MONTREAL — Newly released court documents reveal how law enforcement officials conducted an extensive investigation over several months to track four men implicated in an alleged anti-government conspiracy in Quebec. These details are articulated in police affidavits dating back to January 2024, highlighting the activities of a group identified as a “pro-gun extremist militant group.”
The accusations involve the purchase of firearms and participation in military-style training across Quebec and Ontario. Among the four men, one made public declarations about the importance of being armed, expressing distrust towards the government and forewarning about the potential for incidents similar to the infamous Waco siege of 1993. In July 2023, police arrested Simon Angers-Audet, 24; Raphaël Lagacé, 25; Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24; and Matthew Forbes, 33, in connection with a purported plan to forcibly occupy land in the Quebec City area. While Angers-Audet, Lagacé, and Chabot face charges of facilitating a terrorist activity, all four men are dealing with weapon-related charges. It's noteworthy that both Chabot and Forbes are current members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The undertaking, dubbed Project Supion, commenced in March 2023 following a tip-off from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). According to redacted documents from the intelligence agency, Chabot was identified as the leader of “Hide and Stalk,” a collective comprising current and former military personnel. The subsequent investigation involved comprehensive surveillance methods, including aerial monitoring, GPS tracking, utilization of informants, undercover espionage, and analysis of financial records.
Chabot allegedly operated an Instagram account titled hide_n_stalk, which promoted themes of military training, survivalism, and long-range shooting. The account featured photographs of its members wielding firearms while donned in military camouflage, sporting “HS” patches on their sleeves. In May 2023, a gathering of 17 individuals, including some associated with Hide and Stalk, occurred at the ZEC Batiscan-Neilson hunting area near Quebec City, where they engaged in military drills and shooting practice, all under the scrutiny of RCMP aerial surveillance. Following this gathering, police retrieved bullet casings from the scene.
Further insights into the group’s ideology were reportedly provided by a member mimicking Chabot’s description during an appearance on the podcast Modern Canadian Shooter. He discussed the establishment of a community to safeguard families from perceived government overreach, accusing political leaders of deceit. His statements exhibited alignment with a far-right accelerationist ideology, which purports that societal collapse via violence could facilitate the establishment of a white ethno-state. He claimed, “A disarmed population is easy to control,” expressing distrust in government while alluding to the risk of provoking a scenario akin to Waco.
In August 2023, CSIS informed the RCMP that Hide and Stalk was organizing another training session near Rolphton, Ontario, which saw the participation of seventeen individuals, including Chabot and Angers-Audet. A subsequent training event was conducted in September 2023 at a quarry owned by Lagacé’s family, with all four defendants in attendance. Additionally, police were alerted by an informant regarding Forbes’s involvement in arms trafficking and possession of firearms, while another informant suggested that some members had access to automatic weapons and that an individual might possess firearms and equipment valued between $30,000 and $40,000.
September 2023 also saw an undercover agent procure night-vision goggles from Forbes. The accused's financial activities raised eyebrows, with allegations of over $480,000 in transactions conducted between January 2020 and June 2023, viewed as inconsistent with their purported financial capacities. During an ongoing investigation in January 2024, Lagacé’s ex-partner reported his possession of illegal firearms and suicidal declarations, prompting Quebec City police to confiscate over fifty firearms and ammunition from him.
Following these developments, the RCMP filed affidavits to obtain search warrants related to the four men, culminating in the recovery of sixteen explosive devices, approximately 11,000 rounds of ammunition, and various weapons. As the judicial proceedings unfolded, earlier this month, a judge declined to grant bail for the three individuals facing terrorism charges. In contrast, Forbes was granted bail in July 2023 under a set of stringent conditions, including wearing a GPS tracking device. The defendants are scheduled to appear in court again on September 12 to discuss the next steps in their case.
