The FTQ Solidarity Fund wants the company of the “king of gyproc” to leave the sites of its real estate projects, after the revelations about the attempted takeover of the firm by someone close to organized crime.
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“In recent weeks, the Fondsimmobilier de solidarité FTQ has asked its partners concerned to end the business relationship with the subcontractor which is the subject of worrying allegations,” indicated Patrick McQuilken, Wednesday , in an email sent at the end of the day to our Investigation Office.
Our Bureau of Investigation reported yesterday morning that BMNJ Interior Systems, a company owned by Hugo Bernard (nicknamed the “king of gyproc”), was secretly managed by Rhéal Dallaire, a businessman linked to organized crime.
Businessman Rhéal Dallaire.
Photo taken from Facebook
These allegations are taken from a request filed by the Laurentian Bank, which obtained the receivership of the company.
Dallaire’s luxurious house in Westmount was raided in 2023, at the same time as those of Hells Angels Stéphane Plouffe and Martin Robert and the since deceased mafioso Francesco Del Balso.
Rhéal Dallaire also sold vacant land in 2019 to mafia co-leader Leonardo Rizzuto. He was one of the main creditors of Carboneutre, a company infiltrated by organized crime named to the Charbonneau commission.
BMNJ is one of the largest interior systems firms in Quebec. She was active as a subcontractor in two real estate projects financed by the Fund, the Solar Uniquartier on the South Shore, and the Maestria, in downtown Montreal.
The Maestria project in Montreal’s entertainment district.
Photo Pierre-Paul Poulin
Rumors
Until now, the Fund had not wanted to comment on what it described as “rumors concerning BMNJ”.
The Fund had nevertheless indicated at the start of the week that it was closely monitoring the situation at BMNJ, due to the company’s financial difficulties.
According to documents filed in court, Laurentian says it decided to end its business relationship with BMNJ, among others, after noticing that Rhéal Dallaire was working in the background to control the company.
On February 9, Laurentian said in particular that it had been informed by a representative of BMNJ that Hugo Bernard was no longer in charge of the company.
This representative would have added that “the operations of [BMNJ] were now managed in the background by Mr. Dallaire, despite [que] the bank [ait été avisée que] he was no longer a potential buyer for the operations of [l’entreprise]”, according to the legal procedure.
The allegations contained in Laurentian’s proceedings have not been tested on their merits in court.