‘No active threat’: Lockdown lifted at Metro Vancouver secondary school

Police vehicles are seen outside Centennial Secondary School in Coquitlam during a lockdown on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (CTV News)

A secondary school in Coquitlam was placed on lockdown for more than an hour Wednesday morning as police investigated “a possible threat.”

The lockdown at Centennial Secondary School began at 9:05 a.m., after “a phoned-in threat,” according to School District 43, which serves Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra.

The district said the lockdown was ordered on the advice of Coquitlam RCMP, who said in their own statement that they attended the school on Poirier Street around 9:35 a.m.

“Based on the initial investigation, it was determined there was no active threat,” police said. “Officers are remaining on scene for this active and ongoing investigation.”

Police added that additional schools in the area were placed on “hold and secure” during the search, “out of an abundance of caution.”

Both the lockdown and the hold and secure order were lifted by the time Coquitlam RCMP sent their statement around 11:25 a.m.

A lockdown involves locking exterior doors and securing students inside the school building, the school district said. During a “hold and secure,” the exterior doors are locked, but normal activities continue within the school.