Hells Angels set to descend on Ottawa this weekend

A mandatory meeting for all Canadian chapters of the Hells Angels biker club kicks off Thursday in Ottawa, with hundreds of members of the notorious gang expected to descend on the nation’s capital.

Police forces on both sides of the Ottawa River have beefed up the number of officers on patrol and will be monitoring the situation closely, but officials say the public has little to worry about.

In short: leave the bikers alone during the four-day event, and they’ll do the same.

“This event will result in a large increase in the number of motorcycles on our roads,” noted Ottawa Police Inspector Michel Marin in a release.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This event will result in a large increase in the number of motorcycles on our roads," noted Ottawa Police Inspector Michel Marin in a release.

“This is a reminder to all road users to share the road and respect speed limits.”

The centre of the action is expected to be a Hells Angels Nomads 5th Chapter clubhouse in Carlsbad Springs, about 25 minutes southeast of downtown Ottawa. But Hells Angels members may also be putting in appearances at bars, restaurants and other venues across the city.

READ MORE: N.S. police on alert as Hells Angels makes return to province

The so-called “Canada Run” is a mandatory meeting for the club members, and includes at least one massive motorcycle ride. Anyone who doesn’t attend faces a steep fine paid to the club.

The in-person meeting is partly designed to allow club members to talk to one another without being wiretapped or monitored by police, but it would be highly unusual to see any criminal activity during the event, officials have said.

The last mandatory run was held four years ago in Saskatoon, and there were no major incidents. The same was true for previous runs held in Langley, B.C., and Windsor, ON.

Det. Staff Sergeant Len Isnor, coordinator with the Biker Enforcement Unit of the Ontario Provincial Police, said the OPP, the Ottawa police and the Gatineau police will all be watching the gathering closely.

“Policing partners will be responding to any unlawful activity, in an appropriate and professional manner, while having a zero tolerance approach to crime during the weekend gathering.”

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There is normally a group photo taken during the run, although the location of the shot has not been made public. Police are reportedly hoping it won’t be staged on Parliament Hill.