Police search 6 locations after biker fight, clubhouse fire

Organized crime has exploited Cornwall area ‘for a very long time,’ police chief says

A street corner in a residential area in early spring. — The intersection of Guy Street and Marleau Avenue in Cornwall, Ont., in April 2023. Guy was one of five Cornwall streets where police searched homes this past Friday in connection with the July 8 motorcycle gang fight that left 1 person shot and 2 people stabbed. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)

A cadre of police agencies searched five locations in Cornwall, Ont., and another in Brockville, Ont., last Friday morning, after biker gang violence erupted in the former community and a large and suspicious fire destroyed a motorcycle clubhouse in the latter city less than 36 hours later.

In the wake of the searches — and the earlier arrests of five people charged in the Cornwall fight — one of the police forces involved is now teasing the release of more details about the investigation.

“All of the arrests and charges will be shared early next week,” Cornwall Police Service spokesperson Stephanie MacRae said in an email on Friday.

Meanwhile, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said in a Friday news release about the searches that “further updates will be provided when available.”

While police have not linked the two events, the OPP is involved in both investigations through its leading role in a biker enforcement unit.

A ‘hectic’ weekend

On July 8 at about 8:20 p.m., the Outlaws motorcycle gang clashed with another biker group, the Loners, in a commercial parking lot in west Cornwall, according to Cornwall police.

Two people were stabbed and one person was shot in what acting Cornwall police Chief Vincent Foy called a “hectic weekend” event. All had non-life-threatening injuries.

“It was a well-oiled machine,” Foy said of the officers’ response while addressing city council last week. “This situation could have been a lot worse.”

Cornwall police announced July 10 they had arrested and charged five people tied to the July 8 shooting and stabbings. They have not released any details on those charges.

A police officer takes a photo of motorcycles outside a suburban mall at night, in summer. — Cornwall police were photographing motorcycles in a different commercial area of the city on the same night the biker fight broke out in a parking lot. (Radio-Canada)

Coun. Claude McIntosh said the incident was scary, noting it happened on a busy street with apartment buildings nearby.

“I think among older people, folks like me, this is something you see on TV … in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa,” he told CBC.

Less than 36 hours later, in the early morning hours of July 10, the Outlaws’ clubhouse in Brockville, located 100 kilometres southwest of Cornwall, was on fire.

Several buildings suffered heat damage, while one house was a complete loss, according to the fire department, which deemed the fire suspicious.

Three people in firefighter gear dig through a building that burned down. — This is what the Outlaws motorcycle club in Brockville, Ont., looked like on July 11, one day after an early morning fire destroyed the building. OPP says it’s a suspected case of arson. (Jean Delisle/CBC)

Homes searched on largely residential streets

OPP, the Cornwall and Brockville police departments, and police members from Kingston and Ottawa searched five homes in Cornwall and one undescribed location in Brockville Friday.

Cornwall police said the searches in Cornwall were a byproduct of the shooting investigation, while OPP said the searches were related to “ongoing investigations in these two communities.”

The Cornwall searches happened on Montreal Road, Champlain Drive, Arthur Street, Guy Street and Gulf Street. With the exception of Montreal Road, which is a main drag, all are largely residential areas of the city.

The OPP release about the searches warned people not to approach “Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMG) members,” noting “criminal activities”

“We do not have any comments at the moment since the investigation still going on,” the Outlaws motorcycle club said in response to a request for comment last week.

Noted uptick in bike gang presence

McIntosh was the only Cornwall city councillor to ask Foy questions during the police chief’s public appearance last week.

“[Are] they just passing through town or is there evidence they spend considerable time in Cornwall, either one of the gangs?” McIntosh asked.

“I can’t go into the specifics,” Foy replied. “But one of these biker gangs is located here in the city.”

Homes on a residential street with melted, warped siding in summer. — Homes heat damaged by the Outlaws’ clubhouse fire. (Jean Delisle/CBC)

The Outlaws’ website lists both Cornwall and Brockville among the club’s Canadian chapters. Ottawa is also listed.

“Organized crime has always exploited this area for a very long time due to our geography,” Foy added. “I’ve noticed an uptick in the visibility of the biker gangs in the area recently.”