By The Canadian Press

Terrace RCMP evacuate homes in northern B.C. in ‘unfolding police incident’

Oct 5, 2016 | 4:37 PM

TERRACE, B.C. — The RCMP evacuated homes on two streets in a small community in northwest British Columbia on Wednesday because of “an unfolding police incident.”

The Mounties asked people to avoid the 3900 block of Mountainview Avenue and Sande Avenue in Thornhill, near Terrace.

Const. Angela Rabut wouldn’t release details of why the evacuation was ordered, but said it affected about two dozen houses.

The RCMP were also asking people to avoid the area and told residents of surrounding streets to stay inside and lock their doors.

“We’re just asking the public to avoid the area,” said Rabut. “We do have people coming here, looky-loos, and the reason we’ve evacuated the area is for public safety. Let us do our jobs and stay away.”

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Pacific Northern Gas, the local natural-gas utility, shut off the gas for about 25 customers in the evacuated area at the request of the RCMP, said general manager Craig Sears.

He said the company was contacted by the RCMP just after 1 p.m. and crews responded immediately.

“We’re making it safe,” he said. “As soon as the RCMP gives us the green light, we will relight the customers.”

Sears said he couldn’t comment on why the RCMP asked for the gas to be turned off. There was an incident at a residence that officers were dealing with, he said.

Staff at Thornhill Primary School and Thornhill Elementary School phoned parents of students who live in the evacuated area to let them know their children were being kept safely at school until they can be picked up, said Superintendent Katherine McIntosh of Coast Mountains Board of Education School District.

“We would be concerned that we would have young, elementary-aged children, who typically walk home, getting to the area that their home is and it’s blockaded, they can’t get in and there would be police cars with sirens,” said McIntosh.

“We just want to make sure that families come and pick them up and we keep them safe and comfortable at the school until families can get there.”

She said the school district had been in communication with the RCMP since before noon when the district first learned of the situation from a parent.

“The area has been considered contained, so the RCMP advised us none of our schools were in imminent danger or had any threat towards them. So we have not had to lock down any of our facilities.”

Students who live outside of the affected area were being allowed to go home as usual, she said. Some buses were being slightly rerouted.

She said the RCMP hadn’t told the school district what exactly was happening in the evacuated area, but that it involved one house.

The Canadian Press