UPDATE: Shopping mall in Vernon back to normal

VERNON – Police evacuated and taped off a Vernon shopping centre for several hours Tuesday afternoon. 

Four police cars, B.C. Ambulance and Vernon Fire Rescue were on scene at the Landing Plaza on Okanagan Landing Road from about 1:30 p.m. to roughly 4:30 p.m. today, July 12.

Employees said they were evacuated by police as a precaution due to a potential bomb threat. Police have not yet provided full details of the investigation to iNFOnews.ca, but cleared the scene several hours later and allowed people back into the mall. 

All entrances to the mall parking lot were blocked by police during the incident and they ensured no one entered the property. A portion of Okanagan Landing Road was also blocked off, creating traffic delays. 

By 4:30 p.m., the evacuation order was lifted and employees returned to work. 

— This story was updated at 5:30 p.m. July 12, 2016 to say the evacuation was lifted. 


To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston or call 250-309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.
Marshall Jones

News is best when it's local, relevant, timely and interesting. That's our focus every day.

We are on the ground in Penticton, Vernon, Kelowna and Kamloops to bring you the stories that matter most.

Marshall may call West Kelowna home, but after 16 years in local news and 14 in the Okanagan, he knows better than to tell readers in other communities what is "news' to them. He relies on resident reporters to reflect their own community priorities and needs. As the newsroom leader, his job is making those reporters better, ensuring accuracy, fairness and meeting the highest standards of journalism.