The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday, Gatineau police say.

Shakti Ramsurrun, 28, was formally charged at a Gatineau courthouse Friday with first-degree murder in the deaths of Anne-Katherine Powers 21, her mother Louise LeBoeuf, 63, and LeBoeuf's partner Claude Lévesque, 58.

All three were stabbed to death Thursday, according to police.

Police and neighbours said the accused, the three victims and a young child lived in a suburban home at 64 Félix-Leclerc Street, where the bodies were found..

Neighbours said the older couple operated a bed and breakfast at the home.

The victim's friend, Virginia Lamaute, said Powers and Ramsurrun met on a Caribbean cruise just over two years ago.

Lamaute said the couple married and had a baby together in Mauritius, a small island off the east coast of Africa where the husband is from. She had moved back to Aylmer before him and he had followed by moving to Canada six months ago.

Relationship was ending, friend says

The relationship had recently turned sour and Powers wanted to separate, added Lamaute, but the couple still lived together in the home.

Police spokesman Const. Pierre Lanthier said Ramsurrun became a permanent resident of Canada in 2011. Lanthier referred to Ramsurrun as an ex-boyfriend, not a husband.

He said Ramsurrun was not known to police and that police had never been called to the home for any prior incident.

Ramsurrun was found soon after police arrived at the scene. He was arrested while holding his 15-month-old child at the nearby Rivermead Golf Club where he worked.

Police say he did not resist arrest and was questioned Friday. The child is now in the custody of children's protection services and was not harmed.

Home, golf course searched MORE