Police are investigating after human remains were discovered near a post-secondary school in The Pas Tuesday night.

The remains were found near the University College of the North by police in the northern Manitoba town, according to a Wednesday RCMP news release.

At 7:50 p.m. Tuesday, RCMP from The Pas — about 520 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg — responded to a call about possible human remains located near the campus, the Wednesday release said.

Police confirmed the remains are those of one body, but could not comment on the cause of death while an autopsy is underway.

"On behalf of the Town of The Pas we would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victim," Mayor Herb Jaques said in an emailed statement.

"We have every confidence in the ability of the RCMP to do their jobs and come to a successful conclusion of this tragic event."

Quiet edge of town

Doug Lauvstad, president of University College of the North, said the southwest corner of campus, near a service road and the intersection of Dufferin Street and Charlebois Avenue, had been cordoned off on Wednesday.

"It's thick willows, shrub bush, a few pine trees in there. It's very dense area," Lauvstad said. Few staff and students can be found on campus at this time of year — none of whom had been reported as missing, he said.

"I think everybody is just sort of … in a state of shock kind of wondering what was happening," he said.

Lauvstad did not have any additional details about the findings or who may have found them. He mentioned the local Bear Clan Patrol regularly monitors the area. The volunteer patrol group in The Pas declined to comment.

The identity of the remains is unknown at this time.

RCMP said the incident is not related to the hunt for Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky, the two men at the focus of an intensive search centred around the Gillam area, about 500 kilometres northeast of The Pas. That search came to an end Wednesday when two bodies believed to belong to the suspects were found in the Gillam search area that morning, police said.

The Pas RCMP —along with the chief medical examiner's office and the force's major crimes unit and forensic identification services — continue to investigate.