Lives & Legacy

Nearly two years after a female trucker was beaten unconscious during a shocking road rage incident on the Île aux Tourtes Bridge during long traffic delays due to work that limited the number of lanes open on the span, the victim will finally have her day in court when the case goes before a judge this summer as the suspect faces one count of assault causing bodily harm.

Nearly three weeks after his arrest, the Sûreté du Québec is urging potential victims of a Vaudreuil-Dorion massage therapist to come forward as police continue to build their case against him.

What began with a raid on an Île Perrot construction company in early 2025 by the province’s anti-corruption unit ended last week with the company’s owner pleading guilty to ripping off the Town of Rigaud by signing a false affidavit in connection with a contract to conduct roadwork.

The Sûreté du Québec is urging local residents not to fall victim to scammers posing as bank employees who call to claim that they are investigating fraudulent activities related to their bank accounts.

Mourners packed a Senneville funeral home last weekend to bid farewell to 15-year-old Eva De Wit-Blades, who died tragically March 20 when she was struck by two cars while trying to cross a busy street in Vaudreuil-Dorion.

FREDERIC SERRE The 1019 Report A LaSalle man has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars for sexually abusing six children, ages 5 to 11 in various regions of the province, including St. Polycarpe, St. Clet and Île Perrot. Forty-two-year-old Michael Michaud was also sentenced for being in possession of more than 45,000 photos and 11,000 videos of boys between the ages of 2 months and 8 years old being sexually assaulted — many of them by Michaud. With time already served in pre-trial detention, Michaud will be a free man in nine and a half years. A Quebec Court judge rendered his decision last Friday at the Montreal courthouse as the parents of two of the victims looked on, and after the Crown outlined the grisly details of Michaud’s crimes. Michaud appeared by videoconferencing from prison, where he has been held since his arrest in July 2024. Almost exactly a year ago, Michaud pleaded guilty to sexual assault, invitation to sexual touching, voyeurism and producing and distributing child pornography. Michaud’s crimes occurred between 2011 and 2024 in various municipalities in the Greater Montreal area, after he befriended families with young children, offering them babysitting or mentoring services. It was when he was alone with the children that he sexually assaulted them and filmed his attacks. Michaud confessed to police last year to having sexually assaulted a 7-year-old boy. Police found videos of the sexual acts on Michaud’s phone. “My son is also serving a sentence: one of fear and memories he never deserved,” the victim’s mother told the court last Friday. The child was “more withdrawn and less cheerful” after the day of the crime, his father told authorities. Even today, he “is suffering terribly,” according to his mother, who added that she finds it “unbearable to know that this is not an isolated case.”Michaud admitted to engaging in sexual contact with four other children between 2011 and 2023 and to voyeurism involving a fifth. Details of how exactly Michaud came into contact with his victims, including those who lived in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges area, were not released to protect the identity of the minors involved. The accused, who is HIV-positive, gained the parents’ trust to spend time alone with the boys. He slept with them or even took baths with them. “My son was stolen from me,” the mother of another victim told the court. “He’s distrustful, sometimes lost in his thoughts. He’s not the same child any more.” In addition, police found more than 46,000 photos and 11,600 videos of child pornography on the accused’s devices.According to a report presented to the court by the Crown, Michaud poses an above-average risk to society. The accused has “intellectual limitations” and “neurodevelopmental issues,” the report states.“He still has a lot of work to do to understand the harm he has caused,” said Crown prosecutor Karine Lagacé-Paquette. Michaud addressed the court by videoconferencing, saying he feels a great deal of “sadness and regret” over his crimes. “I never want to destroy anyone else’s life again.” That is why both parties recommended Michaud serve 12 years in prison. This is a “significant sentence that reflects the extreme objective gravity” of the crimes, said his attorney, Diane Chartier. For two decades, he will be prohibited from communicating with children, visiting parks or schools, or holding a job involving minors under the age of 16. He will also be required to refrain from using social media. Local Journalism Initiative You are unauthorized to view this page.

FREDERIC SERRE The 1019 Report The driver of a car that rolled over several times after veering off westbound Highway 40 on March 10 in Vaudreuil-Dorion managed to crawl out of the wreckage with only a few scratches, according to the Sûreté du Québec – something that surprised responding officers and firefighters when they reached the scene. The accident happened around noon when, for an unknown reason, the driver lost control of his Toyota Yaris, which then drove into the centre median and rolled several times before landing on its roof. The investigation into the cause of the accident is under way, but according to the SQ, the pavement was dry and it was a sunny day, which rules out risky driving conditions. The crash occurred at the same spot – kilometre 29 – where, on Aug. 30, 2024, a westbound truck carrying thousands of chickens lost control, crashed into the centre median and overturned, resulting in scores of chickens scattered all over the highway. The accident caused the closure of the highway as work crews cleaned up the mess. Rig hits ditch in Pointe Fortune In another crash reported last week, the driver of a transport truck travelling along on eastbound Highway 40 lost control, jackknifed the rig, sending the vehicle into the ditch in Pointe Fortune. The accident happened on March 11and ended up in the ditch. The driver was not injured. Police blocked off one lane to traffic to allow the truck to be towed away. You are unauthorized to view this page.