Bag containing inert hand grenades shut down Victoria airport
Victoria International Airport reopened late Tuesday after commercial flights were cancelled for much of the day following the discovery of a pair of inert hand grenades and other surplus military gear in a passenger's luggage.
Police are pursuing a charge of mischief against the airline passenger, who has been released from police custody while the investigation continues.
The airport was closed and all commercial flights were cancelled around 1:30 p.m. after baggage scanners saw what appeared to be a pair of hand grenades inside a bag in the airport X-ray machine, RCMP Cpl. Andy Sanchez said Wednesday.
Another bag belonging to the same passenger was discovered in the departures area. Sanchez said that bag could not be scanned so the decision was made to call in the RCMP bomb disposal unit from the Lower Mainland.
Travellers were asked to avoid the airport for several hours while the bomb disposal unit was en route.
At around 8 p.m., the airport issued an update saying the disruption was over and the airport had reopened.
"The call for service is confirmed to have been an incendiary item and inert surplus military supplies contained in checked baggage," the airport statement said.
"We don’t normally see grenades or incendiary devices come through [the airport]," Sanchez said Wednesday. "At this stage police are going to be investigating a charge of mischief."
The RCMP spokesperson said the traveller is not known to police.
Airport operations were expected to return to normal Wednesday, though lingering delays are expected due to the volume of flights that were cancelled and rerouted Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.