WINNIPEG – Police opened streets around the Delta Winnipeg Hotel at 1 p.m. after two water bombs failed to detonate a suspicious package in the parking garage.
The Delta was evacuated after a staff member found a package wrapped in black tape with wires sticking out of it in the bottom level of the parking garage at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Downtown streets around the hotel, including St. Mary Avenue and Carlton Street, were closed while police investigated.
The Winnipeg police bomb squad detonated a water bomb near the package just before 10:30 a.m., Const. Jason Michalyshen told media outside the hotel a few minutes after the detonation.
A second water bomb was detonated later in the morning, but police were still uncertain about what the mysterious package contained.
“The item itself will have to be examined and that’s probably going to take a little time,” Michalyshen said shortly after noon.
Earlier in the morning, Michalyshen described the package as something that “might be an explosive or has some sort of an electronic device” inside.
The bomb unit could be seen going in and out of the parking garage with equipment during the morning. Paramedics accompanied them at one point and the police tactical unit was also at the scene.
The package was against a wall in the lowest level of the parkade, Michalyshen said.
There were 300 to 400 people in the hotel before it was evacuated, police estimated. Guests were directed to take refuge in the Winnipeg convention centre, which is attached to the hotel.
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