Man in custody after homicides

SEE VIDEO http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/05/24/major-crime-in-gatineau

A man was arrested within hours of a multiple homicide in Gatineau’s Aylmer sector Thursday afternoon.

Police aren’t confirming the number of victims, their identities, if they’re related, how they were killed, or if it’s a family dispute.

“Some dead bodies were found inside (of) 64 Felix Leclerc,” said Const. Pierre Lanthier at the scene.

Cops wouldn’t say where the suspect was cuffed but did verify it was not at the home, in a quiet upscale neighbourhood.

“We will have to interrogate that man,” said Lanthier.

“If he is related (to the homicide) he might be facing murder charges.”

More details on the crime were expected to be released Friday.

A neighbour tells the Sun three bodies were removed from the two-storey house and he knows the residents well.

“They’re good people. I can’t believe this happened to them,” said the man, who did not want to be named.

He said an elderly woman named Louise LeBoeuf lives at the home with her husband Claude Levesque, his daughter, Anne-Catherine Powers, and Powers’ boyfriend and one-year-old son.

Police have not confirmed any information regarding who lives at the home.

“We don’t want to mention any names, any sex,” said Lanthier, adding family is still being notified.

Another neighbour said he saw paramedics load wrapped bodies into an ambulance.

“I saw a couple of stretchers. I saw at least two being loaded,” said the man.

“It’s weird it happened on this street.”

The address is listed as a bed and breakfast, however, police hadn’t determined whether the business still exists.

On the front porch, a hanging basket with pink flowers remains, and a green Toyota Tercel is parked in the driveway.

Major crime detectives remained on the scene for most of the day and investigators were searching other backyards on the street, just off Lucerne Blvd. at Robert Stewart Rd.

A 911 call came in at 1:15 p.m., although cops aren’t saying who phoned it in.

Shocked neighbours stood in their driveways, watching police.

Around 2:30 p.m., cops cordoned off a second scene at the nearby Rivermead Golf Club — less than two kilometres from the house — isolating a burgundy minivan with the passenger door and the hatch open.

“Some tips and some details that we found in the investigation led us to the point of the vehicle that was found not far from the golf club,” said Lanthier.

The van was stuffed with assorted items, including two suitcases, a red gasoline can, a stuffed animal, and other children’s toys.

Both crime scenes are linked, said cops, who wouldn’t elaborate.

Multiple police cruisers surrounded the home and golf club.

“We are looking for every (piece of) evidence right now,” Lanthier said.

-with files from Tony Caldwell and Danielle Bell

kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca

@ottawasunkroche

Fire causes $1M in damages

SEE VIDEO  http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/05/16/fire-crews-battle-major-rowhouse-blaze

Richard Henry and Gisele Duval sat on a bench with tears in their eyes, watching their east end home go up in flames Wednesday afternoon in a $1-million blaze.

“We were just starting our journey,” said an emotional Henry, 49, adding they’ve only lived at 17 Desloges Priv., just off Montreal Rd., a few blocks east of the Aviation Pkwy. for about seven or eight months.

They don’t have insurance.

Duval feared Henry, her boyfriend, was still inside and frantically appealed to first responders to find him.

Turns out he went to meet his son and wasn’t at home.

The couple embraced and eventually made their way over to a bench in front of a neighbouring building.

Their residence is one of six in a multi-unit townhouse complex that were damaged. In all nine residents of these units were displaced. More than 14 others will be out of their units at least overnight.

No one was injured but fire crews rescued a dog and cat.

The blaze was first reported at noon by a passerby who ran into Ottawa Fire Station No. 51 just across the parking lot, but reported the wrong street, according to fire spokesman Marc Messier.

Trucks initially went to Hochelaga St., just behind Desloges.

Crews had to backtrack, delaying their response by a few minutes.

When they arrived, smoke and flames were billowing from one of the units and quickly spreading from the building’s second floor.

