Maximum-security prison that held killers Magnotta, Pickton evacuated due to wildfires

A maximum-security prison in Quebec that has held notorious murderers including Luka Rocco Magnotta and Robert Pickton has been evacuated due to the intensification of nearby forest fires, Correctional Service Canada has confirmed.

A release issued Sunday says inmates at the Port-Cartier Institution were “successfully moved” to other secure federal correctional facilities after an evacuation order was issued for the City of Port-Cartier, Que., on Friday.

“To carry out the evacuation, we put measures in place, together with our partners, to maintain the safety and security of our staff, the public, and the offenders in our care and custody,” the statement says.

The federal agency says it has notified all victims connected to the inmates held there, as per the victims’ notification preferences.

The institution is currently closed to all visitors, personnel, contractors and volunteers.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to all of our staff and partners who worked tirelessly to plan and successfully execute this complex operation in an evolving wildfire situation,” said Anne Kelly, commissioner of Correctional Service of Canada.

“The safety of our staff, inmates and the public will continue to remain our top priority,” the release says.

Port-Cartier Institution is a stand-alone maximum-security federal prison with a current inmate count of 225, where notorious Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton was held up until his fatal assault involving another inmate last month.

Luka Magnotta, who made international headlines for the brutal killing of an international student, was also held there until the Correctional Service of Canada made a controversial decision in 2022 to move him to a medium-security detention centre and instructing