Some Toronto Post-Secondary Campuses Evacuated Due to Bomb Threats

At least two post-secondary campuses in Toronto, Ontario, were evacuated Tuesday morning as law enforcement investigated bomb threats to multiple city schools. One campus was reopened quickly after it was determined to be safe.

• By Jessica Davis
• June 19, 2019

At least two post-secondary campuses in Toronto, Ontario, were evacuated Tuesday morning as law enforcement investigated bomb threats to multiple city schools. One campus was reopened quickly after it was determined to be safe.

According to a tweet from the Toronto Police Operations Centre, numerous bomb threats were made to post-secondary campuses in the city, with four schools and 10 campuses involved. They did not say how many campuses were being evacuated.

The @TorontoPolice Service is responding to numerous bomb threats to post-secondary campuses throughout the city. We're investigating & working w/ schools to evacuate where necessary. Anyone who has received a threat or has info on the investigation is asked to call police. ^CdK

— Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) June 18, 2019

The schools involved were the Chang School at Ryerson University, OCAD University, George Brown College and Humber college. Toronto Police received their first call about it at about 8:54 a.m. and said the threats were all similar in nature.

Ryerson University said its Chang School was cleared for re-entry by investigators just before 11 a.m. Students, staff and faculty were allowed to return to the building.

OCAD University said it would remain closed for the entire day and evening due to the police investigation. The university later reported that police had searched and cleared the campus, and that the campus would reopen Wednesday morning.

“Toronto Police are on site working with OCAD U’s Safety & Security Team,” the school said in a statement. “We thank the OCAD University community for their prompt co-operation with today’s evacuations.”

After Toronto Police Service completed their safety check of the campus, George Brown College said all of its classes and operations would continue as scheduled. The Chang School at Ryerson was re-opened shortly after Toronto Police gave it the all clear.

 Chief Mark Saunders said the Toronto Police force takes threats like this seriously.

“If they’re prank calls … in the past we have apprehended people for making those false accusations but in the meantime we treat it as a serious offence,” he said.

The investigation was still active as of Tuesday afternoon. Police have requested that anyone who has received a bomb threat or has any information come forward.