“They had heavy fire involvement on that floor, as well as the top floor, which is the third level,” said Messier.

Eventually, firefighters pulled out due to the intensity of the fire.

They attacked it from outside until they were able to knock it down.

“Crews have gone back in, and since, been evacuated again,” said Messier at the scene.

“So basically, it’s been a very difficult fire to fight because of the compartmentation and the way that the building is laid out.”

Dozens of residents stood and watched.

College Catholique Samuel-Genest student Chanelle Mainville, 17, was with friends Matt Morin and Michel Lebeau as they drove along Montreal Rd.

When they saw the flames, they stopped to get a better look.

“And then big fire, smoke, and everything was coming out of the house,” said Mainville.

“And then we just saw people, like, screaming and then girls crying ’cause of their house.”

Tears roll down Henry’s face.

Watching the fire reminds him of his divorce and “the loss in your heart, ” said Henry, adding this is the second fire Duval has had to endure.

He pats the right hand pocket of his jeans.

Inside, there’s a memory key with work saved from a book he’s writing about addictions.

“I’m a survivor,” said Henry.

-with files from Errol McGihon

kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca

@ottawasunkroche

Centretown blaze leaves 10 homeless

One man was rescued from a balcony and at least 10 people are displaced following a massive three alarm Centretown blaze causing $400,000 in damage Monday evening.

Emergency crews received multiple calls at 6:52 reporting fire and smoke from the Arlington Bed & Breakfast at 511 Kent St., at the corner of Arlington Ave.

Valerie MacMillan lives next door and had just sat down for dinner.

“I could hear like a pop, pop, and I could smell smoke, so I thought maybe something was going on in the back parking lot and I went to go look out, and I saw just like, the flames are gulfing, gulfing,” said MacMillan.

“I was just completely at a loss, so I called 911.”

When fire crews arrived, the deck and the back of the house were on fire with flames visible from the roof, said Ottawa Fire spokesman Marc Messier.

A man, described as thin and frail with silver hair, was saved from the top floor balcony.

Paramedics treated him for minor smoke inhalation and transported him to the Civic hospital.

More than an hour later, flames were still coming from the roof.

Lawrence Howard also lives next door.

“I came home from work, walked my dog, came into the house, was in the shower, and heard my dog barking,” he said.

He went to the door and saw the fire.

“I put my clothes on and came outside,” Howard said.

A young man on a bicycle said he lives in the burning home and was worried about his passport and documents, but was too upset to give his name.

About 900 people were without power as hydro wires were down, causing safety hazards at the scene, which also created
traffic disruptions.

MacMillan’s boyfriend, David Lawless, was driving from Gatineau to pick her up.

“As I was driving across the bridge from Quebec, all I could see was smoke rising,” said Lawless.

“Thankfully, she’s OK.”

More than 100 area residents stood and watched the scene unfold, many shooting photos and video.

They were anxious to return home.

“Everything I have is inside, my phone’s still in there,” said Howard,adding he was worried about “pretty much everything” he has.

“But there’s not much I can do if I can’t go in,” he said.

The Red Cross and Salvation Army are assisting.

Damage to neighbouring buildings is limited by the work of firefighters,said Messier.

No word yet on the cause.

kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca
@ottawasunkroche

Body pulled from river

The discovery of a body in the Ottawa River has shocked residents of a picturesque Gatineau neighbourhood.

“It’s scary,” said retiree Monique Lajeunesse, who lives in Templeton.

Gatineau police are investigating after the dead man was pulled by firefighters from the water around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, in front of 959 Hurtubise Blvd., west of the Marina Leblanc & Fils.

Sgt. Yohann Neunier said it’s “too early to comment” on whether foul play is suspected.

A Gatineau man, who didn’t want to be identified, told the Sun he spotted the body at 3:59 p.m. while out on a boat with his two young kids.

“We were having a good time (fishing),” he said. “You second guess yourself. Was that just a plastic bag? Should I go closer?”

