RCMP officers investigate an explosion at North Vancouver – Lonsdale MLA Bowinn Ma’s office in North Vancouver on Friday.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
A predawn explosion at the entrance of an NDP cabinet minister’s constituency office has sparked a provincial security review of every MLA’s office across British Columbia, Premier David Eby says.
RCMP say a device appears to have been deliberately set off around 4:15 a.m. at Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma’s North Vancouver office. No one was injured and the office was empty at the time, but the explosion damaged the main door frame without shattering the glass door.
The RCMP is also investigating whether the blast at Ms. Ma’s office is related to a “loud bang” reported 90 minutes earlier a block and a half away, said Corporal Mansoor Sahak, spokesperson for the detachment.
Cpl. Sahak said a team of Mounties is seeking eyewitnesses as well as CCTV and dashcam footage from the area to identify a suspect and a motive for their actions.
“There’s nothing to indicate that any specific member of the legislative assembly is in danger or have any threats against them at this point,” he said.
Police are investigating whether the blast at Ms. Ma’s office is related to a “loud bang” reported earlier a block-and-a-half away.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
Cpl. Sahak said police have not yet found any physical evidence of the earlier explosion, “but we’re exploring all avenues.” He said the British Columbia RCMP’s special unit in charge of protecting politicians has been engaged after the incident.
Ms. Ma said in a news release that she has full confidence in the Mounties and their investigation of the incident, the sort of which can be “very frightening for a community.”
“I’m grateful for the outpouring of support from community members and people across B.C., including MLAs from all sides of the House,” her statement said. “My staff, my family and I are okay.”
Mr. Eby told reporters in Vancouver Friday that the legislature’s independent sergeant-at-arms is conducting a safety review of MLA offices across the province.
“While we don’t know about the motive at this stage or why this happened,” he said, “it is something that does strike at the heart of the job that Minister Ma and that every elected official in this province is asked to do, which is: to be available to the public, to have an office that’s open and welcoming, for people who are needing assistance in an issue they’re facing with the government, to be able to drop into a community office, work with the staff and get that addressed.”
Don Davies, the long-time MP for Vancouver Kingsway and interim leader for the federal NDP, posted on social media Friday that he was deeply alarmed.
“This blatant act of terror is an affront to democracy and has no place in our nation. We are grateful no one was hurt and hope those responsible are apprehended as soon as possible,” Mr. Davies wrote.
He did not offer more details as to how he made that assessment and did not return a voice mail on his cellphone Friday afternoon requesting more comment.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said on social media that all members of the legislature “must stand with NDP MLA Bowinn Ma and her constituency office staff.”
“The idea that someone would set off a device to damage or somehow threaten an MLA’s [constituency] office is deeply concerning,” he said.
With reports from Justine Hunter in Victoria and The Canadian Press