Latest news with #PortCartier
CTV News
08-07-2025
- CTV News
Pedestrian in critical condition after collision in Port-Cartier, Que.
A pedestrian is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle on Tuesday morning in Port-Cartier, on Quebec's North Shore. Emergency services were called at 5 a.m. to the scene of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian near des Pins Street and Parent Avenue. 'According to initial reports, the impact occurred as the pedestrian was crossing the intersection,' said Nancy Fournier, spokesperson with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ). The pedestrian was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The driver of the vehicle was also taken to the hospital for shock. An SQ reconstructionist is on site to analyze the scene, and the area remains closed to traffic. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 8, 2025.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Serial killer who murdered '49' women met excruciating and gory end at hands of fellow inmate
Notorious Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton, who once bragged about murdering nearly 50 women, met an excruciating and gory end at the hands of a fellow inmate while behind bars. An investigation into the 2024 death of the 74-year-old murderer found he was bludgeoned and impaled with a broken broomstick. Pickton had been attacked in the common room of the Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum-security prison in Quebec, on May 19 last year. He died in hospital days later on May 31. He was serving a life sentence for six counts of second-degree murder over crime spree in the late 1990s and early 2000s, in which he fed female victims to animals on his Vancouver pig farm. The n ewly released investigation by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has shed disturbing light on the savage attack and the 'systemic failures' that may have allowed it to happen. Pickton was suddenly assaulted by another inmate at about 5:16pm while inmates were receiving medication inside the unit's common area, according to the report. The inmate was allegedly identified as Martin Charest. Guards quickly rushed in and stopped the attack but just two minutes later, Charest reportedly attacked again, this time with more force. 'The aggressor then grabbed a broomstick, broke the handle, and thrust it into the face of Mr. Pickton,' the CSC report states. The 74-year-old murderer died in a hospital on May 31 after being attacked in the common room of the Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum-security prison in Quebec, on May 19 (Accused serial killer Robert 'Willie' Pickton is shown in an artist drawing from a tape recording played in a New Westminster, B.C. court, February 5, 2007) Officers again intervened and allegedly subdued Charest before escorting him to a secure unit. Nonetheless, Pickton was left bloodied and severely injured. He was then airlifted to a nearby hospital and held in the ICU for nearly two weeks before succumbing to his injuries. No criminal charges have yet been filed in connection to his death. The report also exposed troubling security lapses, including the fact that inmates had open access to cleaning tools like brooms and mops, which could be used as deadly weapons. 'There were no functional locking cabinets… nor was there an inventory of these items at the time of the incident,' the report states. Officials say the issue has since been addressed. An independent observer tasked with overseeing the CSC's internal probe praised the investigators as 'meticulous' and 'professional.' But they also criticized the post-incident reporting as lacking though not enough to derail the investigation. Pickton became one of Canada's most notorious killers. He was a pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, who lured vulnerable women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to his farm, where he raped, tortured, and butchered them. Many were Indigenous and living in poverty. Their remains, or whatever was left of their DNA, were later discovered scattered across the property. Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2007, with the maximum parole ineligibility period of 25 years, after being charged with the murders of 26 women. He was only found guilty of six of the charges with cops claiming it was due to the massive scope and cost of the initial trial, which enraged victims' families and sparked public outcry. He was found guilty of murdering Sereena Abotsway, Marnie Frey, Andrea Joesbury, Georgina Papin, Mona Wilson and Brenda Ann Wolfe. A public inquiry later slammed police and government agencies for a 'colossal failure' in responding to the disappearance of marginalized women. 'The missing and murdered women were forsaken by society at large and then again by the police,' the inquiry concluded. 'The story… is a tragedy of epic proportions.' Police began searching the Pickton farm in the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam more than 22 years ago in what would be a years-long investigation into the disappearances of dozens of sex workers and drug addicts from Vancouver's seediest streets. The remains or DNA of 33 women were found on the farm. Pickton once bragged to an undercover police officer that he killed a total of 49 women. During his trial, prosecution witness Andrew Bellwood said Pickton told him how he strangled his victims and fed their remains to his pigs. Health officials once issued a tainted meat advisory to neighbors who might have bought pork from Pickton's farm, concerned the meat might have contained human remains. Cynthia Cardinal, whose sister Georgina Papin was murdered by Pickton, said Pickton's death means she can finally move on from her sister's murder. 'This is gonna bring healing for, I won't say all families, I'll just say most of the families,' she said. 'I'm like wow, finally. I can actually move on and heal and I can put this behind me.' Vancouver police were criticized for not taking the cases seriously because many of the missing were sex workers or drug users. Canada's correctional service said it was conducting an investigation into the attack on Pickton. 'The investigation will examine all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the assault, including whether policies and protocols were followed,' the service said. 'We are mindful that this offender's case has had a devastating impact on communities in British Columbia and across the country, including indigenous peoples, victims and their families. Our thoughts are with them.'
