multi-storey office building remained open during the investigation.
NDP MLA and Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma's office issued a statement just before 11 a.m., calling it a "security incident" and said that because of the ongoing police investigation she could not provide any details about the incident at this time.
"All meetings and appointments at my constituency office are cancelled for the day due to a security incident that occurred in the early hours of this morning," Ma said. "Thankfully, nobody was injured, but incidents like this can be quite frightening. I appreciate the concern expressed by community members."
Contrary to some reports, other constituency offices throughout the province remain open, but staff and MLAs are being advised caution and told they can do what they feel comfortable with.
More to come.
