Saanich police are investigating after two people were found dead in a car in the parking lot of the former Mt. Tolmie Hospital, in the Cedar Hill area of Saanich early Thursday.
The B.C. Coroners Service has also launched an investigation.
Up to seven emergency vehicles converged Thursday morning in the parking lot of the facility, now called Mt. Tolmie Shelter, at 3690 Richmond Rd., which has been repurposed as a temporary shelter for formerly homeless people.
A photo taken at 10:15 a.m. shows police vehicles parked a short distance from a gold-coloured, late-model compact four-door sedan with all of its doors open. A white sheet covers what appears to be a body on the pavement.
Saanich police said two individuals, who have not been identified, were discovered in the vehicle before 9 a.m.
While the investigation is ongoing, police say the deaths do not appear to be suspicious.
The 35-unit Mount Tolmie Shelter is run by the PHS Community Services Society and funded by B.C. Housing.
The residents, who are transitioning to permanent housing, live in private and shared rooms. Clinical services and an overdose prevention site operated by SOLID Outreach Society are on site. Residents are also served by outreach staff from B.C. Housing and the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
