The Globe and Mail’s Toronto building was evacuated Friday afternoon after someone called the reception desk with a bomb threat, police said.

Globe employees were told to evacuate the building, on Front St. W. at Spadina Ave., as a precaution, according to police. They were called about the threat by an employee at around 3 p.m.

Police set up a command post nearby and closed off surrounding streets. For roughly three hours, bomb-disposal officers, the K9 unit and firefighters searched the area, eventually finding an abandoned backpack in a stairwell that was later confirmed not to be a threat, according to Sgt. Chris Watson.

He said late Friday afternoon that police had no leads on the caller’s identity.

Employees were allowed to return to the building at about 6 p.m.

According to the Globe’s Toronto editor, Nicole MacIntyre, the Saturday edition was being assembled “off-site” because of the evacuation.

Executive editor Derek DeCloet also thanked the Canadian Press on Twitter for giving Globe employees a place to work during the search.

With files from Brennan Doherty and Jake Kivanc