Etobicoke party store could reopen this week

Shawne McKeown

Police officers at the Amazing Party Store in Etobicoke

Police are expected to give the Amazing Party Store the green light to reopen on Wednesday after officers and sniffer dogs painstakingly combed the aisles and shelves of the Etobicoke warehouse where seven potentially deadly devices were found.

The first of seven suspicious packages was discovered Friday inside the massive store at 923 Oxford St., near Islington Avenue and the Gardiner Expressway. The last three devices were found Tuesday.

Police are expected to release the scene Wednesday. The store can reopen soon after, if the owner chooses to do so.

Investigators said two of the seven packages contained explosives, while the other five posed a serious threat. Police haven’t said what the devices were made of. The bomb squad used robotics to remove some from the store, which were then rendered safe.

The Toronto police organized crime unit is investigating.

“They are active devices. They have the potential to cause serious bodily harm or death or serious property damage so we have to be very careful with these devices and take them apart slowly,” Insp. Gerry Cashman said Tuesday.

“They’re the real deal.”

The Amazing Party Store had reopened its doors Monday morning after explosives scares over the weekend but had to close up again Monday night after another device was found.

Store president Shawn Hamilton has called this incident an act of “business terrorism” and claims one of his competitors planted the dangerous packages. Police said no suspects have been caught on the store’s surveillance cameras. It also isn’t known how long the devices had been in the store.

Hamilton says he’s lost about $300,000 in business due to the shut down in the run-up to Halloween. On Monday he announced he was offering 50 per cent off costumes until Nov. 4 to try and make up for lost sales