UPDATE: Language barrier factor in armed ERT presence at rural Chilliwack property Tuesday

Large number of armed Emergency Response Team members arrested three men, cleared the property before 5 p.m.

February 25, 2026
*Updated February 26, 2026

It looked like a duck, quacked like a duck, but large armed police presence on Banford Road late Tuesday (Feb. 24, 2026) afternoon was nothing but a big goose egg, at least as far as public information sharing goes.

A reader tipped off Something Worth Reading to a large RCMP presence and the deployment of a police dog on a rural property at the south end of Banford Road in Chilliwack after 5 p.m.

As the sun went down, it was unclear what if was underway, and Chilliwack RCMP isn’t saying much except that “several individuals were arrested,” later updated to clarify three men.

There was at least 10 RCMP vehicles, including half a dozen pickup trucks used by the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team, two ambulances, and a Lenco BearCat G3, the heavily-armoured tactical vehicle used by police in high-risk operations.

Most of the vehicles lined the west edge of Banford Road with officers appearing to be focused on a barn at the back of 6695 Banford. The Bearcat showed up after police first arrived but was not used. The driver reversed into a driveway and headed back north on Banford just before 6 p.m.

Asked what the operation was about, Chilliwack RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Carmen Kiener said she was not able to provide much.

“The Emergency Response Team with the Police Dog Service responded to assist in this incident,” Cpl. Kiener said via email before 5 p.m. Wednesday. “After several hours of co-ordinated police effort several individuals were arrested and police cleared the property shortly before 5 p.m. last night. The investigation is ongoing and we won’t be able to provide more information at this time.”

In a followup email asking if the matter involved illegal drugs or firearms, Cpl. Kiener said there were no weapons involved and that the three men arrested were associated to the property.

“Due to a language barrier, the men were not responsive to ongoing police communication,” she added. “This was a contributing factor in the police risk assessment that lead to ERT being called.”

It’s unclear if the incident might have involved illegal drugs or firearms or something else, how many people were arrested and if they were detained or released. 

Something Worth Reading will track the case and make updates if and when they become available.

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Paul J. Henderson
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