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Hazmat scare at Port Coquitlam Canada Post centre sparked by protein powder

A mail box is seen outside a Canada Post office in Halifax on Wednesday, July 6, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

It was a tense morning at the Canada Post distribution centre in Port Coquitlam on Tuesday.

Port Coquitlam Fire Chief Nick Delmonico said crews were called to 1628 Industrial Ave. where a package was accidentally opened that got white powder on a few employees.

Not knowing what it was, officials cleared the building, isolated the package and called the RCMP.

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The RCMP were able to trace the package back to a sender in China.

Delmonico said it contained some sort of non-gluten protein powder.

“[It] turned out to be nothing, but of course we have to handle everything like we don’t know what it is. So at this time I think everything is concluded and they’re wrapping it up and putting everything back to normal and the streets are being opened up.”
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Delmonico said normally it can take days to determine what a substance is, but that quick work by the RCMP solved the mystery in a matter of an hour or two.

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