Military team removes antique explosive in North Vancouver

The Canadian military was called in Wednesday afternoon to a residential neighbourhood in North Vancouver to deal with an item acquired as an interesting antique that may well have been a live ordnance.

Four homes were evacuated shortly after noon and military explosives experts were called after concerns were raised that the item bought as a novelty may be an unexploded shell.

Police blocked off a neighbourhood between Dollar Road and Roche Point Road on Dollarton Highway for about six hours Wednesday.

By about 7:30 p.m. the explosives team had safely removed the item, said North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Sgt. Peter DeVries.

Turns out, it may have been a close call. While a final determination hadn’t been made by Wednesday evening, “We were informed that the item did not appear to be inert and may have been live,” said DeVries. “Thankfully it was removed and nobody was hurt.”

DeVries said the object looked like a artillery shell of some sort, and may have been difficult for the average person to recognize.

Nearby roads have now been re-opened and evacuated residents have been allowed back home.