ARROW ATTACK A MYSTERY

Farmer In Hospital. May Have Found Pot Growing On His Land

It's a real whodunnit.

People in Saint-Bonaventure, a small village north of Drummondville,
believe a local farmer was shot with a crossbow because he saw
something that he wasn't meant to see.

Jean-Guy Joyal, 54, a dairy farmer, was in stable condition at Ste.
Croix Hospital in Drummondville yesterday after taking an arrow
through his back about midnight Saturday.

And some in this agricultural area believe that Joyal may have
inadvertently drawn the ire of drug producers who were trying to grow
marijuana on his land.

"What people are saying is that it is possible Joyal found drugs on
his property, stumbled on to something maybe he wasn't meant to see,"
said one of Joyal's neighbours who didn't want her name used.

"But it's not just in Saint- Bonaventure any more, now we hear about
people growing drugs all over the regions and it could have happened
anywhere," said the same neighbour, a farmer in the area for the past
12 years.

The S=FBret=E9 du Qu=E9bec's major-crimes division is investigating and
isn't sure where the evidence will lead. But it is a very strange
case, said Cpl. Fran=E7ois Dor=E9, an SQ spokesman.

"We still don't know who might have done that and why," Dor=E9
said.

"It's quite bizarre. We cannot pinpoint anything on this case, we're
not sure if he surprised someone or whether someone surprised someone
else," said Dor=E9.

What police do know is that Joyal was inside his cattle shed about
midnight on Saturday, feeding his cows.

Dor=E9 said police are still trying to figure out whether the shooter
was inside the barn or outside.

There weren't any witnesses, but provincial police investigators hope
a meeting with the victim today might shed some more light on what
happened, Dor=E9 said.

Joyal's family wouldn't speak to media yesterday.

Residents of this community of about 1,000 people 130 kilometres
northeast of Montreal believe drug production has become a problem in
the last three or four years in the area.

Another farmer who didn't want his name published said Joyal was very
quiet and didn't cause trouble. It's one reason he also believes there
may be a drug link.

"You can call anyone in this village and they'll tell you the same
thing," the farmer said.

"Joyal's been here forever as far as I know. He lives alone. He's a
quiet man who takes care of his animals."

As for the rampant rumours in the village about a drug link, Dor=E9 said
police aren't ruling anything out for now.

"The investigators will look at every possibility and (drugs) are a
possibility," said Dor=E9. "For now we don't really know."