‘Police operation’ over after closures, evacuations near Parliament Hill

A “police operation” near Parliament Hill Tuesday prompted road closures and the evacuation of a building within the Parliamentary precinct used for House of Commons committee hearings.

The operation involved a suspicious package, sources told Global News.

Ottawa police announced at 1:45 p.m. Eastern that the force was standing down and there was no danger to the public, nearly 40 minutes after it said it was assisting the Parliamentary Protective Service with the operation.

Several House of Commons committees being held in Wellington Building, which sits across Wellington Street from Parliament Hill, were suspended shortly after 12:30 p.m. Eastern after short alarm blasts were heard on committee livestreams.

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“We’re going to have to suspend while there is an evacuation,” Liberal MP Robert Morrissey, the chair of the human resources committee, was heard saying on a livestream of Tuesday’s meeting.

The committee’s meeting in Wellington Building was hearing from the head of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Commission before it was suspended.

The public safety committee, which was hearing from witnesses on Russian disinformation, and the health committee meeting on opioids were among those also suspended and taking place in Wellington Building.

The Ottawa Police Service had said in a post on X that it was assisting the Parliamentary Protective Service with an “active police operation.”

Police warned of road closures in and around the parliamentary precinct, including side streets and pedestrian walkways around Wellington Street and Sparks Street.

“Please avoid the area,” the post said, without describing the nature of what was being investigated.

At 1:45 p.m. Eastern, Ottawa police said there was no danger to the public.

“Ottawa Police resources that were deployed to address the situation are now standing down,” it said on X.

Other House of Commons committee meetings that were scheduled at 3:30 p.m. Eastern began nearly an hour later, but there was no public acknowledgement that the police operation caused the delays.