Extortion ‘out of control’: Opposition calls for Inquiry into crime networks targeting Quebec bars and restaurants

The Liberal public security critic is calling for a parliamentary committee to find solutions to counter the impact of organized crime on bars and restaurants.

The official opposition in Quebec City is calling for a parliamentary committee to address the scourge of extortion and firebombings targeting restaurants and businesses in the province, particularly in the Montreal area.

Jennifer Maccarone, the Quebec Liberal Party’s public security critic, says there is a “real culture of fear” in the industry as business owners are increasingly being asked by criminals to pay protection money, and if they don’t pay up, they are threatened, or their establishments are firebombed or shot up.

Her district, Westmount–Saint-Louis, includes downtown Montreal, which has seen a rash of violent acts in recent months.

“They’re not just fearful of attacks on their businesses. They’re fearful of attacks on their homes. These are businesses that are closing. These are businesses that are losing clients. These are businesses that are losing insurance,” she said in an interview.

On Thursday, she called on the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government to launch a parliamentary committee to “find solutions to counter the grip of organized crime on Quebec merchants,” citing recent cases of extortion, arson, and shootings.

Her plea comes one day after Laval police launched Project Vigilance, an operation aimed at targeting criminal gangs in response to a surge in extortion cases facing restaurants and bars sparked by criminals that investigators say are getting younger and bolder in their methods.

Cases of extortion in the industry have more than doubled in the last four years, according to police data.

Police are taking aim at organized crime groups, including the Greeks of Chomedey. The group’s leader, 40-year-old Charalambos Theologou, who also went by the name Bobby the Greek, was shot and killed in broad daylight at a Starbucks in October.

Maccarone also lambasted the elimination of a joint committee that brought together police forces and industry representatives to coordinate prevention and intervention efforts when the CAQ came to power.

“I can’t explain why the committee was abolished. I can only tell you that the partners that I’ve been speaking to — the restaurants and the bars and the people that are concerned — they said, ‘You know what, it worked. Why are we not bringing that back into place?’” she said.

The committee would be “no cost with a huge benefit,” the MNA added.

In a written statement to CTV News, Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière said it is up to MNAs to decide whether to take up the issue in a parliamentary committee.

He also said the government has already taken several concrete actions to combat organized crime, “notably with the Quebec Crime Prevention Program and the CENTAURE Strategy, which provides more than $360 million to strengthen specialized teams, investigations, and police intelligence.”

“The work is not done,” the minister added. “We will continue our efforts with determination to protect the public and curb the influence of organized crime in our communities.”

Bars struggle to find insurance: union

The head of the association representing Quebec bar owners said the situation has never been worse than it is right now.

“Bar owners cannot find insurance now. No insurance company wants to insure them anymore,” said Peter Sergakis, president of the Union des tenanciers de bars du Québec and an owner himself of several restaurants and bars.

He said he supports the call for a parliamentary committee, but is not sure whether or not it will solve the problem.

“I don’t know, but I know that the industry, right now, the bar industry and restaurant industry, is suffering big time,” he said.

“To destroy a place with a fire or shooting in the windows, it’s so easy to do … they get paid a few hundred dollars to do the job. So they have to investigate where the orders are coming [from], who is ordering those kids to go out and put gasoline into a broken window to burn the place. It doesn’t make sense.”

Montreal has also seen a recent wave of extortion and arson incidents targeting bars and other commercial businesses.

Montreal police told CTV News that it’s difficult to provide accurate statistics on extortion cases specifically linked to bars and restaurants without analyzing each case individually.

Unofficial stats show that all types of extortion against individuals dropped by 12 per cent this year compared to 2024. Other types of extortion, however, rose by 31 per cent.

When it comes to arson, cases targeting all types of businesses and not just bars and restaurants, dropped by 16 per cent this year compared to 2024.

Like Laval police, officers in Montreal are also trying to reassure business owners and boost their presence around licensed establishments. Montreal police have done 1,359 visits and met with more than 600 business owners from May to October.

“The SPVM reaffirms that the fight against organized crime is a top priority. Specialized units, supported by the Collectifs strategy, work in synergy to ensure everyone’s safety,” police spokesperson Samantha Valendia said in an email.