ORMSTOWN, QUE. - Police will step up patrols in Ormstown after a string of suspected arsons shook the small community about 70 kilometres southwest of Montreal. The increased presence is a bid to support residents after Sara Pizzeria was reduced to rubble on Sunday morning. It is the latest alleged attack on restaurants located within metres of each other on a small street called rue Lambton. Summer Eastwood, a lifelong Ormstown resident and owner of the nearby Taverne de la Ferme, a few blocks from the scene of the fires, said the situation is frightening. “It’s scary,” Eastwood said. “I think both as a citizen and as a business owner, this is not the kind of environment we want to be living in. It’s very disconcerting not to know who is behind these attacks in our otherwise very peaceful and supportive community.” A trend of suspicious attacks Police said this is the second suspicious fire at Sara Pizzeria this month. Last week, a 27-year-old man was arrested moments after the first incident. He was suspected of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the restaurant. He remains in custody. The recent fires follow one in September at an Italian restaurant doors away on rue Lambton and a July fire at another pizzeria across the street. No one has been injured in any of the suspected arsons. “This is the first time since I have been in the department that we’ve had a serious problem like this,” said Ormstown Fire Chief Michael Greig, who has been a firefighter in town for 17 years. Ormstown Mayor Philippe Besombes called on the provincial government to help his town. “It’s very difficult because we are a little community,” Besombes said. “People don’t understand what happened.” Quebec’s Minister of Domestic Security Guy Jr. Lapointe, a former police officer, travelled to Ormstown on Monday to meet with the mayor and to reassure the population. “We are seeing more and more violent situations in regions, whether it is fires, or arsons,” Lapointe said after the meeting. “We are here for support, to have citizens feel safer. I think it is very important. We said we would have more police officers. We will do that. We are working on that presently.” Arsons targeting restaurants in Montreal and other major cities are frequently linked to extortion attempts and organized crime. However, the Surete du Quebec, which is investigating the Ormstown fires, has not confirmed any links to criminal organizations or evidence of extortion. Eastwood, a 20-year veteran of the restaurant industry, said her specialty is welcoming guests, offering diners top-tier service, and that she is not a security expert. “I really hope our government is going to step up and look out for us,” she said. “I don’t think it is the job of restaurant owners to protect their businesses.” She added that Ormstown remains one of the most beautiful places in Quebec, filled with warm and welcoming people, and she hopes people know that the arsons do not reflect the spirit of her town.
