Bomb unit removes propane tank, flammable liquid from vehicle in downtown
Posted Aug 10, 2026 10:52:19 AM.
Last Updated Aug 10, 2026 05:38:33 PM.
Halifax Regional Police detailed the timeline of when they first heard about a possible bomb to the city and when they arrested a 54-year-old man in connection with the threat.
It first started on Sunday evening around 6:15 p.m., when police received a report from the U.S. Consulate in Purdy’s Wharf in downtown Halifax. Officials said they were able to identify the man and began looking for him.
Then, Monday morning around 8:10 a.m. police found the man’s vehicle inside the parkade at Purdy’s Whaf.
“A propane tank and several containers believed to contain flammable liquid could be seen inside the vehicle,” police detailed.
At this point, an emergency alert for a bomb threat was sent to people’s cell phones. Shortly after, another team of officers found the suspect on Thomas Raddal Drive near the Canada Games Centre and arrested him.
It was around 11:00 a.m. that evacuation orders were sent out to a large portion of the downtown, while the explosive disposal unit responded to the parkade.
Dozens of businesses, offices and roadways in downtown Halifax were asked to evacuate.
“The Halifax Regional Police Explosive Disposal Unit responded and police began evacuating several streets in the downtown core until the vehicle and its contents could be safely approached and inspected,” the release reads. “A suspicious bag was also located nearby.”
At around 2:00 p.m. the evacuation order was lifted. Businesses and roads were allowed to reopen.
The 54-year-old man is in police custody and is being interviewed, officials said in the latest release.
The investigation is ongoing.
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