A "suspicious-looking device" – about the size of a tennis ball, wrapped in duct tape – was found Sunday at the University of Victoria.
The finder brought the item to the campus security building, but due to its suspicious nature and "the possibility that this was some type of improvised explosive device," the building was evacuated and Saanich police was called.
Staff Sgt. Scott Treble says Saanich liaised with the RCMP units locally and in Vancouver, and together they were able to determine the item was not an explosive. An explosive-sniffing dog was also brought in.
An X-ray of the item showed that it was a D-cell battery heavily wrapped in duct tape.
The campus security building was evacuated and the adjacent bus exchange was shut down for nearly six hours.
kslavin@saanichnews.com