Thursday, April 6, 2017

New HA Chapter in B.C. - Hardside


Chad Wilson, Suminder Grewal and Jamie Yochlowitz.
The Hells Angels have established a new chapter in the Lower Mainland. A message posted to the Hells Angels’ international website welcomed the new members of the Hardside chapter. Hardside is the 10th chapter in the province and the second new chapter in the last five years. It consists of former members of other B.C. chapters including Vancouver and Haney.

Hardside was formed after the Haney chapter split into two groups in February. But other Hells Angels from some of the gang’s other B.C. chapters have also “patched-over” to Hardside.
Police don’t know where in the Lower Mainland Hardside will be based. The last new Hells Angels’ chapter, West Point, opened in 2012 and was supposed to be based in Surrey. The gang started meeting weekly at a Langley pub instead.

Retired Vancouver police biker cop Brad Stephen said that the latest split may have resulted from a differing approach to being a Hells Angel between old-timers and generally younger members. It is believed the club is reconfiguring and rebranding. A long-running legal battle between the B.C. Director of Civil Forfeiture and three Hells Angels chapters over the ownership of their clubhouses is expected to go to trial in May.
Vancouver, opened in 1983.
White Rock, opened in 1983.
Nanaimo, opened in 1983.
East End Vancouver, opened in 1983.
Haney, opened in 1987.
Nomads, opened in 1998.
Mission City, opened in 1999.
Kelowna, opened in 2007.
West Point, opened in 2012.
Hardside, opened in 2017.