Ubisoft Montréal evacuated following 911 call, but police haven't found a threat
Ubisoft employees are leaving the scene after a tense police operation found no threat in the building.
Earlier today, a heavily-armed police operation began at the offices of Ubisoft Montréal by corner of Saint-Laurent and St-Viateur. The subject of the operation, which started in response to a 911 call, was not immediately revealed by police. Ubisoft employees could be seen standing on the roof of the building, the doors to which had been barricaded.
At 3 pm Eastern, Montréal police stated that they were inspecting the Ubisoft office. "There are no injuries reported," said the department at the time. Shortly after, Montréal-based Globe and Mail journalist Les Perreaux reported that police had not found a threat in the building, and that Ubisoft employees were beginning to leave.
Montréal police confirmed that report at 3:50 pm, saying on Twitter that "no threat has been identified for now" and that the building is being evacuated. At approximately 4:20 pm, police could be seen escorting people off of the roof in live footage on TVA Nouvelles. The employees on the roof had their hands raised as they reentered the building.
No threat has been identified for now. We are currently evacuating the building. #SPVM https://t.co/7g7eHU2B1TNovember 13, 2020
Earlier in the day, Ubisoft employees who were working from home were left wondering what could be happening, watching as live footage showed armed police outside the building where their colleagues were working.
Some employees who were in the office at the time reported on Twitter that they were safe. "I'm at the office, and I'm ok," wrote programming project lead Gavin Young. "Too many people messaging me to reply to everyone."
"I'm safe, team here is safe, going home," wrote product marketing manager Anouk Bachman, before adding that other employees remained "stuck."
Before police made any announcements, the cause of the operation was widely speculated on, but its nature remains unconfirmed, except for the detail that it began with a 911 call.
This is a developing story. We will update it as we continue to learn more.