A lockdown remains in effect on Parliament Hill as Ottawa police say they have been speaking with a barricaded man in the East Block.
"There is a large police presence in the area. East Block has been evacuated," Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said in a social media post shortly before 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, which noted that their officers are being supported by the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS)
"There are no known injuries and police continue to deal with an individual in this ongoing incident that began just before 3 p.m. [ET]," the police force added.
Members of the public are being asked to avoid the area and follow officers' directions. Road closures remain in place on Wellington Street, which runs in front of Parliament Hill, from Bank Street to Sussex Drive, OPS said.
Police have brought in a robot to deal with the situation, and a large police truck has been ushered through the security roadblock.
Earlier on Saturday afternoon, PPS declared a lockdown for 111 Wellington St., also known as East Block. The notice was sent to staffers who work on Parliament Hill.
They were told to seek shelter in the nearest room, close and lock all doors and hide.
"If you are not in the immediate area, stay away until further notice. Do not travel to locations under lockdown," the PPS said in their notice. "Wait for further instructions from first responders."
A government web page says East Block houses the offices of senators and their staff, but there is little activity on the Hill these days because Parliament is dissolved due to the ongoing federal election.
The same web page says the building once held the offices of Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir George-Etienne Cartier," and that it still contains "faithful recreations of the offices of its famous occupants from the 19th century."