Live explosive device safely removed from busy Kelowna, B.C., shopping area

KELOWNA, B.C. – Police say an explosive device that rerouted vehicles, snarled traffic and disrupted businesses in Kelowna, B.C., was ‘”sophisticated.”

Insp. Beth McAndie says the RCMP’s bomb disposal unit has determined that had the device been activated, it would have detonated.

A stretch of Highway 97N, also known as Harvey Avenue, was closed in both directions for more than seven hours on Monday as police waited for the disposal unit to arrive from the Lower Mainland.

McAndie says they’ve learned the improvised explosive device isn’t linked to anything else they are investigating and there’s no evidence it was targeted at someone or something.

She says the device was not detonated, but was rendered safe by experts who know how to handle such explosives.

A business owner spotted the device and called police, and McAndie says they’ll be canvassing the neighbourhood looking for video or witnesses to expand their investigation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2023.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the device had been denotated.