Bomb squad called to Abbotsford, B.C., thrift store after grenade is donated

A decommissioned grenade is shown in this undated handout photo from Abbotsford Police, who say the grenade was found in a thrift store donation bin on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Abbotsford Police

Thrift stores can be a treasure trove of unusual finds, but a discovery in a donation bin at an Abbotsford, B.C., store set off a police and bomb squad response.

Abbotsford Police say workers at the store called for help on Monday when they found a Second World War era grenade in the bin.

Const. Art Stele says police shut down the store and surrounding businesses to mitigate any risk.

Officers with the explosives disposal unit then moved in and determined the grenade had been decommissioned.

The area was reopened shortly after the bomb squad gave the all clear.

Stele says police contacted the donor who told them he hadn’t meant to donate the grenade, which he used as a paperweight.