'Sophisticated' explosive device found on Harvey Ave., say police

An improvised explosive device (IED) that was rendered safe by a specialist team on Harvey Avenue Monday evening was sophisticated, according to police.

But there’s no early indication as to why it was found lying near the road and a fast-food restaurant.

The incident forced the closure of the highway from the intersection of Cooper Road, where the device was spotted, to Spall Road, for about seven hours.

The bomb disposal unit from Vancouver drove up to deal with the IED, which was defused in the early evening.

At a news conference Tuesday, Kelowna RCMP Insp. Beth McAndie said the IED is not linked to anything else throughout the city or province, and there is no evidence showing it was a targeted event.

“We take this matter very seriously. The Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) team are assisting in our investigation conducting tests to determine the contents of the device and further forensic investigation is taking place,” she explained. “We’re still in the infancy of our criminal investigation. At this time, the IED appears to be sophisticated but the purpose of it is not known.”

McAndie commended the member of the public who located the device in a grassy area near the corner of Harvey and Cooper and took the matter seriously.

She added that while these types of scenarios aren’t common, they can happen, and some of them can be legitimate bombs. She said others can be replicas created by individuals who look to create mischief.

Police were unable to provide any information regarding a suspect nor how long the device may have been at the location. McAndie noted they will be looking at some security footage from the nearby businesses to help with their investigation.

“We will be doing an extensive canvas of businesses in the area and seeking the assistance of anybody who believes they can offer some sort of surveillance footage that will help us assist in further inquiries.”

McAndie thanked the public for their understanding during the extensive closure on Highway 97 and the surrounding businesses on making sure their employees were safe.