Pubdate: Thu, 01 Mar 2001
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2001 Southam Inc.
Contact:  300 - 1450 Don Mills Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3R5
Fax: (416) 442-2209
Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
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Author: Graeme Hamilton

RESIDENTS SNUFFED CAFE PLAN, END UP WITH BIKERS' BUNKER

MONTREAL - Homeowners who fought to save the peace of their community by
stopping a cafe being built in the area are getting new neighbours -- an
outlaw motorcycle gang.

Residents successfully campaigned against the cafe on the grounds of
noise from students but will now see a vacant building turned into a
fortified bunker for the Bandidos.

"We're coming home," said Michel Bernard, a member of the Bandidos who
has a contract to buy the house in the city's east end, near the Olympic
Stadium.

The Texas-based Bandidos are at war with the Hells Angels over control
of Montreal's drug trade.

Mr. Bernard, who in 1995 was sentenced to two years in prison for a
foiled plot to kill rival bikers, told the Journal de Montreal: "We're
here to establish ourselves in the city of Montreal."

The Bandidos recently allied with Quebec's Rock Machine. Police seized
the Rock Machine's previous Montreal bunker in 1997.

Gloria Salzani, who has been trying to sell the building in the
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district for four years, said yesterday she had no
idea of the purchaser's background until it was revealed this week. The
sale is scheduled to close in weeks.

Ms. Salzani said the city changed the two-storey building's zoning to
residential after its previous tenant, a heating company, moved out. A
prospective buyer planned to open a coffee shop to cater to students at
a nearby college, the CEGEP Maisonneuve.

But when the city posted a notice advising residents of the plan --
standard practice with proposed zoning changes -- the sale fizzled.

"My neighbours disagreed. The people were afraid the students would be
there at all hours, and that's why it was refused," Ms. Salzani said.
She said another offer from a woman who wanted to open an accounting
office fell through when the buyer got scared off by municipal red tape.

"I'm mostly upset with the city that they put me into this situation.
Obviously I would never have sold to people like the ones buying now.
It's against all my principles. But I didn't know who they were, and
after four years, when someone comes along with an offer, you take it."

Her real estate agent handled the $139,000 offer and described Mr.
Bernard and his associate as "two nice gentlemen." They told her they
planned to convert the building into loft-style apartments.

Montreal has no regulations prohibiting the fortification of residential
dwellings. The town of Blainville, north of Montreal, recently secured a
court order forcing the Hells Angels to remove surveillance cameras,
bulletproof windows and armoured plating from a biker clubhouse there.

City officials in Montreal have said they will wait until the Bandidos
sale is finalized before deciding what action to take. One option under
consideration is a no-bunker by-law such as Blainville upheld in court.
In the meantime, the police have assured nervous neighbours they will
increase patrols if the Bandidos move in.
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