CALGARY — Police in Calgary say a woman has been charged after a south-end neighbourhood was essentially shut down over an explosive substance left out in the elements.
The 59-year-old woman faces one count of criminal negligence and is slated to appear in court next month.
It comes after a two-day saga in the Manchester neighbourhood, where residents were subjected to evacuations and a series of loud bangs as officers tried to destroy a package of picric acid.
Police said the package had been mislabelled, sat for about 10 days and became "unstable" by the time it was discovered last week.
Transport Canada says picric acid is one of the most dangerous chemicals found in chemistry labs and, during the First World War, was used in bombs and grenades due to its similarities to TNT.
It's alleged the president of a company that hired movers to dispose of the acid knew the package's contents and did not properly disclose it.
The neighbourhood, historically a manufacturing and warehousing hub south of downtown, sits east of one of the city's main road arteries and west of a Canadian Pacific Railway line.
“We do not believe there was intent to harm members of the public, but the decisions made in relation to this material ultimately put our community and our emergency services personnel at significant risk,” said Staff Sgt. Ray Kelly said Tuesday in a news release.
“It took expertise and collaboration across multiple agencies to ensure no one was hurt, and we continue to be grateful to our members and our agency partners for ensuring this incident was safely resolved.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2025.
— By Aaron Sousa in Edmonton
The Canadian Press
