CHIBOUGAMAU | Last summer, Brian Barre of Chibukama caused a stir in northern Quebec with no fewer than 14 arson attacks between May 29 and September 5. He is in Fire 213, which forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents of the municipality of Sabais.. Newspaper The 38-year-old took to the road to better understand what was hidden behind the devastation of about 900 hectares caused by the man, and to see the traces left by these activities in the population that lives mostly from the surrounding forests.
1- A unique case in Canada
Prosecutors from Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) Marie-Philippe Charon and Marianne Girard say Brian Barre's case will be a precedent because it is a unique case in Quebec's history, even in Canada. “We did research to find out what is the basis of our recommended sentence, but this is a case where there is no common practice in the country,” said M.e Girard. She and her colleague insist the fire “has never threatened life enough to require the evacuation of a city.” Barre's 14 fires, most of them in the midst of drought, are the first in the province.
Fire between Chibougamau and Chapais seen from the air by a SOPFEU aircraft.
Photo from SOPFEU Facebook
2- An important pre-sentence statement
When Brian Barre pleaded guilty on Jan. 15, his attorney and the Crown requested that a pre-sentence report be prepared covering two aspects: the accused's mental health and the danger he represents to society. The analysis is to be filed in court on April 22. Possible cognitive disorders “may be weighed in the scales of justice”, Me Saron of DPCP, defense counsel Me Jean Girard had requested a psychiatric evaluation of his client during the trial in September. Since he distinguished between right and wrong during the acts he was accused of, the latter was deemed worthy of trial. The Crown confirmed Newspaper His recommendation for a sentence “should be severe,” especially since Barre has a criminal record, but he remains open to reaching an agreement with the opposing party based on the content of the pre-sentence report.
3- Undoubted clues
During his visit to the Chibougamau court, Newspaper In this case it was possible to consult some requests for warrants made by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ). The documents, which were kept secret until Brian Barre pleaded guilty, contain a detailed summary of all stages of the investigation. Among other things, we learn that the police have been able to confirm the theory of an arsonist in the origin of numerous fires. 227 and 228 at the scene of the fire on 1stR In June, the SQ found “two butane bottles and pieces of wood and plastic at the base of the tree,” as indicated in the “procedure” section of the report. The same items were found a little further north during a third fire on the same day and on another occasion on July 5, near the Chibucamau-Sapaise Airport.
“Martin” brand butane bottles like this one have been found at crime scenes on many occasions.
Photo taken from PMR website
4- Caught red-handed
Five fires broke out on May 31 and May 1R June alerted the police to their criminal origins. During an investigation with the SQ, Lieutenant Philippe Robichaud of the fire department of the city of Sapis expressed his suspicion that lightning was behind these numerous fires. According to the police report, SOPFEU officials declare that “it is unheard of”, so many fires in such a short period of time. Through meetings with witnesses and finding clues, investigators began to tighten their grip on a man seen several times near the fire: Brian Barre. A 38-year-old man was identified as the prime suspect after a meeting with police to explain his whereabouts. With the help of cybercrime unit, forensic psychologist and profiler, the SQ analyzes their target's social networks to determine if his profile matches that of an arsonist. The evidence against Pare was so large and overwhelming that the police obtained permission to install a GPS beacon on the suspect's vehicle on August 16. 1R And on September 5, his car was geolocated at the scene of two separate fires.
Brian Paré admitted to setting 9 fires following his arrest on September 7, 2023, at the command post of the Sûreté du Québec in Chibukama. A few weeks later, he admitted 5 more. Photo by Le Journal de Québec Vincent Desbiens
Vincent Despians
5- An identifiable vehicle among a thousand
According to the investigation report, all the witnesses the Sûreté du Québec met gave the same information. Moments after the fire, they say they saw a black Mazda vehicle… with a flashing light on the roof. Brian Barre's former colleague at Entretien Industry Éco, Eric Asselin, maintains that his colleague's car is “recognizable out of a thousand”, thanks to its large yellow flashing light on the roof and stickers that read “Liberty”, “Liberty”. Mounted on glass. Almost all the times he was seen, Barre wore the orange hunting clothes he usually wore. When he committed his crimes, he was often accompanied by his dog. This was another clue that helped tie all the events together.
From May 29 to September 5, 2023, Brian Barre's vehicle was identified by an orange flashing light on its roof that allowed numerous witnesses to identify the man behind 14 arson attacks.
Photo from Brian Barre's Facebook
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