Fear mongering

Landlord says RCMP on a ‘posse hunt’, trying to put fear in people over presence of motorcycle club in his building

An Alberton landlord says he’s not concerned by RCMP reports that an outlaw biker gang has taken up residence in his building.

Michael Gaudet says seven people started renting the basement level of his Main Street apartment building late last year. Membership has since grown to eight, he said, and they pay the monthly rent out of their own pockets.

Gaudet said two of the members are his sons-in-law.

“It’s just a private club. If you’re going in, you’re invited,” he said, indicating they have TVs and a pool table.

Gaudet said he isn’t a member and doesn’t have time to be one. RCMP Cpl. Andy Cook announced last week the Alberton club is now part of the Bacchus Motorcycle Club, which the Mountie says is an outlaw biker gang.

He said the RCMP has been monitoring the group since it formed late last year and added club members recently started wearing the Bacchus patches.

“When it comes to motorcycle clubs, there’s a lot of connotation that goes with that. When you’re wearing something that says, ‘Support a one per cent criminal gang,’ then that’s an issue,” Cook said.

He noted the patches are new, within the last month. Members are required to wear them.

He said the club went straight to Bacchus without having another name or patch previously, and added that’s unusual.

The Alberton members, Cook said, are prospects or strikers, “guys who are proving themselves to become full members.”

Until they have proven themselves, only the bottom rocker of the Bacchus crest will appear on their clubhouse door, Cook noted.

Gaudet says he’s seen no evidence the club is an outlaw gang and added he’d be more concerned with a local fourwheeler club that operates with unregistered machines.

He said the Alberton group abides by the rules of the road and have their bikes licensed.

“It’s a posse hunt, to me. You’re trying to put fear in people,” Gaudet said.

He added that the club plans to lead a fundraising motorcycle run in aid of the Alberton Skate Park committee Sunday.

Alberton-Roseville MLA Pat Murphy, who also runs a business in Alberton said he was aware the private club was operating in town, but wasn’t aware of any criminal activity associated with their presence, nor has he heard concerns expressed by constituents.