Two teenagers were arrested in connection with Sunday’s arson in a parking lot filled with wrecked cars in the Saint-Émile sector. The large fire will not jeopardize the Huron-Wendat Nation’s plan to pursue a real estate project there.
• Also read: [EN VIDÉO] A used car lot is the target of an arson fire near Wendake
Quebec City police said Monday that a 13-year-old boy had been arrested in connection with the fire. He was formally charged in juvenile court with arson and criminal damage to another person’s property. The frail boy appeared nervous and answered the judge’s questions in a weak voice. The Crown prosecutor in the case opposed his release to “protect the public.” He will return to court on Tuesday.
Another 16-year-old boy was arrested on Sunday after the incident. However, this second suspect was released with a promise to appear at a later date.
Almost all of the 500 vehicles stored at the Goulet Auto Parts site on Rue de la Faune were destroyed by the flames on Sunday.
Fortunately, the tires, flammable liquids and batteries had been removed from the vehicles, reducing environmental impact and allowing the 35 firefighters to bring the incident under control within about four hours.
The company ended its parts sales and vehicle purchasing activities on June 30. On December 1st, the country will officially be transferred to the Société de Développement Wendat (SDW), which reports to the Council of the Nation.
In magnification mode
“These are mainly properties that are used for residential purposes. We don’t have them on our development plan yet because these properties have just been added. Will it be condos, single-family homes or townhomes? We do not know. “It is not currently on our development plan,” Grand Chief Rémy Vincent said of the use of the site the day after the fire.
“This land is connected to the arena and its land that we already own. We are in development mode for this sector for our residents of the Huron-Wenwat Nation to ultimately expand the Wendake Reservation,” stated Rose-Marie Ayotte, staff member of the Grand Chief’s Office.
A legal step still needs to be taken to make the newly acquired area “reserve land,” which specifically involves converting it to federal Crown land.
“We have no choice but to buy land when we hear people are selling it or we can knock on their doors, otherwise we are limited in what we can offer our population,” Ms Ayotte added . She also gave the example of the national defense areas in Sainte-Foy.
The effects
The police investigation into the fire has resulted in the construction of a new road connecting the property to Rue de la Faune being temporarily halted.
“We don’t think the fire will delay the project that much,” emphasizes Ms. Ayotte, who recalls that the decontamination of the site was already on the agenda.
However, the fire will have consequences for the owner of the Goulet Auto Parts store.
“It’s a financial loss for us because we get paid by weight and it burned everything. For the remaining time (before the end of the transaction, December 1st) it is really boring,” explained Maxime Brousseau.
In collaboration with Diane Tremblay and TVA nouvelles
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