Ex-Alberta preacher Wiebo Ludwig is considered an advocate by some, and a terrorist by others.
Either way, Ludwig, who was arrested Friday in connection with a series of pipeline bombings in northeast B.C., is well-known to police.
Ludwig is the founding patriarch of a Christian fundamentalist commune near Hythe, Alta.
In 2001, he was released from prison after being convicted of five charges related to a 1998 oil patch bombing and vandalism in Alberta.
He served two-thirds of a 28-month sentence.
At the time, he said the sour-gas wells were harmful to his family, causing multiple miscarriages and a still-born child.
In 1999, 16-year-old Karman Willis was shot and killed as she and her friends trespassed onto Ludwig's property in two trucks.
Ludwig said he had no idea who shot the girl.
Willis' death remains unsolved.
Residents relieved
Meanwhile, residents in Dawson Creek and Tom's Lake hope Friday's arrest will bring a sense of normalcy back to their communities.
The bombings, which began in October 2008, left many people on edge.
In the pressure to find the person responsible for the bombings, many residents were questioned by RCMP.
It created a tense atmosphere, forcing people to become suspicious of one another.
"Hopefully we have the right person, and we can put this behind us for Dawson Creek and the people of the Tom's Lake area," said Dawson Creek Mayor Mike Bernier.
EnCana released a statement Friday saying it was pleased to see that the RCMP had advanced its investigation into the bombings.
"EnCana hopes this development will begin to bring a measure of relief to the area residents."
With reports from CTV British Columbia's Norma Reid and Leah Hendry
