Hells Angels marking return to Nova Scotia this weekend: sources
'They are driven by violence, that's how they achieve the power of their patch,' says veteran police officer
CBC News has learned that a party planned for this weekend in Musquodoboit Harbour marks the return of the Hells Angels to Nova Scotia.
The party has been discreetly advertised with a poster that has appeared on closed Facebook pages and other sites.
The words Hells Angels don't appear on the poster, which is emblazoned with the words "Welcome Back Party for Red & White." It features a picture of a skeleton with red eyes riding a motorcycle next to the words "Support Your Local 81."
"Red & White" is a common reference for the Hells Angels because those are their official colours. "Local 81" appears to reference the eighth and first letters of the alphabet — H and A.
Driven out in the early 2000s
The Hells Angels were driven out of Nova Scotia in the early 2000s when a police operation led to most of the members being arrested. The club is believed to have folded once active membership dropped below six people.
Police even pried the gang's iconic logo off their clubhouse in Fairview.
In 2013, it appeared the Hells Angels were on their way back to Nova Scotia when police say they established a chapter of the Gate Keepers, a support club.
A veteran police officer in Ontario says those Gate Keepers are expected to "patch over" this weekend and start on the path to becoming full-fledged Hells Angels.
"A patch over is when you give up the colours that you had and the club name that you've had," said Det. Staff Sgt. Len Isnor of the Ontario Provincial Police.
"For example, in Ontario, the Satan's Choice gave up the Satan's Choice colours and the name and overnight they took off the Satan's Choice colours and put on Hells Angels colours the next day."
Developments followed closely
Isnor is the operations coordinator for the biker enforcement unit in Ontario. He has followed the developments in Nova Scotia because this weekend's patch over is believed to be the brainchild of David "Hammer" MacDonald.
"David MacDonald used to be a member of the Outlaws. He then patched over to become a Bandido member for a short period of time and then he became a Hells Angels member in North Toronto," Isnor said.
"Then they moved six members from North Toronto to London and opened the London chapter in the mid 2000s."
Just last year, the Gate Keepers added a clubhouse in north-end Halifax.
'Driven by violence'
Isnor says the Hells Angels are the most dominant club in biker culture. He describes any confrontation between the Angels and another club as being like a war between a battleship and a rowboat.
He says the Angels are dangerous.
"They are driven by violence, that's how they achieve the power of their patch," Isnor said.
"The Hells Angels patch is a household name in Canada and they achieved that power from years and years of reputation of being a violent club or criminal network."
Isnor said he's not clear on whether this weekend's celebration will mark the emergence of a full-fledged Hells Angels chapter or if the new patch members will have to serve a year's probation.
'Larger flow of drugs'
Isnor says while some people aren't worried about the Hells Angels, they should be.
"When you get a Hells Angels chapter, you're going to get a larger flow of drugs into your community," he said.
"They have all that experience that is now going to have influence on that one chapter in Nova Scotia. Even though they were people that were Dark Siders or Gate Keepers in the past, now they're going to be Hells Angels and exposed to all this experience."