Arrest warrant issued for suspect in Penticton explosions

A 49-year-old Penticton man has been charged after a number of explosions in that city earlier this year but has yet to be arrested.

There were at least two explosions in March but there may have been others earlier in the year, according to an RCMP media release issued today, Nov. 15. They happened in various open areas around the city late in the evenings and into the early morning hours.

B.C. Prosecution Service approved charges of possessing an explosive device and mischief on Nov. 2, and a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Blair Robert Balch.

READ MORE: Another mysterious explosion site in Penticton, this time near an elementary school

RCMP describe Balch as a Caucasian male, 5’10” tall, 154 lbs. with blonde hair and blue eyes.

If you witnessed any of these incidents, or have information on the whereabouts of Blair Balch, you’re asked to call the Penticton RCMP at 250-492-4300.


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Rob Munro

Rob Munro has a long history in journalism after starting an underground newspaper in Whitehorse called the Yukon Howl in 1980. He spent five years at the 100 Mile Free Press, starting in the darkroom, moving on to sports and news reporting before becoming the advertising manager. He came to Kelowna in 1989 as a reporter for the Kelowna Daily Courier, and spent the 1990s mostly covering city hall. For most of the past 20 years he worked full time for the union representing newspaper workers throughout B.C. He’s returned to his true love of being a reporter with a special focus on civic politics