Former Chambly mayor arrested by UPAC on two charges

Denis Lavoie, former mayor of Chambly on the South Shore, was arrested Tuesday by Quebec's anti-corruption unit (UPAC) for obstruction of justice and breach of trust.
"Mr. Lavoie is accused of having voluntarily attempted to obstruct, divert or thwart the course of justice at the Municipal Court of Chambly, thereby committing an obstruction of justice and a breach of trust by interfering in the affairs of the Municipal Court of the City of Chambly," the Anti-Corruption Commissioner said in a statement.
Lavoie, who was previously an investigator with Quebec provincial police (SQ) and a lawyer, was released on a promise to appear at the Longueuil courthouse on May 10.
The facts he is charged with would have occurred between January 1, 2016, and May 7, 2019.
In 2018, the Radio-Canada program "Enquête" showed examples of interference by Mayor Lavoie in various files.
Around that time, the city had the Boileau bicentennial house demolished, which raised an outcry from many citizens.
The Quebec government placed the City of Chambly under trusteeship in 2019.
The Minister of Municipal Affairs, Andrée Laforest, had indicated that this decision followed audits by the Quebec Municipal Commission (CMQ) regarding the management of the city and allegations of ethical breaches.
At that time, UPAC conducted searches at City Hall and other municipal buildings.
Lavoie was first elected mayor of Chambly in 2005. Voters gave him a fourth consecutive term in the 2017 election. He announced his resignation in April 2019 for health reasons due to his throat cancer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 28, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Meta will test blocking news on Instagram, Facebook for some Canadians
Meta is planning to run a test that will block news for some Canadian users on Facebook and Instagram in response to the Liberal government's controversial online news bill.

Experts warn of 'rapid' growth of IBD as number of Canadians diagnosed set to reach 470K by 2035
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada
Hidden camera discovered in washroom at Gatineau, Que. elementary school
Gatineau police say officers responded to a call from staff at l’école l'Oiseau Bleu on Nelligan Street just after 10 a.m. Friday about a camera found in the washroom.
New non-invasive tool detects early stages of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
Researchers at Carleton University's Department of Electronics in Ottawa created a ground-breaking testing device to detect early signs of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s through biomolecular activities in a person’s saliva.
Jordan's royal wedding gets underway in ceremony packed with stars and deep symbolism
The wedding of Jordan's crown prince to the scion of a prominent Saudi family began on Thursday in a palace celebration that drew massive crowds and a mood of excitement around the kingdom, while presenting the young Hashemite royal as a new player on the global stage.
'Tone-deaf': Singh slams rapporteur Johnston for not stepping down
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh slammed foreign interference special rapporteur David Johnston's refusal to heed the House of Commons' call for him to step down as 'tone-deaf.'
Despite munchies, frequent cannabis users are leaner and less likely to get diabetes: study
Despite the 'munchies' being a common cannabis effect, frequent users are leaner and less likely to develop diabetes than people who don't use the drug. According to a new study, cannabis use in teenage years may alter how the body's fat cells work.
Man accused of threatening to shoot Toronto mayoral candidates arrested
A man who allegedly threatened to shoot mayoral candidates that led to the cancellation of Thursday’s debate has been arrested.
Collapsed platform in Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar last repaired a decade ago: city
The elevated walkway in Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar that collapsed during a school field trip, sending 16 children and one adult to hospital, was last repaired a decade ago.