Archambault prison's bloody, brutal history

   The 450-inmate federal prison known as the Archambault Institute opened in 1969 in Ste. Anne des Plaines, about 45 minutes drive north of Montreal.
   Since 1975 23 prison guards have been killed in Canada, six of those were from Archambault Institute, more than any other prison. Here's a brief history of the joint.
   1971 - at least 10 escaped. (including Jacques Mercier, who was recaptured in August after a gun battle).

Leopold Dion

-Nov. 1971 Leopold Dion, 52, possibly the province's most-evil offender of all time, was killed by inmate Normand Champagne, 29, who was acquitted on the grounds on insanity, as he said that he was the reincarnation of Lawrence of Arabia. Champagne was re-arrested in 1987 in a foiled plot to kidnap two McDonald's clerks and ask for a $4 million ransom.

-1972 - An inmate avoided three separate stabbing attempts as he awaited a trial in which he was testifying against another inmate.

-1974 Guns, dynamite, grenades were found under a duct in Pavillon J, preventing a bloody escape.

- February 1976: 350 prisoners participated in a strike in attempt to allow for contact visits. The prisoners refused to leave their cells for 113 days. A guard and a barber were taken hostage May 3 by Leopold Mercier, 23 and Michel English. English was released in 1985 but was caught the next year red-handed at the scene of a robbery. His aversion to returning to Archambault was so extreme that he blew his head off in the parking lot of St. Maxime High School after a botched robbery at an Ultramar.

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May 7, 1976 the strike was called off in favour of negotiations led by Billy MacAllister, noted West End Gang jailbird.

-Jan.1977 Marcel Girard was stabbed to death while watching a movie in Archambault prison. Another inmate was charged.

29 Jan.Peter Yank, 25, killed fellow inmate Normand Piche, 20 with a metal bar inside the cells of the Archambault prison in Ste. Anne des Plaines at 6 p.m as 170 watched on. Yank was inside prison for killing Jean Vallieres, 45 in 1975 near St. Jovite. Piche had testified against Yank in court. Yank was in a halfway house in 1987 preparing to be released. 

25 July 1977 Denis Labelle, 20 and Robert Pelletier, 25, were charged with murdering Daniel Thierry, 23 on 25 July at 8 p.m. inside the Archambault Prison.  Thierry had refused their sexual advances.

-Feb. 7, 1978 Warden Michel Roy, 38, was shot dead by three gunmen as he shoveled snow at his home in Pointe aux Trembles.

Roberge and Paquette

-July 1978 19 were taken hostage, 13 of them released soon after by convicted murderers Serge Roberge and Maurice Paquette, both 24. The rest were released after 70 hours.

-1979 Judge Armand, 77 Chevrette was shot in the head, at home in Outremont on Cote St. Catherine. He worked in the internal court in Archambault. He survived.

-1979 September, 24 Four inmates including ringleader Denis Racine, 22, (serving a life sentence for stabbing a 16-year-old to death at La Ronde because he wanted his leather jacket), Pierre Thibault, Michael Boudreault and Serge Payeur held five hostage demanding their freedom, the five included three teachers and one clerk who had already been held hostage at the prison. The kidnapped were guards Serge Geoffroy, Martin Chevarie, teachers Michel Pare, John Brockman and Lise Roger, 23.

Denis Racine

-1980 - February - Claude Charbonneau and Claude Montreuil, 20 and 23, held two guards hostage and demanded only pizza. Leon Rivard and Wilbrod Deslile were released after 48 hours. Warden Andre Lemarier received death threats. Guards are paid $13,500 a year.-July 21, 1980 Inmate Jean-Francois Cloutier, 30, a thief, is found beaten to death in his cell. He is the eighth prisoner killed in 12 months.

-July 25, 1982, three guards were murdered after being painfully mutilated in a big prison riot. Leandre Leblanc, 60, working his last shift, was disembowled. Denis Rivard, 27 who was axed in the face and hung with a hose, and David Van Den Abeele, 36, were also mutilated while killed by two sadistic inmates Yvon Martin, 39 and Christian Perreault, 24.They then swallowed cyanide. They were trying to lead an escape.

Boudreau and Payeur
surrendering

Perreault was in prison for killing a Montreal police officer. Another guard, Andre Mooney was hospitalized in critical condition. Nine were charged with murder: Andre Lachappelle, 22, Andre Leroux, 50, Mario Pruneau,22, and Claude Poirier, 31, Real Girard, 22, Wildfried Larose, 38, were acquitted, while armed robber Daniel Boulet, 25, Maurice Michel, 24, Serge Robidoux, 20, were convicted. Robidoux was strangled in another prison soon after.

Amnesty International later puts out a report claiming that prisoners were tortured following the incident. The report is raised in parliament and the Paris-based Interionatlonal Federation of Human Rights condemened the prison for allowing guards to inflict serious torture for several weeks after the riots, including "being suspended from poles under the arms or by the ears." Inmate Roger Lasalle later sued the institution for $18 million, no word on the fate of that lawsuit.

-August 1982 Allo Police published photos that revealed that strippers had put on four shows at the prison in between June 1980 and June 1982.

-April 22, 1983 Guard Serge Delorme,23, was stabbed to death with a chisel in the prison workshop by inmate David Humphrey, 28, who was wounded by gunshots as other guards opened fire on him.
   Humphrey, from Hamilton, had not been considered dangerous, was apparently attempting to take the guard prisoner, as he was desperate for a transfer out, according to a guard union spokesman. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to life.
   Anglo inmates were being targeted by francophones and he was apparently threatened with murder by other inmates. Only 40 of the 500 inmates were anglophones at the time.

Tremblay

-June 11, 1984: Inmate Pierre Tremblay, who had been doing time for breaking and entry, was beaten to death with a blunt object. He was the 18th prisoner killed in the 14 years of the institution. No suspects were immediately found.

Sept 8,1986 Inmates went on strike, refusing to do any of the chores or studies they usually did after Claude Dubois and another prisoner were put in solitary confinement. In mid-November, a judge ordered the two to be reintegrated into the regular prison population. Authorities stated that Dubois, serving a murder sentence, had been controlling drugs inside the prison.

Louis Troalen, left, and Carol Pinel, gay
lovers who killed a cop, then killed inmate Guy Diotte

-Feb, 1987: Louis Troalen, 21, who had been convicted of killing St Hubert police officer Marcel Simard with a sawed off shotgun while on the way to committing an armed robbery, was charged along with his gay lover Carol Pinard, 26,with stabbing fellow-inmate Guy Diotte, 40, to death inside the prison. Diotte was an armed robber who had quarreled with the murderers.

-June 17, 1990 Inmate Irenee Bouchard, 36, was shot and killed trying to escape,climbing a 20-foot fence around the prison. A female guard did the shooting, said to be the first-ever kill for a female federal prison guard.