Ottawa Paramedic Service says a 16-year-old female was taken to hospital in stable condition after people inside Rideau Centre started experiencing sudden illness and difficulty breathing Saturday evening.
Ottawa Fire Services says its HazMat team was called to the scene at 8:30 p.m. to assist with identifying and clearing the substance that was causing the illness.
Firefighters say when they arrived on the scene, they started helping people evacuate the building.
The building was ventilated by firefighters and building staff after the HazMat team’s readings confirmed that the substance was pepper spray.