Lights out: Quebec residents who hid from police in darkened home fined for breaking curfew, gathering rules

A post on the Facebook page of MRC des Collines police describing several people being fined for violating curfew and public gathering restrictions. (MRC des Collines police / Facebook)

OTTAWA — MRC des Collines police say five people are facing more than $7,500 in fines for breaking Quebec's nightly curfew and social gathering rules.

In a statement posted to Facebook, the police service said officers had stopped a vehicle in Val-des-Monts, Que. Thursday evening with two people inside. The man and woman were heading to a friend's cottage, police said. Each was given a ticket and told to return home.

The Outaouais region of Quebec remains under the province's maximum COVID-19 alert level, which prohibits people from gathering in other people's homes. The 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew also remains in effect.

Police said the pair did not return home, however, and their vehicle was later found outside another house.

When police arrived, officers saw people inside before the lights were quickly turned off. Despite knocking on the door several times, no one answered. Police said they could hear people talking inside.

Officers obtained a warrant to enter the home, where they found five people, including the couple that was previously pulled over.

Each of those individuals has been fined $1,500. The couple from before who had already been fined were given new tickets.

Anyone who did not live in the home was told to leave.