Guy Robitaille

In the autumn of 1972, Guy Robitaille was a familiar face in the vibrant nightlife of Montreal, Quebec. The 46-year-old man worked as a manager and doorman at the Lion D'Or nightclub on Ontario Street East. In that era, the Lion D'Or was a popular neighborhood cabaret, a holdover from the city's golden age of nightlife, known for its Art Deco style and a lively mix of music, dancing, and vaudeville that drew crowds. For over four decades, it was a place where emerging performers and house orchestras animated the city's east end. Guy's role placed him at the center of this bustling world, a gatekeeper to an evening's entertainment.

After his shift ended on the night of October 9, 1972, Guy left the energy of Montreal behind for the quiet of his home in Prévost, a town nestled in the Laurentian Mountains. Prévost, known then as Shawbridge, was a popular destination for tourists seeking summer and winter sports, a peaceful retreat from the city. As he arrived at his residence, the tranquility was shattered by the blast of a firearm. Guy was shot and left for dead just outside his own home. The stillness of the Laurentian evening was broken by an act of brutal, final violence.

The following morning, at approximately 9:00 a.m. on October 10, a neighbor made a grim discovery. Guy Robitaille's body lay in front of his house, where he had fallen hours before. The person or people responsible for his death were gone, and so was his car. They had fled the scene in the victim's distinctive 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado. This was not just any car; the Toronado was a large, powerful personal luxury coupe, known for its innovative front-wheel drive, a 455-cubic-inch V8 engine, and bold styling that included hidden headlights behind a honeycomb grille. It was a vehicle that would have stood out on the roads of rural Quebec.

The investigation was taken up by the Sûreté du Québec, the provincial police force. A day after the murder, investigators located Guy's stolen Oldsmobile Toronado in the nearby municipality of Saint-Hippolyte. Like Prévost, Saint-Hippolyte was a community defined by its natural landscape, with dozens of lakes that had made it a popular tourist area since the late 19th century. The discovery of the abandoned car, however, did not lead to a swift arrest. The trail went cold, leaving investigators with a host of unanswered questions about who targeted the nightclub manager and why.

For more than five decades, the murder of Guy Robitaille has remained unsolved. The case is one of hundreds of cold cases on the files of the Sûreté du Québec. Over the years, investigative techniques have evolved dramatically, with advancements in forensic science like DNA analysis offering new hope for resolving decades-old crimes. The provincial force maintains a dedicated cold case unit, which periodically reviews unsolved homicides, looking for new leads or opportunities to apply modern technology to old evidence.

As of May 2026, the investigation into Guy Robitaille's homicide is still open. The vibrant world of the Lion D'Or that he once knew has changed, and the 1970s have faded into history, but the search for his killer continues. The Sûreté du Québec still asks for the public's help, believing that someone, somewhere, may hold the piece of information that could finally bring justice for Guy Robitaille. Any information that could help solve this crime can be communicated to the Centrale de l’information criminelle of the Sûreté du Québec at 1-800-659-4264.