Somerset Street was reopened around noon March 20 after a suspicious package found at the Ukrainian Embassy proved to be a false alarm.
RCMP warned embassy staff about the package, which was left on a bench directly outside of the embassy, according to Dr. Mykhailo Khomenko, the interim head of mission at the Ukrainian embassy.
“We evacuated the building at approximately 10:30 a.m.,” he said.
The RCMP did a search and the embassy staff was allowed back in just after 11 a.m. after the RCMP concluded the package was empty, Khomenko said.
“There was no evidence of a threat found after RCMP officials conducted a thorough search of the building,” said Corp. Lucy Shorey of the RCMP.
The RCMP, as opposed to Ottawa police, provides security for embassies because they fall under federal jurisdiction.
This was the second time in as many days that a false alarm closed a major Centretown artery. On March 19, an unopened envelope found on an employee’s desk at the Department of Foreign Affairs resulted in a floor being evacuated and Laurier Street closing for a couple of hours in the morning.