The man’s body was fully clothed and face down on the Ottawa side of the water, at Lower Duck Island, he said.

He phoned 911.

“I saw the back of his head, he had missing patches of hair,” he said. “He’s bloated. Looked like he’s been out there awhile.”

Three uniform policemen and a plainclothes detective were on the scene.

kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca

@ottawasunkroche

http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/05/13/body-pulled-from-river

Orleans father, son dead in crash

BY KELLY ROCHE & DOUG HEMPSTEAD

A dedicated father and ski enthusiast was one of three killed, along with his teenage son, in a two-vehicle crash that injured two others, closing Hwy. 7 for hours Wednesday.

John David Duffy, 47 and his son, Thomas Duffy, 16, from Orleans were pronounced dead at the scene, about 120 km west of Ottawa.

They were going to a national ski competition near Toronto.

The elder Duffy, known as David, was a program coordinator at the South Fallingbrook Community Centre in the city’s east end where he managed about 60 staff.

“He went there to coach his two sons,” said colleague Lyne Proulx.

She describes him as someone who loved to ski.

“That’s all he did and talked about,” said Proulx.

“Even in the summer, he couldn’t wait for the snow to fall.”

Thomas was a star freestyle skier who was in Grade 11 at Ecole secondaire publique Gisele-Lalonde.

Duffy and his wife, Louise, have three children, Victoria, 18, Thomas and Eric, 10, who all ski competitively.

Duffy was the president of Fortune Freestyle, a local club for young skiers.

“We’re all really devastated right now,” said club registrar Lissa Heringer.

“We’re just kind of reeling.”

Karen Thompson, 39, of Mountain Grove, was alone in the other vehicle and was also pronounced dead at the scene.

The Duffys were travelling west in a minivan that provincial police say went out of control, crossed the centre line and collided with an eastbound van around 7:25 a.m.

Two other passengers in the Duffys’ minivan were taken to Perth Hospital with serious injuries.

The 53-year-old man and 10-year-old boy have since been transferred to the Civic and CHEO respectively, according to Lanark County OPP Const. David Bird.

The crash happened near Silver Lake, about 20 km west of Perth.

Road conditions throughout the Ottawa Valley and Lanark Highlands were reported early Wednesday as very slick due to black ice.

Simon Spanchak lives in the area and said the accident happened “almost on my doorstep.”

In the 13 years he’s been there, fatalities are all too common.

“You hear the sirens going down the road. Sometimes you hear the accident,” said Spanchak.

kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @ottawasunkroche

http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/02/22/fatal-crash-on-hwy-7-west-of-perth

Passengers hurt in Transitway crash

A dozen people were taken to hospital after two city buses collided on the Transitway in the west end during the afternoon rush hour Tuesday.

“We were bouncing around, people were screaming,” said 30-year-old Melissa, from Kanata.

“I was sitting down, so I didn’t see what was going on.”

Melissa works downtown and didn’t want her last name published.

She was riding OC Transpo Route 61 and said the crash happened around 4:30 near an access point where buses exit Tunney’s Pasture station to get onto the Transitway.

“So a bus was coming, I guess from there, hit (our bus) as we were driving by, hit the middle of our bus, which sent us flying into the opposite side of the road and we clipped another bus at that point,” she said.

She praised the skill of the bus driver, who steered the bus into the wall to prevent a more serious collision.

It’s believed the other bus was a No. 98.

Melissa’s bus, she said, was “jam-packed” and it was “better for the people who were standing that it was so full, because they just kind of bounced off each other … so no one really went flying.”

Ottawa police couldn’t confirm how many passengers were on both buses.

“As soon as everything stopped, everyone was asking if everyone was OK. There was one girl in front of me, her head was bleeding so we were cleaning her up and someone had a Band-Aid,” Melissa said.

“Everyone was pretty calm with what was going on ‘cause I think everyone wasn’t too badly hurt.”

