Julia Peterson
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The Saskatchewan Health Authority says regular operations have resumed at Royal University Hospital and Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon, after a bomb threat was reported.
Shortly after noon on Wednesday, Saskatoon police said they were responding to an “ongoing incident” at the adjoined hospitals, and advised people to avoid the area.
At the hospital, police said they found “a man in a vehicle believed to possibly be armed with an explosive device outside of the ambulance bay.”
For over two hours, the hospitals were on lockdown, and patients needing emergency medical care were sent to the emergency departments at St. Paul’s Hospital or Saskatoon City Hospital. Non-emergency medical appointments at the affected hospitals were canceled, and will be rescheduled.
Meanwhile, Saskatoon police patrol officers and members of the crisis negotiation team, tactical support unit, canine unit and explosive disposal unit, along with fire department, emergency management and ambulance personnel responded to the scene.
“Continued investigation determined that the 47-year-old man (in the vehicle) was not in possession of an explosive device and, through ongoing negotiation, he voluntarily exited the vehicle and was apprehended by police under the Mental Health Services Act without further incident,” police said.
“A search of the vehicle did not locate anything that would be considered a threat to public safety.”
At 2:30 p.m., police provided the “all clear,” meaning that the threat has been resolved and the lockdown was lifted.
Less than 15 minutes later, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said access to all hospital services had resumed.
“The SHA extends its deep appreciation to our staff and physicians for their quick activation of appropriate emergency protocols, as well as to patients and the public for their support and understanding during the disruption,” the SHA said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
“The SHA also extends its thanks to Saskatoon Police Service, Saskatoon Fire Department and EMS for their support in responding to this situation.”
Within the Saskatchewan Health Authority, staff are trained to respond to a “code black” — which covers bomb threats, discovery of suspicious packages or objects at the hospital, or actual bomb explosions for which no prior warning was received — by following a standard set of procedures.
Staff will help search their area of the hospital for suspicious objects, defer to law enforcement once police and/or RCMP officers arrive on site, and “if an evacuation is justified, remove all clients, personnel and visitors to a location well away from the threatened area as quickly as possible.”
Bomb threats in Saskatoon are rare, but not unheard of.
In 2018, a woman was jailed after sending “dozens” of threatening letters and suspicious packages to schools, businesses and hospitals throughout Saskatoon. Though none of the packages exploded, Crown prosecutor Jennifer Claxton-Viczko later said the threats caused “widespread panic,” disrupted classrooms and delayed cancer treatments.
In 2017, a man was arrested after setting off an explosion with propane tanks at the provincial courthouse in Saskatoon; there were no injuries but the courthouse itself was damaged.
In 2015, a WestJet flight bound for Edmonton diverted to make an emergency landing at the Saskatoon airport after a bomb threat; once again, no one was injured.
