Both RCMP and staff at Country Grocer in Lake Cowichan have confirmed a police incident Tuesday, Aug. 9 at the town’s largest grocery store, but both groups have declined to give details about exactly what occurred.
According to a Facebook community group, there was “an apparent bomb scare” but B.C. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Alex Bérubé said, “it was not a bomb scare, it was more of a suspicious package.”
Store owner Jo-Anne Pimlott declined to comment, instead directing questions to the RCMP.
“Let’s leave it with them,” she said.
Bérubé didn’t provide information about when and for how long the store was closed but did confirm officers and a police dog attended.
“We have dogs that are trained in explosive detection,” he noted.
Witnesses said the store was closed for a time and reopened by 5 p.m. but that there was police tape around the loading bay and police officers remained until at least 7:45 p.m.
Neither the RCMP nor the store officials gave any information about the nature of the package or when the incident occurred, leaving Facebook members to speculate.
“Unfortunately when things get posted on Facebook speculation runs rampant,” Bérubé said.