Fire in Old Montreal: the chief coroner orders a public inquiry

The chief coroner of Quebec, Me Reno Bernier, orders the holding of a public inquiry into the fire that occurred in Old Montreal on October 4, which left two dead and two injured.

Coroner Géhane Kamel was appointed to chair this investigation. She will be assisted by prosecutor Pierre-Olivier Bilodeau.

Last Friday, a French tourist and her seven-year-old daughter were killed in an arson attack that devastated a historic building in Old Montreal. This housed a restaurant and 19 short-term rental rooms. Two people were also injured in the fire that broke out in the middle of the night.

Firefighters had to work for long hours to put out the blaze which completely destroyed the building, owned by lawyer Emile Benamor, also owner of the William-Watson-Ogilvie building, on Place D’Youville, where seven people were killed and nine others were injured in a similar arson attack on March 16, 2023.

In both cases, fire safety issues had been reported in the past during fire department inspections as well as by people who had stayed in these buildings. Some survivors of the fire also testified Friday that they had lived in rooms without windows.

The Montreal Fire Safety Service assured Friday that the building was compliant.

It is explained in a press release that this new public inquiry will relate to facts similar to those of the investigation opened into the fire at Place D’Youville. The two investigations were entrusted to Me Kamel who, depending on the progress of the files, could possibly group them togetherwe specify.

The chief coroner adds that this new investigation into the fire at 400, rue Notre-Dame Est will ensure that no undermine the ongoing legal process in these two cases.

No suspect has yet been brought to justice for the arson at Place D’Youville or for that of last Friday.

The coroner’s inquest must make recommendations to prevent other deaths in similar circumstances.

Although we welcome the launching of a public inquiry by the chief coroner of Quebec into the fatal fire that occurred in Old Montreal on October 4, we are still awaiting the start of the investigation into the fire at Place D ‘Youville announced more than a year and a half ago. These investigations will unfortunately not be able to begin until the criminal investigations are completed.said Abdelhaq Sari, spokesperson for the official opposition on public security.

Despite a first refusal in April 2023, we once again urge the Plante administration to mandate the Office of the City Auditor General to investigate the processes for issuing transformation permits granted and the compliance inspections of work carried out in buildings built before 1940, among others in the Ville-Marie districtadded Mr. Sari.