Ottawa Police and the RCMP are using a robot to probe a suspicious package that saw Langevin Block and nearby buildings evacuated, one man arrested, and downtown roads cordoned off.
The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives unit (CBRNE) was on site at the building, which houses the Prime Minister’s Office and the Privy Council Office, around 12:40 p.m., according to an official Twitter account of the Ottawa Police.
Fire alarms could be heard from inside the building across the street from Parliament Hill, where the Governor General is set to deliver the throne speech later in the day.
Wellington Street between Elgin and O’Connor streets and Sparks Street were closed while police and emergency vehicles patrolled the area. Westbound OC Transpo buses were also rerouted.
Onlookers near Elgin and Wellington streets were told by security to move as far down as Queen Street.
According to the Canadian Press, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was not in the building at the time.