Paramedics treated 11 passengers and a driver for minor back, shoulder, arm or leg injuries.

One person was seen being strapped to a stretcher shortly after the crash.

Paramedic spokesman J.P. Trottier said a few passengers were treated at the scene and released.

Ottawa fire crews were also there but “there was no extrication required,” spokesman Marc Messier said.

The crash caused a backup of buses as emergency vehicles blocked off the Transitway.

One bus, facing the wrong way in the eastbound lane, had obvious damage to the front driver’s side.

“The OC Transpo supervisor and the police were saying they’ve never seen accident like this with OC Transpo, never seen a bus hit another bus like this. He literally drove into the side of the bus. I don’t know what he was thinking, or she was thinking,” said Melissa, who is “sore and stiff” but otherwise fine.

Ottawa police are investigating.

@ottawasunkroche

http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/02/07/transitway-crash-injures-1

2 dead in crash near Rockland

A mother and daughter from Bourget are dead following a three-vehicle crash east of Ottawa on Friday night.

Bertha Clairoux, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her mother, Doris Billings, 74, was transported to hospital in critical condition where she died within two hours.

OPP Const. Serge Gauthier said they were travelling in the same vehicle.

“We’re not sure exactly what the cause of the accident is, at this point,” said Gauthier.

The collision happened in Clarence-Rockland on Champlain St. between Henri Rd. and St. Pascal Rd. around 7 p.m.

Three other people were involved, he said. Ottawa paramedics assisted Prescott-Russell paramedics at the crash near Clarence Creek, treating four patients.

Russell County OPP closed a stretch of Champlain St. between Henri Rd. and Du Golf Rd. while they investigated.

Bourget is about 50 km east of Ottawa.

Champlain St. is a major road between the villages of Clarence Creek and Bourget, said Gauthier.

The street was expected to remain blocked off until at least midnight, said OPP Sgt. Mike Poirier.

Details of the accident weren’t released, but roads were icy across the city.

kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @ottawasunkroche

 http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/12/30/2-dead-in-crash-near-rockland

Protesters return to Congolese embassy

SEE VIDEO http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/12/09/protesters-return-to-congolese-embassy

A moving protest held by Ottawa’s Congolese community Friday got at least three people arrested.

For the second time in four days, a rally was held at the Democratic Republic of the Congo embassy on Range Rd. in Sandy Hill.

The demonstrators are calling for the international community to intervene in what they say was a rigged process that re-elected president Joseph Kabila.

“We’ve got to stop the genocide. We need peace in our country,” said Henriette Yakibonge.

A barricade was already set up around the perimeter of the property when the gathering began at 2 p.m.

The protesters were singing and dancing and there was no sign of violence, unlike Tuesday’s protest.

But when riot police showed up around 4:30 p.m., the crowd began yelling and booing.

Most of them left, heading north toward Laurier Ave., however, it wasn’t immediately clear where they were headed.

“Rideau St. or Parliament or somewhere like that,” said one protester.

They wound up blocking rush hour traffic at King Edward Ave. and Rideau St. where they staged a brief sit-in, prompting the arrests.

Cops pulled out pepper spray but it wasn’t used.

Protesters returned to the embassy where police were once again guarding the embassy.

“We’re going to spread the message until they hear us,” said Yakibonge.

kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @ottawasunkroche

Cops, protesters clash at embassy

SEE VIDEO http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/12/06/cops-protesters-clash-at-embassy

At least three people were arrested — one hit with a Taser — Tuesday as hundreds of protesters squared off with RCMP and Ottawa police in Sandy Hill outside the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Police in riot gear were called in Tuesday evening to manage the fiesty crowd on Range Rd.

“We are not happy because of what’s happening to our country,” said Francois Nsoki, referring to the Nov. 28 election overseas.

“They say the current president is winning. This is not true.”

