Vagos biker gang sets up in Peterborough

October 30, 2012..... The Vagos, an American biker club, have arrived in Canada and have apparently set up their first national club in Peterborough. A member of the club, who asked that his name not be used, told The Examiner that the club is at least 23 members strong, with four prospective members waiting on the sidelines.

The Vagos have gained an infamous reputation in the southwestern United States, where they’ve engaged in two shootouts with their rivals, the Hells Angels. The club has also been at odds with the Outlaws, another biker club. The local Vagos member said the club is planning to sit down with the Angels next week to broker a peace deal between the two groups. “We’re not looking for a war in Canada,” he said, adding that the Vagos respect members of the Hells Angels and the Outlaws. Members weren’t going to go out and start intimidating people, he said, but he cautioned that the club was strong, wasn’t prepared to back down and wouldn’t be run out of town. He was referring to the animosity between members of the newly formed club and the Loners. Some members of the Vagos split with the Loners this summer, creating an unresolved rift that has led to violence in the past. One member of the Loners was taken to the hospital in July after a fight broke out near the rail tracks on Park St. Weeks later another man told police that his “Support Your Local Loners” shirt was ripped off his back after he was confronted by three men in the parking lot of Home Depot. The Vagos member said the latter allegation was a concocted story. He also said the club wasn’t involved in any crime. But Peterborough is a city known for its drug trade, he said, and other clubs may find that alluring. “We’re a 1% club, a bunch of guys who love to ride and love the camaraderie,” he said. The Vagos tried setting up in Ontario about five years ago in Toronto. That club quickly fizzled out after it attracted more police attention than it did members. The man said members of the new chapter live around the Peterborough area. “It makes sense to have a stronghold on a city when most of the people are from here,” he said. He said it’s taken about six months to pull the club together. Their clubhouse is located at the corner of Park and Perry streets. The club had to be approved by the American Vagos, he said, and the patches were made and sent from the United States. Residents can expect to see Vagos colours in the city within the next week or so, he said. City police Insp. Ted Boynton said there have been rumours about the Vagos emergence in Peterborough for several months. He didn’t know the club had arrived in Peterborough, but confirmed the colours worn by the member were legitimate Vagos patches. The situation was concerning, he said. http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2012/10/30/vagos-biker-gang-sets-up-in-peterborough