At least two dead in Old Montreal building fire, arson suspected

MONTREAL — An undetermined number of people died in a major fire in Old Montreal on Friday, police said, in a building owned by a man whose other property in the same neighbourhood went up in flames last year, killing seven.

A police source who spoke to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t permitted to speak publicly said at least two people died in the early morning fire, but officials would not confirm that number.

Insp. David Shane told a news conference, “we expect deaths,” based on testimony from first responders and witnesses police spoke with. He added that investigators had not yet been able to enter the three-storey building that housed a restaurant on the ground floor and a 19-room hostel above.

Major crimes detectives and the arson squad were set to begin what would be a lengthy investigation into the fire that Shane described as “suspicious.”

“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and rest assured that every effort is being made to solve this case,” he said.

The blaze started on the ground floor of the building just before 2:40 a.m. and quickly spread to the second and third floors. Two people were hurt, one of whom was taken to hospital with serious injuries, Shane added. Several people managed to escape unharmed.

“We are unable at this time to confirm the number of fatalities or their identities, and investigators are also continuing to determine exactly how many people were in the building when the fire broke out,” he said.

About 125 firefighters were deployed to the scene, and smoke could be seen billowing from the building for several blocks in Old Montreal. About two and a half hours after firefighters started beating back the flames, the building partially collapsed.

City of Montreal property records say the Notre-Dame Street East building was constructed in 1923 and is owned by Emile Benamor. He is also listed as the owner of a heritage building nearby on Place D’Youville that was ravaged by fire in March 2023, leading to the deaths of seven people. All but one victim were staying in short-term rentals.

A number of lawsuits were filed stemming from that fatal blaze, and a coroner’s inquest ordered into the fire is on hold until the conclusion of the police investigation and any potential criminal trials. Shane said police have submitted the results of their investigation to the Crown.

Alexandre Bergevin, a lawyer who represents Benamor, told The Canadian Press his client did not have any comment on the Notre-Dame Street fire. The ground floor of the building housed a wine bar called Loam. The upper floors were rented out to a third-party that operated a hostel called Le 402, Bergevin said. On the website booking.com, reservations for the hostel were suspended Friday.

Fire department chief Martin Guilbault said the hostel was a 19-room establishment that occupied the upper two floors. The building was subject to numerous media reports and investigations. The Journal de Montreal visited the site in 2023 and reported on a number of failings. People who stayed at the hostel also left complaints on various websites about the poor state of the units.

Guilbault said Friday that in 2023 a number of fire code infractions were cited by inspectors, but he said they had all been corrected.

“In spring of 2023, formal notices for major non-compliance were sent to the owner of that building. We’re talking about the absence of a fire alarm system and the absence of smoke alarm(s),” Guilbault said. “By spring 2024, all the non-conformities concerned by the formal notice had been rectified and as far as the (department) was concerned, the building was considered safe.”

Fire department officials said fires in the city’s historic district are complicated, in part because streets are narrow and buildings are adjoined in a row.

Nancy Drummond, 35, said she lives a few units away from where the fire broke out. She said she was told by a neighbour in the middle of the night to leave immediately, and could see flames coming from the restaurant. She managed to grab her shoes and little else.

“There was a boom, something that rattled our building,” Drummond said. “I looked outside and I see the fire department, fire trucks, and then my neighbour knocked immediately (to leave).”

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante visited the site late Friday afternoon and pointed out the similarities — and differences — with the 2023 fire in Benamor’s other building.

“What is similar is that we have the same owner — it’s quite impressive,” Plante said. “The second element that is similar is that in both cases now, there is a criminal investigation that is open.”

The difference, she said, is that with the building that caught fire on Friday the fire department worked to make sure it was in compliance with fire codes. “I really want to reassure everyone that all the light will be shed” on the fire, Plante said.

Montreal police have a telephone number dedicated to families and relatives of victims of the Notre Dame Street fire seeking information: 514-280-1294.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2024.

Sidhartha Banerjee and Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press