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A chic hair salon in downtown Montreal is the venue for the leak that eventually cost Maxime Bernier his foreign affairs portfolio.

Coiffure Louis Robert on Montreal's tony Montagne Street has been frequented for years by Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe and his wife, Yolande Brunelle.

Coincidentally, Julie Couillard, Mr. Bernier's former girlfriend, also uses the services of the salon, according to a well-placed source.

The source said yesterday that it was through "typical hair-salon chatter" that Mr. Duceppe's hairdresser unwittingly revealed the connections between Ms. Couillard and the Hells Angels biker gang. But while word was all over the salon, there has been no indication that the RCMP or CSIS raised red flags about Ms. Couillard's past relationships.

Although Mr. Duceppe said yesterday he will not "reveal my sources" - noting that he does not ask reporters to do so - he confirmed he has been going to the salon for a number of years.

It is clear, too, that Mr. Duceppe has been pushing for months for the story of Ms. Couillard's motorcycle-gang connections to come out, having long had a feeling that it could grow into something much bigger than a cabinet minister's dating life.

For months, no one knew much about the beautiful mystery woman who attracted so much attention when Mr. Bernier brought her to Rideau Hall last August for his swearing-in as foreign affairs minister.

In fact, just finding out her name was like pulling teeth, as no one in any official capacity would reveal it. Mr. Bernier has maintained that he knew nothing of her background, even though she said in a recent interview that he did.

One Conservative MP said yesterday that Mr. Bernier had told him that his girlfriend was a "former model."

It has since been revealed that three of Ms. Couillard's past lovers had ties to the Hells Angels. A report in La Presse yesterday said Ms. Couillard also had a relationship with a Montreal Mafia figure, a new allegation that the opposition raised in Question Period.

Meanwhile, sources close to the story say that as early as last February, Bloc officials were shopping around to reporters the story of her controversial connections.

As well, other opposition MPs were hearing the story and talking about it among themselves. Liberal MP Denis Coderre said he first heard about it from a reporter in Montreal. He and Mr. Duceppe also spoke about it when they met one day in Question Period.

But the politicians didn't seem to want to run with the story.

"There were so many conversations back and forth," a veteran Liberal MP recalled. "It was kind of like who was prepared to put their toe in the water first. I think there was a part of it that was private.

"Who he is [sleeping with] is irrelevant. People were so stunned that he [Mr. Bernier] was so indiscreet by taking her into places, seeing the President of the United States. She was there as the official spouse of the Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada," the MP said.

It was fitting that Mr. Duceppe was the first politician to speak publicly on the issue on May 7, after receiving a question from a CTV News reporter. Mr. Duceppe initially expressed surprise that the story was already out, but he quickly went on the offensive.

At first, the Harper government refused to address the matter, saying the relationship was "nobody's business."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper even dismissed Mr. Duceppe and Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion as gossipy busybodies for asking questions about the matter.

Everything changed, however, when Mr. Bernier resigned from cabinet last week after acknowledging he left confidential documents for more than a month at the home of Ms. Couillard.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has launched a review of its handling of confidential documents. In addition, the public safety committee of the House decided two days ago to launch a parallel inquiry.

Ms. Couillard has said in an interview with a French-language magazine that she is willing to testify at a public inquiry into the affair. Government sources, however, have indicated that neither Mr. Bernier nor Mr. Harper will appear before the parliamentary committee.

With a report from Tu Thanh Ha