Vancouver City Hall was evacuated Thursday (Sept. 1) following concerns over the potential presence of a hazardous substance.
"We got a call about an envelope filled with suspicious powder," Matt Trudeau, captain of public information at Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, told V.I.A.
The envelope was found in the mail room of city hall and prompted a full evacuation of the building.
Sixteen members of the Hazardous Material Team responded to the call with seven different fire trucks of varying sizes, which Trudeau says is a standard response for something serious and significant.
The team tested the substance and all tests came back negative so they declared the powder safe and all staff were allowed to return to the building around 2 p.m. once the team had established that the threat was cleared.
VFRS was not able to provide details regarding what the substance was.
