The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) was called in to Oakville to remove an anti-tank training round discovered at the back of a strip mall located at Hampshire Gate near the Mississauga border.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., on Monday, Nov. 19, Halton Regional Police’s Explosives Disposal Unit (EDU) headed to 2506 Hampshire Gate in Oakville after a call came in involving a suspicious item being found.

The area is replete with businesses located west of Winston Churchill Boulevard and south of Dundas Street.

Oakville Staff-Sgt. Maureen Martin told the Oakville Beaver Monday night a person looking through a donations bin at the back of a strip mall where a Value Village is located, near a McDonald’s, found something that concerned them enough to notify police.

Halton police identified the device as a Canadian military training round and contacted army personnel, while keeping pedestrians and vehicles away from the area.

Martin said three businesses in the vicinity were evacuated while workers with several other stores in the area were told to remain inside as a precaution.

The Canadian military deemed the training round was safe and took possession of it.

Capt. Ian Grant, public affairs officer at the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC), based in Ottawa, confirmed to the Beaver the device was a dummy round and has been taken to Canadian Forces Base Borden for disposal.

CJOC is one of the two unified commands of the CAF, the other one being the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.

Neither Halton police or the CAF are continuing to investigate the matter.