CBC
07-07-2025
- CBC
Inmate killed B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton with broken broom handle, investigation finds
An investigation report detailing the prison assault that led to the death of B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton says he was assaulted by another inmate who broke a broom handle and thrust it into his face. The board of investigation report released Friday says Pickton was assaulted as medication was being distributed in the unit he was housed in at Quebec's Port-Cartier Institution on May 19, 2024. The report says prison guards quickly intervened and convinced the aggressor to stop the beating, but minutes later he "grabbed a broomstick, broke the handle, and thrust it" into Pickton's face. The board's report says Pickton was taken to a hospital in an ambulance, then airlifted to another facility in Quebec City the next day and admitted to intensive care because of his critical condition. WATCH | Pickton dies after fatal prison assault: Serial killer Robert Pickton is dead 1 year ago Duration 2:04 Robert Pickton had been in hospital since May 19 after being the target of what Correctional Service Canada called a "major assault" at the maximum-security Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec. The 74-year-old B.C. man had been found guilty of murdering six women in the Vancouver area, but had bragged about killing 49. The report says Pickton died on May 31, 2024, and investigators interviewed 35 staff members from the prison and another institution, finding that inmates had free access to cleaning tools including mops and brooms that weren't kept in locked cabinets. Pickton, 74 at the time, had been serving a life sentence since 2007 for six counts of second-degree murder. Twenty additional counts of first-degree murder led to a stay of proceedings against him in 2010. He was held at a maximum security institution since his intake assessment in 2018, and had been incarcerated at Port-Cartier Institution since 2018. The wrong family member was contacted about Pickton's death, according to the report, and investigators were not able to determine if he knew that his designated next of kin had changed their contact information. The board made three recommendations, including for the prison to take action to reduce accessibility to items that are used or transformed for purposes that jeopardize the security of the institution. "A project is underway to secure the doors of the cleaners' storerooms in unit common rooms to better control access to cleaning supplies," the report says. The board's report says no criminal charges had been laid and the Quebec Coroner's office had not submitted any reports to the Correctional Service of Canada at the time the report was written. Another report by an independent observer appointed to ensure the investigation's integrity says Pickton was "violently assaulted" by an inmate named Martin Charest. The observer's report says the board "conducted a meticulous, highly professional and impartial investigation of a sensitive nature," and praised the board for completing the "challenging job on time."
Globe and Mail
07-07-2025
- Globe and Mail
Prison assault that led to B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's death detailed in report
An investigation report detailing the prison assault that led to the death of B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton says he was assaulted by another inmate who broke a broom handle and thrust it into his face. The board of investigation report released Friday says Pickton was assaulted as medication was being distributed in the unit he was housed in at Quebec's Port-Cartier Institution on May 19, 2024. The report says prison guards quickly intervened and convinced the aggressor to stop the beating, but minutes later he 'grabbed a broomstick, broke the handle, and thrust it into' Pickton's face. The board's report says Pickton was taken to a hospital in an ambulance, then airlifted to another facility in Quebec City the next day and admitted to intensive care because of his critical condition. The report says Pickton died on May 31, 2024, and investigators interviewed 35 staff members from the prison and another institution, finding that inmates had free access to cleaning tools including mops and brooms that weren't kept in locked cabinets. At the time of the incident, Pickton was 74 and had been serving a life sentence since 2007 for six counts of second-degree murder. Twenty additional counts of first degree murder led to a stay of proceedings against him in 2010. Who was Robert Pickton? A timeline of events leading to the serial killer's conviction and death He was held at a maximum-security institution since his intake assessment in 2018, and had been incarcerated at Port-Cartier Institution since 2018. It says after Pickton died, the wrong family member was contacted about his death and investigators were not able to determine if he knew that his designated next of kin had changed their contact information. The board made three recommendations, including for the prison to take action to reduce accessibility to items that are used or transformed for purposes that jeopardize the security of the institution. 'A project is underway to secure the doors of the cleaners' storerooms in unit common rooms to better control access to cleaning supplies,' the report says. The board's report says no criminal charges had been laid and the Quebec Coroner's office had not submitted any reports to the Correctional Service of Canada at the time the report was written. Another report by an independent observer appointed to ensure the investigation's integrity says Pickton was 'violently assaulted' by an inmate named Martin Charest. The observer's report says the board 'conducted a meticulous, highly professional and impartial investigation of a sensitive nature,' and praised the board for completing the 'challenging job on time.'
