Holly Dressel and Sarah Rennie
The Sûreté du Québec reports that, perhaps due to the lockdown, it’s had relatively few calls in the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent recently, apart from some reports of people not social distancing.
However, there were two sets of serious vandalism attacks. One targeted a property on Route 201 in Franklin that has been the focus of recent concern (see article on contaminated soil dumping this issue). On the night of March 15, a large tractor and a bulldozer were both set on fire on this property. This necessitated reports by the police, the municipality and the Ministère de l’environnement. So far there are no suspects.
The second vandalism occurred the night of March 19 on the First Concession near Powerscourt. In the morning, two homeowners found their cars, parked in the yards in front of their houses, with windows completely smashed. There were also mailboxes damaged in the area, so police consider this may have been done by youths. No arrests so far in this case either. The police urge residents to be alert to any suspicious behaviour or noises and to call them if they have any fears. Meanwhile the SQ has increased patrols around these areas.
Arrested for uttering death threats
Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers from the MRC du Haut Saint-Laurent station arrested a 21-year-old man on April 29 for uttering death threats and/or causing bodily harm to an Ormstown merchant. The individual was also charged with failing to respect parole conditions and for illegal possession of cannabis. The initial altercation involving the suspect occurred at a store in the morning, and while police were present investigating the threats made earlier that day, the suspect reappeared and again threatened the merchant. He was immediately arrested and brought to the station for questioning. A search was also conducted at his residence in Ormstown, where police seized, among other things, knives, a pellet gun, ammunition, approximately 1,700 grams of cannabis, a few kilograms of a substance derived from cannabis and more than 70 grams of hashish. The suspect remained in custody and was to appear in court on April 30.
Hit and run in Ormstown
On April 29, at approximately 4:15 p.m., a collision occurred between a pickup truck and a car at the corner of Route 201 and Isabelle Street in Ormstown. The driver of the truck rear-ended the car in front of him and fled the scene. However, due to the nature of the impact, the truck’s horn continued to sound as the suspect fled. A citizen contacted the police to pass on the information and the location where the suspect had taken refuge, at his home in Ormstown. Within 15 minutes of the collision, the 28-year-old suspect was arrested for committing a hit-and-run and received a ticket for driving a vehicle with a suspended driver’s licence under the Highway Safety Code. He was released and may be served with a summons to appear in court at a later date.
Caught speeding at 160
On the morning of April 24, SQ officers from the MRC du Haut Saint-Laurent station conducted a speeding operation on Route 138 in Ormstown. During the operation, they detected a car travelling at nearly 160 km/h in a 90 km/h zone. The 25-year-old driver, a resident of Hinchinbrooke, was ticketed for a serious speeding violation in the amount of $1,308. The incident also cost the driver 14 demerit points. His driver’s licence was suspended for a period of seven days, as this is his first offence.