A 53-year-old prisoner escaped Thursday evening from Archambault Institution, a federal penitentiary in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, in the Laurentians.
François Paquette deceived the vigilance of the personnel of the minimum security unit who discovered around 10 p.m., during the count, that the prisoner was missing.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) alerted the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and an arrest warrant was immediately issued against the fugitive.
An investigation has been opened into this incident by the CSC, which says it is working closely with the SQ to “find the offender as quickly as possible”.
Wearing glasses, the man on the run is 1.85 m tall, weighs 85 kg and has a pale complexion, brown eyes and brown hair.
He is currently serving a 3-year, 4-month and 28-day sentence for breaking and entering and possession of burglary tools, CSC said.
“Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of François Paquette is asked to contact the Sûreté du Québec,” it was added.