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Huisman on Monday said he could not speak to any potential motive in this case. “That will be unfolding in courts,” Huisman said.

Wilkie was known to police before charges were laid in the explosion, Huisman said, adding that further charges could potentially be laid.

No other suspects are being sought by police.

Huisman last week said that when people think of improvised explosive devices, they think of those used at the international level, noting Wednesday’s device “would be considered on the low end of that spectrum.”

The blast was witnessed by people in downtown Saskatoon and at least one business was secured by police.

Scott Dempster said he witnessed the explosion after stopping with a friend to examine what they originally thought was a fire while driving up 19th Street around 10:55 p.m.

He said they pulled over and were getting off the phone with 911 when something exploded.

“All of a sudden, it was like a ‘bang.’”

Dempster said while the noise wasn’t “a really huge bang,” he and his friend were shaken up after police released information indicating they were investigating an “improvised explosive device.”

“I wasn’t very freaked out at the time, but now looking back … I kind of wish I hadn’t been that close to something going off,” he said in a phone interview just hours after the explosion.

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Justice called the detonation “very concerning.”

In a brief emailed statement, Justice ministry spokesman Jordan Jackle said the ministry is working with police to find some answers.