Police incident ends in New Westminster, B.C., after court and college evacuated

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — Police say an incident that triggered the evacuation of the court complex at New Westminster, B.C., and the nearby campus of Douglas College has ended.

New Westminster Police say the courthouse and surrounding area have been cleared and are open again to the public, around three hours after the evacuation was announced on Tuesday.

Douglas College also says the evacuation has been lifted and the campus is open again, with all activities resuming from 3 p.m.

The nature of the incident hasn’t been described by police, but they said on social media around 11 a.m. that officers had established a perimeter and road closures were in effect.

Douglas College cancelled all in-person classes, activities and events while the incident was underway.

Social media videos showed hundreds of people crowded on streets near the college.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2025.

The Canadian Press