MONTREAL - Police were combing through garbage in Montreal after the discovery of a severed torso and inquiring into whether there might be a link to a more high-profile body part discovery Tuesday.

They were sifting through a heap of garbage in the city's west end to see if they might turn up any missing limbs connected to the decayed torso discovered in a suitcase.

They have also contacted colleagues in Ottawa -- where a foot was reportedly received in a suspicious package mailed to the headquarters of the Conservative Party of Canada.

The Montreal discovery was made by a concierge who was looking into complaints about a terrible odour coming from behind a building. The decomposing remains were found at 10:15 a.m. It's unclear how long they had been there.

Police say it's too early to know whether the remains are male or female. An autopsy will be needed for further information.

Meanwhile, police are contacting colleagues outside the province while also having set up a tent to investigate the local trash pile for clues.

"We are taking the information from Ottawa also to make sure, if parts are missing here in Montreal, whose foot is missing in Ottawa?" said Const. Daniel Fortier.

"We are still looking in the garbage to find if there are other parts missing... It doesn't mean it is related. That's why we must perform autopsies in Montreal and Ottawa."