A barrel found in Quebec last week labelled “U.S. Army” and containing a liquid poses no threat to public safety, provincial police announced Wednesday. The barrel, discovered on Grosse-Île, a small island in the St. Lawrence River near Montmagny, Que., was analyzed by a Canadian military laboratory in Suffield, Alta., and deemed safe. “The barrel exhibited characteristics that required the utmost caution. Until its contents were known, our protocols required us to treat it as potentially hazardous,” the Sûreté du Québec press release reads. “That is exactly what our specialized teams did, using the necessary protective equipment. Now that the threat has been ruled out, the involvement of our specialized teams is no longer required.” Provincial police say it is co-ordinating with the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change, Biodiversity Protection, Wildlife, and Parks to dispose of it. Its discovery on Oct. 27 triggered a large-scale police operation by Quebec police. Officers established a security perimeter around the barrel and placed it under 24-hour surveillance with drones and helicopters. The Sûreté du Québec collaborated with the City of Montmagny and Public Health on the case. In a statement ot CTV News, the Department of National Defence said it and the Canadian Armed Forces were ready to support the Sûreté du Québec in its investigation. Quebec police reminds the public not to touch any suspicious objects and to contact 911.
