The UW school of pharmacy building in Kitchener was closed this morning, Friday, May 23, due to a bomb threat. It has since reopened as of 8:56 a.m.

“Police received reports of a threat made against multiple locations across the country, including the University of Waterloo’s school of pharmacy building,” said Bradley Hickey, spokesperson for the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS), in an email. “The threat was investigated and unsubstantiated.”

A notification from the Regroup app indicating the UW School of Pharmacy closure at 7:09 a.m.

A safety alert was issued through the university’s Regroup system and student email at 7:09 a.m., notifying the campus community that the UW School of pharmacy building was closed until further notice. Although the building reopened about two hours later, the presence of police cruisers and officers around the facility caused concern among students and pedestrians in the area.

“Throughout the incident, the university communicated with students, faculty, and staff via the Regroup mobile app, in accordance with its emergency communication protocols,” said a UW spokesperson. “We encourage all members of the university community to download and regularly update the Regroup mobile app to receive timely emergency notifications.”

The school of pharmacy in Kitchener was not the only place affected by these threats. Several buildings that house the Schulich medical school at Western University also closed and reopened around the same time today as a result of bomb threats. 

The WRPS general investigations unit is continuing to investigate to determine the origin of the threat. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 519-570-9777, extension 6370.