CTV News
06-07-2025
- CTV News
Fatal prison assault on serial killer Robert Pickton was carried out with broken-off broom handle: report
Additional details about the fatal prison assault on notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton have been released by the Correctional Service of Canada. Pickton was 74 and had been serving a life sentence for six counts of second-degree murder since 2007 when he was attacked by another inmate at the maximum-security Port Cartier Institution in Quebec on May 19, 2024. He was air-lifted to hospital and died in the intensive care unit 12 days later. On Friday, the Correctional Service of Canada released the findings of a Board of Investigation appointed to probe the circumstances of the fatal assault. Its findings were based on staff interviews, audio and video recordings from the prison, and a review of the institution's policies. At 5:16 p.m. Pickton was assaulted by another inmate in the common room while medication was being distributed on his unit, according to the report. 'When the assault started, the Correctional Officer (CO) assigned to the control post requested the assistance of other COs, who quickly intervened and were able to convince the aggressor to stop the assault,' it reads. But two minutes later, Pickton was attacked again. 'The aggressor then grabbed a broomstick, broke the handle, and thrust it into the face of Mr. Pickton. Correctional Officers again intervened, managed to gain his compliance and handcuffed the aggressor, then escorted him to the Structured Intervention Unit,' the report continued. No criminal charges have been laid in Pickton's death. 'Mr. Pickton's crimes received extensive media coverage across the country and around the world,' the report said, adding that Pickton initially faced an additional 20 murder charges that were stayed in 2010. His victims were all women, many of whom were vulnerable, Indigenous, and living on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The remains and DNA of 33 women were found during a search of Pickton's pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C., though the killer had bragged about murdering a total of 49. Pickton's confirmed victims were Sereena Abotsway, Marnie Frey, Andrea Joesbury, Georgina Papin, Mona Wilson and Brenda Ann Wolfe. The board was tasked with looking at the 'facts and circumstances' leading up to Pickton's death as well as 'examining whether policies and protocols were followed, and identifying any recommendations or corrective measures needed.' One of the issues identified was access to cleaning supplies, like brooms and mops, which could be used as weapons. 'Inmates had free access to cleaning items and that there were no functional locking cabinets that could be used to store the brooms or mops on the range, nor was there an inventory of these items at the time of the incident,' the report found. The institution has since taken steps to remedy this issue, according to the report. An independent observer, tasked with overseeing the CSC investigation, said the three-person panel did its work in a 'meticulous, highly professional and impartial' manner. However, in a supplemental report the observer found the post-incident reports 'lacked rigour.' 'This shortcoming did not hinder the investigation,' the report said. 'However, more rigorous record-keeping facilitates the (board of investigation's) job and ensures greater transparency when reconstructing the facts, especially following an incident that has led to the death of an individual.' News of Pickton's death provoked swift reaction from B.C. politicians and advocates, including Premier David Eby. 'Robert Pickton preyed on the most vulnerable people in our society,' Eby said when the serial killer's death was confirmed. 'These women were cast aside as less than equal, and less than worthy because of who they were. We are committed to recognizing the dignity of every person to avoid something like this happening ever again. Good riddance.' Families of women believed to have been murdered by Pickton said their quest for justice would not end with his death. They pledged to continue to push for the preservation of evidence collected from the pig farm, to continue pursuing civil remedies, and to keep fighting to bring any potential accomplices before the courts. With files from CTV News Vancouver's Todd Coyne
