“The building was safe,” said the division head of the Montreal Fire Safety Service (SIM) Martin Guilbault at a press conference Friday afternoon, while firefighters were still working to secure the premises to allow investigators of the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) to have access to the scene, more than 12 hours after the start of the fire of suspicious origin which occurred in the middle of the night at 400, rue Notre-Dame Est. Two people died, according to our sources.
“In the spring of 2023, formal notices for non-compliance were sent to the owner of this building,” said Mr. Guilbault. We are talking here about the lack of a fire alarm system and the absence of smoke alarms. By spring 2024, all the non-compliances affected by the formal notices had been rectified, and for the SIM, the building was safe. »
However, just a few weeks ago, customers indicated, on the online reservation site of the youth hostel located in the building, that their room did not have a window facing the outside. “This building is not up to standard: no windows, no fire alarms in the rooms, there were holes in the wall, the “window” gave a view of the neighboring room,” wrote an Internet user in September 2024.
Asked about the absence of windows in two rooms, information revealed by an investigation by the Duty in March 2023, chef Martin Guilbault indicates that he has no information to this effect. “We looked at the plans, we made checks during inspections. Then, as we speak, there is not any indication that leads us to believe that there would be rooms without windows in this building,” replied Mr. Guilbault.
Rooms without windows
The building at 400, rue Notre-Dame, near rue Bonsecours, in Old Montreal, housed a restaurant on the ground floor as well as Le 402, a 19-room youth hostel located on the second and third floors .
The building belongs to Émile Benamor, who also owned the heritage building on Place D’Youville which was ravaged by a fire in March 2023. This blaze caused seven victims.
Also in March 2023, Duty had revealed that Le 402 housed two rooms without windows, but that it had received its permit issued by the City of Montreal in 2021 for interior work with the aim of developing a hotel on the second and third floors of the building. The plans consulted by Duty were however non-compliant.
The Order of Architects of Quebec then indicated to the Duty that he was looking into this file in order to understand how an architectural firm could have approved these plans.
More than a hundred firefighters mobilized
The fire apparently started on the ground floor of the building, where there is a restaurant, but quickly the flames spread to the two upper floors.
The SIM triggered a general alarm to combat the blaze, which led to the deployment of around 125 firefighters and the establishment of a large security perimeter. “It was a scene that was very chaotic this morning,” admitted Martin Guilbault, who took the opportunity to praise the work of the troops on the ground.
In the early morning, part of the building collapsed from the inside. The fire is considered suspicious and the investigation has been transferred to the SPVM, which is trying to reconstruct the events.
In the afternoon, firefighters were still working to make the scene safe to allow investigators to have access to the crime scene.
Death
“Several people managed to escape the building unharmed,” indicated Inspector David Shane of the SPVM from the outset. When firefighters arrived on scene, they carried out two rescues using portable and aerial ladders. Two people were injured, one of whom was taken to hospital.
The fire caused two victims, according to information obtained by Duty. But during the press briefing held in the afternoon, the SPVM did not want to confirm this information.
“Unfortunately, we are expecting deaths, but we are unable to confirm the number or their identity at this time,” said Inspector David Shane.
The police still did not know, Friday afternoon, the exact number of people who were in the building overnight. As soon as the scene is secure, major crime and arson investigators will “take charge of the scene”, Inspector Shane said. “They will be able to begin searching the rubble in order to find any victims and any evidence. »
An emergency line has also been set up for families who believe that one of their loved ones was in this building.
“It’s a difficult morning for Montreal,” said Mayor Valérie Plante, on the sidelines of a press briefing concerning the partial closure of the metro blue line earlier Friday morning.
The building located at 400 Notre-Dame Street East was built in 1923.
With Benoit Valois-Nadeau and The Canadian Press