Early results show incumbent Joseph Kabila edging out opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi.

Things got unruly as people threw items — including pieces of cement and bottles of water —  at cops guarding the embassy entrance, demanding to be let in.

Pepper spray was used on those who tried to cross the line.

One person was charged with obstructing a police officer and an RCMP officer sustained minor injuries.

“We just want people to listen to us. We don’t want to act violent,” said a 23-year-old woman who gave her name as Deo-Gratias M.

“We have family members back home calling us, telling us, ‘we don’t know if we we’re going to live after (Dec.) 6.’”

She said they wanted to enter the embassy and remove Kabila’s photo, then rip it up and burn it.

Cops had closed part of Range Rd. between Laurier Ave. and Osgoode St. after about 75 to 100 demonstrators gathered.

Demonstrators also threw rocks and spray-painted a window.

A door and door window were damaged, along with at least one RCMP cruiser that had a flat tire.

More than 100 men and women sang and danced, taunting police who silently watched.

Combining French and Lingala, “We need him to disappear out of the country” they chanted about Kabila.

When the riot squad arrived the crowd booed, then resumed chanting.

Prior to their arrival people were taking their frustrations out on cops.

“F— you! F— you,” one woman near tears screamed into cops’ faces.

One cop walking by a group of people leaving the protest was greeted with a racial slur.

“Hey n—- you’re one of us, how can you do this to your own people?”

He ignored them and kept walking toward the large crowd.

Depending on the outcome of the election, Nsoki said, “in the coming days it will be worse.

In Toronto police arrested three people after calling in reinforcements to deal with the protesters who brought midday traffic to a halt along University Ave. Some 250 people chanted and laid on the road at University Ave. and College St., bringing traffic in the heart of downtown to a standstill.

@ottawasunkroche

Highrise blast leaves hundreds homeless

SEE VIDEO http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/08/29/electrical-vault-explosion-at-high-rise-forces-250-out

Around 700 residents are displaced after an electrical vault exploded on the main floor of an east-end highrise Monday, sending two people to hospital.

It happened at 1244 Donald St., near St. Laurent Blvd., around 1:45 p.m., forcing hundreds of residents out of the 16-storey building’s 250 units.

“The whole electrical panel started blowing up right beside me, about two feet away,” said resident Tyler Berry, who was going to check his mailbox.

Fire quickly spread to the basement.

A man is listed in serious but stable condition with shoulder injuries and burns.

“We’re not sure if he was working on the panel or near the panel,” said Ottawa Fire spokesman Marc Messier.

Paramedics said an elderly woman suffered smoke inhalation.

Roughly five hours later, residents were told they couldn’t return home.

“You’re going to be sheltered at Overbrook (community centre) if you choose,” district fire chief Alex Davey told the crowd gathered on a hill.

“Ideally, we’d like you to go to friends or relatives.”

Patrick Charbonneau only had time to grab his cigarettes, phone, and keys.

“I have medication that I have to go get, I have a cat up there that needs feeding, I would like to grab some clothes,” he said. “The building’s not on fire. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be allowed in.”

Davey put it simply.

“We’re not going to let you go in anywhere that puts you at risk,” he said.

Power to the building has been shut off.

The Electrical Safety Authority is investigating and residents can return home only when it’s safe.

Several residents praised firefighters and the building’s security guards but blasted police for being “aggressive and abrasive with people.”

“They have no interpersonal skills — I need tampons and they threatened to arrest me. They’re treating us like criminals,” said one woman who didn’t want to be named.

She’s starting a new job Tuesday and only has the clothes she’s wearing.

“I have to present myself in a certain way,” she said, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Marcia Thompson says she’s not impressed with police.

“One police officer says we’re ‘so ignorant’, because, you know, nerves were frayed, people were getting upset and this police officer says to us, we are ‘so ignorant’,” she said.

“I’m just at my wit’s end, I don’t know what to do.”

@ottawasunkroche