Police are investigating after a possible hand grenade was found at an Owen Sound hotel, forcing an evacuation of the building.
The Owen Sound Police Service says on Friday around 11:35am, emergency crews were called to the Days Inn on 6th St. E after hotel staff discovered what appeared to be a grenade. One of the employees picked up the grenade and placed it outside of the hotel on a concrete walkway, which is where it was when officers arrived.
6th St. E was closed near 9th Ave. E while officers investigated. The hotel was also evacuated as a precaution.
Photographs of the object were taken and sent to bomb technicians from the Department of National Defence (DND), as well as the Waterloo Regional Police Service.
At around 4:15pm, two technicians from the DND attended the scene and removed the possible grenade.
Inspector Stephen MacKinnon says the size, weight, colour and markings on the object were all consistent with a real hand grenade.
"The technicians have removed the object and will investigate to determine if it is a live grenade or if it is something else. We will be continuing our investigation into how the object came to be in the room, although at this very early stage there does not appear to be any malicious intent,” says MacKinnon.
6th St. E and the hotel were reopened around 4:30pm.
