Disturbing Events Shake Quadeville Community

Wanda Resmer says she was shocked by the news.

For more than two weeks, residents in Quadeville, Ont., a small town nestled in Renfrew County, were advised by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to keep their children close – even indoors – after an eight-year-old girl was discovered with serious injuries near the town’s main street on June 24.

OPP initially thought it might have been an animal attack.

Then, just earlier this week, they arrested a 17-year-old boy on charges of attempted murder and sexual assault. Police stated that test results received on Wednesday found no animal DNA on the girl.

This shocking news left Resmer feeling heartbroken.

Wanda and Gerald ‘Junior’ Resmer, from Quadeville, Ont., get ready for the local community’s weekly Friday bingo game. They knew the girl who was attacked on June 24 and expressed their sorrow upon learning about the charges against a 17-year-old boy for attempted murder and sexual assault. (Lisa Mayor/CBC)

“Maybe I shouldn’t say this,” said Wanda, a longtime resident of Quadeville, inside the community centre on Thursday, “[but] maybe I do wish it was an animal.”

‘My heart dropped’

The name of the accused cannot be released due to his age. It’s still unknown if he is part of the community.

The girl has been taken to CHEO, Ottawa’s children’s hospital. The is not naming her to respect her privacy.

Wanda and her husband Junior know both the girl and her family well. With only around 300 residents living there, Quadeville is part of Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan township.

OPP reported that the girl was found near Quadeville’s main street. The police had cordoned off the woods west of that road. (Nicolas Legault/Radio-Canada)

“My heart dropped,” Junior recalled when he heard about the teen’s charges.

He mentioned that his main focus now is supporting the girl’s family as she recovers in hospital. A bake sale held on Thursday along with a dinner planned for Saturday helped raise over $6,000 for her family.

“I’m proud of that,” Junior stated. “That’s impressive for such a small community.”

‘I knew it wasn’t an animal’

Wanda described Quadeville as a quiet little place where everyone knows each other well. She was busy preparing bingo cards for Friday’s game when CBC reached out to her on Thursday.

The residents felt scared and worried during those two weeks leading up to these charges, she noted.

“We didn’t know what was going on. There were so many questions.”

An additional resident from Quadeville, Beccie Snider, shared that she felt relieved once police made an arrest but also found the news heartbreaking.



“I knew it wasn’t an animal,” she commented.


</brAnother resident Beccie Snider feels relieved someone has been charged. (Frédéric Pepin/Radio-Canada)
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OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson informed Ottawa Morning on Thursday that families likely don’t need to keep their kids indoors anymore.

When asked about earlier statements regarding suspicions of an animal attack being used as investigative tactics, Dickson clarified that wasn’t their intention.

He described issuing safety warnings since June 24 as one of his most challenging experiences.

“We didn’t want to cause excess panic but we also didn’t want to downplay any potential risks for others out there,” he explained.

The OPP will hold a town hall meeting Saturday afternoon.

Ottawa Morning10:27Teen charged with attempted murder in attack on girl in Quadeville, Ont. Police initially suspected animals were involved in June 24 incident. Bill Dickson, a spokesperson from OPP’s East Region, gives us updates.<

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