Here’s the story behind the ‘bomb scare’ in Langford on Thursday

What started as a routine workday for staff at a Langford engineering firm quickly turned into a surreal afternoon involving police tape, a bomb squad, and media inquiries—thanks to a suspicious box with “Explosive Danger” written on it.

Around 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 10th, an engineer from Westbrook Consulting returned from a site visit and spotted the marked box near the firm’s back door at 866 Goldstream Avenue.

Out of caution, West Shore RCMP were contacted, and police promptly set up a safety perimeter around the area. Some parts of the parking lot were cordoned off, and staff were advised not to use the back entrance.

Owner Mike Wignall, who wasn’t at the office at the time, arrived later that afternoon to find officers securing the area and RCMP requesting details about any contractors who may have accidentally left the box.

Related: RCMP bomb squad called in after suspicious package found in Langford parking lot

No such visit had occurred, and RCMP soon confirmed that their explosives disposal unit (EDU) was en route from the Lower Mainland via the 2 p.m. ferry.

Despite the dramatic response, staff at Westbrook remained calm throughout the incident. They weren’t asked to evacuate, and police noted that the concrete walls surrounding the box would have limited any potential damage.

While the firm held off sharing photos or jumping to conclusions, local media picked up on the police advisory, and word spread quickly online. Wignall fielded messages and calls all afternoon, but chose not to share images of the box, predicting the situation would be resolved without incident.

By just before 5 p.m., the EDU arrived and assessed the scene. Shortly after 5:30 p.m., RCMP confirmed that no explosive device was found, and the area was declared safe.

Later, a neighbouring resident who had reviewed security footage from earlier that morning told Wignall the box appeared to have been left by two individuals who were seen rummaging through it before walking away—seemingly unaware of the chaos they’d cause hours later.

By 8 p.m., police had cleared the scene, and the area had returned to normal.

While it turned out to be a false alarm, the incident serves as a reminder of the seriousness with which local authorities treat any potential threat to public safety.