CALGARY — People in Calgary no longer have to worry about loud bangs in one of the city’s south-end neighbourhoods after police successfully moved an explosive material discovered days ago.
After detonating part of the material in a long series of loud, fiery bangs, police say they safely moved the acid to an undisclosed location and the community could return to normal.
The two-day saga started Tuesday with a suspicious package that had been delivered by a moving company tasked with disposing of several substances, including an unlabelled package of picric acid.
Police had said it sat for about 10 days before being discovered and that it would have easily exploded if disturbed.
It led police to detonate the substance in smaller pieces and forced nearby businesses and residents to evacuate.
Calgary police had originally said the explosions would continue into Thursday and potentially for longer.
Calgary deputy police chief Cliff O’Brien said the police service traffic, tactical and patrol units, along with the city fire department and provincial health service all helped move the substance to the new location on Wednesday night.
“This has been a very dynamic situation,” O’Brien told a news conference on Thursday.
The situation led the city to activate its emergency response centre, a measure only taken in select instances. It has most recently been activated for the G7 leaders summit, last summer's wildfire in Jasper, Alta., and in the wake of a broken water main that forced Calgarians into unprecedented water-use restrictions for several months last summer.
Residents and business owners have been allowed to return to the neighbourhood and the area’s temporary no-fly zone for drones and aircraft is no longer in place.
Police have said criminal charges could be laid, but haven’t shared how the explosive substance was discovered.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2025.
Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
