The Fernie Transfer Station will reopen tomorrow following an explosives scare earlier today.
“At about 11 a.m. this morning, the staff at the Fernie Transfer Station staff discovered what appeared to be sticks of dynamite. The RCMP were called immediately and their Explosives Disposal Unit was brought in this afternoon to determine whether the material in question was in fact explosive,” said RDEK Communications Officer Loree Duczek. “Upon investigation, it was determined they were empty cardboard tubes and contained no explosives.”
Highway 3, which had been closed for much of the day as a precautionary measure has now been reopened and the Fernie Transfer Station will resume regular operating hours tomorrow.
“This is a good reminder for the public to think twice about what they are disposing of. This situation could have been avoided had the person responsible simply informed the staff what they had,” said Duczek. “This package looked very real and we have to take every precaution to protect our staff at the public at our facilities. Not only did this cause an interruption in the operation of the transfer station, it resulted in a highway closure, impacts to neighbouring businesses and significant RCMP resources.”
The investigation into how the package came to be left at the Transfer Station will be conducted by the RCMP.
“I’d like to thank the Transfer Station staff, Ministry of Transportation and the RCMP for their quick response to this incident and the public for their patience as we worked to determine the safety of the scene. You just can’t take chances in circumstances like this,” added Duczek.