“I immediately felt threatened when I saw it…He didn’t come in our direction or lunge at us, he just kept on his path but it felt threatening just the same,” the woman said.

She said the man continued on the path following the brief exchange, which happened in a wooded area with nobody else around.

The woman said no one was injured but they were in a vulnerable position.

“Pretty terrifying. I think we were in shock for a couple of minutes. We let other people know on the trail about the encounter. I’ve been through that park lots of times and never experienced anything like that.”

RCMP Cst. Gary O’Brien said the man is not facing any charges, but police would like to speak with him about the interaction.

“It’s an inappropriate response. He was in an off-leash park. Any time a weapon is produced it causes concern and it is absolutely not okay in a situation like this,” O’Brien said, noting there’s no indication the man directly threatened or came towards the women.

He’s described as white, about 65-years-old, with white hair and a green jacket.

Anyone with information is asked to call Nanaimo RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes

— Note to readers: the original headline said the man pulled a knife “on” the women. It has been changed to clarify the context of the interaction. The story has also been updated with quotes from Nanaimo RCMP.