Hundreds of staff and patients were evacuated from the Interior Health building in downtown Kelowna on Wednesday morning.
At around 10 AM, Interior Health staff discovered a suspicious package in a waiting area. They called Kelowna RCMP, who directed the entire building to evacuate.
On any given day, there are between 800 and 1,000 people in the facility according to Building Manager Peter Grewal.
He says the package was a duffle bag that had been left unattended on the second floor.
“That is our clinical areas for mental health” said Grewal. “There is also a lot of children’s programs up there as well. It’s mainly our clinical area for the building.”
Kelowna RCMP cordoned off the building, shutting down a section of Doyle Avenue in the process.
A sniffer dog was deployed to inspect the package. Police later determined the bag did not pose a threat.
Roughly one hour after the package was first discovered, the building was re-opened to the public.