Almost all of Quebec received the alert on Friday concerning the armed and dangerous man in Gaspésie, except most of the citizens of the village where the event took place.
• Read also: The dangerous suspect subdued and arrested
The cellular network being lacking in Saint-Elzéar-de-Bonaventure, the people who were a few minutes from the suspect could not read the safety instructions issued by the authorities.
During this time, the telephones of citizens who were several hundred kilometers from the suspect were ringing loudly.
A situation that was denounced yesterday by the mayor of the place, Pâquerette Poirier.
“It is not normal and it has become more than a priority [la couverture cellulaire] “, she says.
However, the message from the Sûreté du Québec was clearly intended for the people of the small municipality of 450 inhabitants.
“If you are in this area, do not approach the suspect, lock the doors, stay away from the windows, leave the area if it is safe to do so”, could we read, provided you have the network cellular.
Screenshot, TVA Nouvelles
Police officers from the Sûreté du Québec established a security perimeter on Friday.
“Not Safe”
“People didn’t feel safe when they saw the police cars, everyone was wondering. While the people of Quebec were calling us to find out what was going on, we were not aware of anything, ”adds the still exasperated mayor.
For many years, the mayors of small communities in the Gaspé, but also in several regions of Quebec, have been fighting to have an effective cellular network.
Pâquerette Poirier says that 84% of the territory of her municipality is served by the network, which can endanger the safety of the citizens of the place, but also of passers-by.
She indicates that neighboring villages, including Saint-Alphonse, are struggling with the same problem.
For 2024
“We are the gateway to the forest. For hunters, truckers, visitors, it’s dangerous, ”warns the one who has made this issue her hobbyhorse since taking office on October 4, 2021.
In the past two years, several federal government announcements have been made to subsidize telecommunications companies and thus improve cellular and internet networks throughout the province.
For Saint-Elzéar-de-Bonaventure, the deadline has been pushed back a few times, but 2024 should be the right year for the construction of a tower.
” It’s still far away. We pay for the same cellular plan as everyone else, but we don’t have any services,” said the mayor, who reminds us that many citizens still have to keep the good old telephone line at home.