Parliament Hill explosives scare appears based on a bad tip: sources

Heavily armed police searched two vehicles near Parliament Hill and detained two individuals, but concerns about explosives appear to have been overblown.

A bomb scare near Parliament Hill that drew investigative resources from major national security services appears to have been based on bad information, two senior Canadian intelligence sources told Global News.

Police descended on the area surrounding the parliament buildings Saturday after receiving what sources called credible intelligence about potential explosives in the area.

Emergency call logs reviewed by Global News showed the Ottawa Police Service searched two vehicles – one at the busy intersection of Slater and Metcalfe streets, three blocks south of Parliament Hill, and another near the Supreme Court – and detained at least two people.

The initial tip was detailed, sources said Sunday, and included names, photographs and license plate numbers.

But multiple sources said Sunday the searches turned up no explosives, and Ottawa cops said there was no imminent threat to the public.

Tensions have been high in the parliamentary precinct since last February’s convoy protests, which saw an encampment of trucks and protesters occupy the streets around the Hill for weeks before the Liberal government invoked emergency powers to clear the demonstration.

The government’s unprecedented decision to turn to the Emergencies Act is now subject to scrutiny by multiple parliamentary committees and an independent judicial inquiry.

Multiple law enforcement and intelligence sources said Saturday that the tip was based on intelligence from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which suggested some international nexus to the perceived threat.