Two worrisome incidents over the past few days have led to the obvious conclusion that the Edmonton chapter of the Hells Angels is beginning to operate more openly again and flexing their muscles.
For a while the Edmonton Angels were pretty active, though in recent years they've calmed down. In the wake of a high-profile gun incident at Showgirls, the man known as "Bear" who (on paper) owned the establishment drew back and eventually retired (to BC, if the rumours are true, which when it comes to the Hells Angels are usually pretty good to listen to). New owner Scott Jamison has been relatively quiet.
However, on Sunday afternoon a motorcycle with a man wearing a Hells Angels jacket with only one wing was regularly cruising up and down Whyte Avenue with a bike engine so loud you had to plug your ears half a block away -- one notices that none of the Edmonton Police officers regularly walking the beat ever tried to give him a noise ticket. Three times he cruised the street from end to end (I was unable to get away from my patio drinking to get a picture). Then on Tuesday night this man in a "Support 81" (ie. a member of an affiliated club) was seen riding the streets:
Keep your eye on the newspapers folks...you're about to read a few stories about some bad men doing some bad things. (This may be connected with the fast-rising Red Scorpions getting knocked down a peg or two last month)