MONTREAL – A 61-year-old Montreal man was arrested early Thursday for making threats against the shale gas industry in Quebec and Alberta.
The man’s arrest shortly after midnight on Charlemagne Ave. in Montreal by officers of the Sûreté du Québec, Montreal police and the RCMP followed several letters he allegedly sent, including one received by La Presse, SQ Sgt. Christine Coulombe said.
“The threat was deemed to be serious and so were others he sent,” Coulombe said.
The man was released on a promise to appear in court at a later date, and has to obey strict conditions. She would not provide his name since he has not yet been formally charged.
La Presse published a story on June 10 about a letter received by columnist Patrick Lagaçé. He said he got a phone call telling him an envelope was left for him in a phone booth.
The letter threatened “serious consequences for any industrial activity starting July 1″ and talked of “destruction of sites.”
The La Presse article said the letter was from a group claiming to be the Quebec militia for the protection of the territory, a group unheard of until then.
The letter’s author complained about the Quebec government’s refusal to impose a moratorium on shale gas exploration.
The letter specifically mentions certain Quebec and Alberta companies, but La Presse said it contacted the companies and they said they had not received any letter. The names of the companies were not revealed in the article.
The letter advised employees and managers in the shale gas industry to “leave Quebec.” The author added that “their families in Alberta will be targeted.”
Coulombe said the man is likely to face charges of uttering threats and inciting fear of terrorist activities.
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