‘Device’ in Harry Hays not a bomb, police say

Calgary police say a cylindrical “device” found by security guards in the Harry Hays building Thursday morning did not contain explosives.

Around 10 a.m. Thursday, police were called to 220 4th Avenue S.E. for reports of a suspicious package.

A small, cylindrical device “with wires sticking out of it” was found at the entrance to the women’s washroom on the fifth floor of the building.

“We took it very seriously from the outset because it looked like something that was made to potentially look like an explosive device, just by the shape of it, and it was obviously very out of place,” duty inspector Julien Gagne said at a news conference Thursday evening.

The Harry Hays building was evacuated while the tactical unit and explosive technicians were called in.

Police say the suspicious device was removed by explosive technicians around 12:40 p.m. and taken to a safe place, where it was destroyed.

Police are still treating the device as suspicious but have determined it did not contain explosive material.

“The intent is also not known at this time. The investigation continues,” police said earlier Thursday.

The building was reopened to the public just after 1 p.m.

CPS’ arson unit is leading the investigation and police are reviewing CCTV footage from the building.

Anyone who was in the area where the device was found in the time leading up to the discovery, or anyone with information about the incident is being asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.