OTTAWA—Ottawa police are investigating the discovery of two body parts — including a bloodied human foot that was delivered by a Canada Post mailman to the Conservative Party headquarters.

Police confirmed late Tuesday that a second body part was found, hours after the coroner concluded that the first package “did contain a human foot.”

It was unclear what body part was in the second package or where it was found. Police wouldn’t confirm reports it was discovered at a Canada Post depot in downtown Ottawa. Canada Post refused to answer any questions late Tuesday, but said they were co-operating with police.

The gruesome sealed package sent to the Conservative Party on Tuesday morning was unknowingly accepted by a receptionist at the headquarters’ 12th-floor suite of offices, said Ottawa police Sgt. Steve Hodgson.

Hodgson said the package was “addressed to the Conservative Party of Canada, not to a person.”

The receptionist began to open the package before discovering “a substance that was deemed suspicious” and called police, he said.

The Ottawa police force, the coroner’s office and the RCMP attended the Albert Street offices, three blocks south of Parliament Hill, where the bizarre drama unfolded.

They temporarily sealed off the floor, and called in the hazardous materials team that deals with chemical or biological hazards, said Hodgson. The team X-rayed the package when they arrived on the site, and turned the investigation over to the major crimes unit.

In a news release, the Ottawa police acknowledged the grim find.

“Upon arrival, officers noted that the (box) package possibly had blood stains on it. The Hazmat Unit and Emergency Operations Section were called and upon further inspection of the package it was determined that there was possibly a human foot in the box,” the release said.

Staffers were asked to remain in the Conservative party offices for much of the afternoon, and later left under police escort.

“I don’t know anything, I can’t say anything,” said senior party staffer Colin McSweeney as he left headquarters late Tuesday.

No one else from the Conservative Party would speak to reporters. Party spokesman Fred DeLorey declined to talk but emailed a terse statement, referring all calls to police: “A suspicious package was sent to our office. The Ottawa police are investigating.”

A coroner who left the building said the regional coroner’s office in Kingston would handle the case.

At the request of building property managers, police asked reporters to leave. Conservative MP Brad Trost came to the offices for a previously scheduled meeting, but was told by police to come back at another time.

“It’s just sickening,” he said. “If someone actually did send something in the mail, that’s just abhorrent. I hope it has nothing to do with anything with politics. Hopefully it’s just somebody’s idea of a stupid joke.”

The news took another strange turn when reports from Montreal said police there were investigating the discovery of a dismembered body among a pile of garbage. A torso was apparently found inside a suitcase, but neither a head, arms or legs were anywhere nearby.

Police could not say whether there was any link between the Ottawa and Montreal events.

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In Ottawa, the Conservative Party receptionist who received the package was “fine,” and hadn’t actually seen the contents, Hodgson said.

“People are trained in offices if they see something suspicious not to go any further, to leave it,” he said.

With files from Liam Casey

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