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'They think it’s a mortar round': Canadian military in Leamington for ongoing investigation

Department of Defense retrieves item from the side of the road in Leamington, Ont., on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor) Department of Defense retrieves item from the side of the road in Leamington, Ont., on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)
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The Canadian military was called to Leamington Tuesday for an ongoing investigation into a possible mortar round found in the area.

The Department of Defense retrieved an item from the side of the road.

Deer Run Road between Mersea Road 21 and Mersea Road 19 was then reopened.

Essex County OPP Const. Steven Duguay tells CTV News a resident noticed a strange item on the road Tuesday morning and called police.

He said the item is believed to be a mortar round dating back to the 1950s.

“For safety reasons, they're (officers) not approaching it (and) they've closed off the area and an explosive disposal unit from (Canadian Forces) Base Borden will be attending to collect it,” said Duguay.

Motorists were told at 11 a.m. to expect the rural road to remain closed “for the better part of the day”, according to Duguy.

The road closure is on the east side of Leamington, closer to Wheatley.

Duguay said they won’t proceed with a full investigation on the item until it is identified and if the military deems it could have posed a threat to the public.

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