Massive Hells Angels gathering met with calm in Carlsbad Springs
Hundreds of Hells Angels gang members from across Canada have descended this weekend on the quiet east Ottawa community of Carlsbad Springs — but people there don't seem too concerned.
"It's fine. They've never bothered me, never will. I just find it ridiculous — all the police," said Darrell Desjardins, who lives near the biker gang's clubhouse.
"I feel safer than ever. Why? 'Cause they just deter people."
Significant police presence
The Ottawa Police Service has been bracing for the arrival of the Hells Angels, who chose Carlsbad Springs as the location for a national gathering to mark the 15th anniversary of the gang's 11 Ontario chapters.
Attendance at the so-called "Canada Run" is mandatory, with hefty fines being levied against members who don't show up.
Police have secured backup from both the Gatineau force and from provincial agencies in both Ontario and Quebec. Although they don't expect any serious crimes to be committed, they do want to keep close tabs on who shows up.
"It's sad that there's still that gang around and that they still have so much prominence in Canada, so I hope that we've got people who are keeping an eye on them," said Nancy Richard, who regularly drives through Carlsbad Springs.
Like Desjardins, however, Richard said the biker gang's presence isn't causing her to fear for her safety.
"I'm more concerned with the 'lone wolf' now," said Richard. "Organized crime, they tend to strike out against other organized crime units, whereas you're going to see a lot more lone wolves out there — and that's more what I'm concerned [about]."
Often on best behaviour
When the Hells Angels gather for major national meetings, they're often on their best behaviour, said Peter Edwards, a journalist with the Toronto Star who's written multiple books about organized crime in Canada.
For the bike club, the meetings are partly a public relations exercise, one that sends a message to potential rivals about their size and strength, while also presenting a softer side to the public, Edwards told Ottawa Morning before the gathering got underway.
On Saturday, some of the bikers could've been mistaken for tourists, happily snapping photos on Parliament Hill — were it not for their distinctive patches.
"They go out of their way not to scare people. They had one in Niagara Falls awhile ago where little kids thought they were professional wrestlers," Edwards said. "They were by the professional wrestling hall of fame ... the Hells Angels were playing along with it."
Things were similar at the last national Hells Angels gathering held in Saskatoon in 2012, Edwards added.
"There weren't any arrests there," said Edwards. "At the same time, I think there were 80 arrests at a music festival [that same weekend]."
'Nothing you can really do about it'
While Carlsbad Springs residents may not be cowering in fear over the sudden arrival of one of Canada's largest crime syndicates, people like Sonia Merino are happy to know police are also there, keeping tabs on the goings-on.
"It's a good thing that the police are monitoring [the gathering] so I think that probably makes a lot of people feel more comfortable about the situation," said Merino, who used to live in the community and still returns a couple of times a week.
"There's nothing you can really do about it ... but it's not something that's everyday."
