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Ont. man, 65, arrested after IED found at Barrie supportive housing complex

Yellow police tape surrounds an area for an investigation. (CTV News/Rob Cooper) Yellow police tape surrounds an area for an investigation. (CTV News/Rob Cooper)
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Police say one man is under arrest after an improvised explosive device (IED) was found at a housing complex in Barrie, forcing those in the immediate area to evacuate.

Police say the investigation was launched late Monday afternoon after officers received information about a potential safety concern at Lucy's Place on Essa Road.

Residents at the supportive housing complex and those in the immediate area were evacuated to waiting buses.

Essa Road was temporarily closed as a precaution at Fairview Road to Anne Street for the investigation.

Officers were at the scene until early Tuesday morning when they got a warrant to search the premises and say the IED was safely removed.

The accused, a 65-year-old Barrie man, faces several charges in connection with the incident.

He was held in police custody to await a bail hearing.

This is the second IED found in the city in recent months. Last fall, a vehicle explosion at an Anne Street apartment complex left police searching for answers.

The explosion damaged multiple vehicles in the parking lot, forced residents to evacuate and prompted the closure of several roads in the area.

No arrests have been made in that incident. Police say the investigation is ongoing.

They also confirmed the two incidents are not related.

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