A Dark Day in Port Perry - Part 2

(For privacy reasons, names of victims have not been included in this article)

In the last issue of Focus Magazine, I wrote the first part of the story about the great bank robbery of October 20, 1994. This month, I’ll bring the account to a close. (CLICK HERE TO READ PART 1). You may remember Mitchell (Mickey) McArthur and his brother stormed into the Bank of Montreal in Port Perry, shooting five people, and fleeing to the rear of the mall near the Canadian Tire store.

In small towns, word travels quickly, and camaraderie runs deep. Many residents came forward with information. Every police unit in the region was involved: RCMP, OPP, Metro Toronto, and of course, Durham. Roads were shut, and Port Perry was under lockdown.

October 20th, 1994 - 7 PM.

Reports from civilians mentioned bicycles. Several witnesses saw the robbers pedalling along sidewalks behind the plaza. They crossed Simcoe Street, heading toward Union Street, near Major Avenue.

Then came a chilling call. An elderly woman reported that her husband had been kidnapped. McArthur and his brother had forced their way into the couple’s home, threatened them, and ordered the man to drive them in his van. Their plan was to reach the hospital, where their getaway car had been stashed.

It must have been a shock for the thieves to find police and first responders, swarming the hospital grounds. Realizing their mistake, they abandoned the van, released the shaken hostage, and fled on foot. The elderly man, stunned, bypassed the police altogether and simply walked home, leaving his van behind.

Another call soon followed. A woman living near the hospital noticed two men lurking suspiciously around her property. An officer went to interview her. At nearly the same time, a detective driving to the scene, reported a car behaving oddly near a roadblock. He took down the licence plate, but at that moment, the focus was still on the abandoned van.

The woman later told police she had seen the men leave in a parked car, and she provided its make and colour. In her backyard, officers also found clothing hastily discarded. The details matched the detective’s earlier sighting near the roadblock.

When the licence was run, the car came back flagged to a career criminal from Kingston. Durham police immediately requested their Kingston colleagues to monitor the address, and a task force prepared to follow up.

By seven the next morning, the car returned to the suspect’s home. No one is certain how it slipped through Port Perry’s net of roadblocks, but the wait was short. Kingston police held off until Durham officers arrived. Together, they entered the house and arrested both suspects without incident. The men were brought back to Durham to face charges.

The trial ended with Mickey McArthur found guilty and sentenced to life. His brother, with no proof of active involvement beyond tagging along, was not convicted.

In 2018, after twenty-four years behind bars, McArthur was paroled. He took the name Michiel Gordon Hollinger and, at last report, lives quietly in a small community I will not name. His brother, plagued by poor health, has since passed away.

Remarkably, everyone wounded in what remains Port Perry’s worst crime, survived. Out of respect for privacy, I have not shared their names. What can be said with certainty is the people of Port Perry owe lasting gratitude to the first responders who placed themselves in harm’s way that day, and to those who continue to protect the community we call home.