Suspicious letter declared safe

A suspicious letter found at 344 Slater St. on Monday afternoon has been deemed safe.

Police and firefighters responded to a hazardous materials call made after the letter caused an employee to become ill over the weekend.

According to Ottawa police, the letter was removed by the HAZMAT team and examined by Health Canada before being declared safe. The employee is believed to have had an allergic reaction.

Ottawa police are continuing their investigation due to the threatening nature of the letter.

Some businesses in the building reported little disruption while the HAZMAT team was on site.

“We’re seeing the fire department, there’s two fire trucks out front but traffic’s still going through,” says Jennifer Camirand, an employee at the Bridgehead Coffee House located in the building.

“Bridgehead is business as usual and the other retailers around us are open too.”

The building at 344 Slater St. is home to a number of government offices, including the Canadian Human Rights Commission and Canada National Farm Products.