OTTAWA – A Toronto man arrested for allegedly carrying a hidden weapon at the entrance to the Centre Block of Parliament was remanded in custody Wednesday.

Yasin Ali, 56, was detained by the Parliamentary Protective Service on Tuesday after a security screening discovered what police say was a knife.

Ali made a brief court appearance Wednesday on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon.

Defence lawyer Peter Azzi said his client is due back in court on Friday and will be assessed by a doctor.

Neither Azzi nor the RCMP would discuss media reports that described the weapon as a meat cleaver.

However, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson applauded the “great job” by the protective service, for which the Mounties have day-to-day responsibility.

“The individual was identified behaving oddly, suspiciously. And one of our officers challenged him, saw the knife, took him into custody,” Paulson said.

“I understand that it is less a concern around so-called national security considerations than it is a mental-health issue.”

Security on Parliament Hill has been tight since Oct. 22, 2014, when Michael Zehaf Bibeau gunned down a soldier at the nearby National War Memorial and sprinted through the main doors of Centre Block.

Moments later, the rifle-wielding Zehaf Bibeau died in a hail of bullets just outside the Library of Parliament, leading to to a major reorganization of security on the Hill.

The RCMP had been responsible for the grounds of the parliamentary precinct, while House of Commons and Senate security forces had jurisdiction inside the Parliament Buildings.

The three have merged into a single service to manage security on Parliament Hill.