Bomb squad called after grenade donated to a Canadian thrift store

Bomb squad called after someone donated a grenade to a Canadian thrift store

Yavdat/Shutterstock | @AbbyPoliceDept/X

You truly never know what you’ll find at a thrift store.

Whether it’s donated dinosaur fossils at Goodwill or “half-used” bath products at Value Village, every aisle is an adventure.

But one thrift store in BC wasn’t too thrilled with a recent explosive donation that had them calling 911.

In a post on X by the Abbotsford Police Department on Tuesday, authorities said they responded to a call from a consignment store over what appeared to be an explosive device that had been discovered by store staff in their donation bins.

“Officers attending evacuated the store and surrounding businesses out of an abundance of caution, awaiting officers of the Explosives Disposal Unit to attend and assess the device, render it safe, and dispose of it,” reads a release. “Officers cordoned off the area of the business to mitigate any potential risk to the public.”

Inadvertent donation sparks significant police response. pic.twitter.com/mvBmNT8nT3

— Abbotsford Police Department (@AbbyPoliceDept) February 27, 2024

Police removed the device last night and determined it was a decommissioned WWII Mills Grenade.

They contacted the donor, who said the item was inadvertently donated and served as a paperweight, not as a weapon.

According to Abbotsford police, the thrift store is located within the 31900 block of South Fraser Way. The store was unnamed, but there are several consignment stores in that stretch, including a Value Village, Salvation Army, LIFE’s Second Chance, and MCC Clothing Etc.

This isn’t the first time a historical item was found at a thrift store. Last year, a woman found a $35 bust at Goodwill, which turned out to be a 2,000-year-old Roman artifact. Definitely not as alarming as a WWII grenade.

Another shopper bought a vase for $4 that ended up being auctioned for over $100,000.

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