Opposition at city hall calls for public inquiry into deadly Old Montreal fire

The opposition at city hall is calling for a public inquiry into the fire that killed seven people at a building in Old Montreal. 

"A human tragedy has struck the city of Montreal," said Aref Salem, the leader of Ensemble Montréal, at a news conference on Monday. "There were seven deaths. We want to shine a light on it."

The fire ignited the building on Place D'Youville in the early morning hours of March 16 and killed seven people, most of whom were staying at short-term rentals inside. 

Randy Sears, the father of one of the victims, has applied to launch a class-action lawsuit against the building's owner, the operators of the short-term rental units and Airbnb. 

Sears claims there was a lack of safety equipment in the building and the units did not meet municipal safety standards. His claims have not been tested in court. 

Montreal police have not yet completed their investigation. The fire is also being investigated by a coroner.

Annette Lefebvre, the lawyer representing Sears for the class action, said her office has been fielding calls from people who question whether the city should be held liable for the deaths. 

"I can understand why there are lots of calls for a public inquiry because from what we hear there seems to be general knowledge that the city turns a blind eye to the illegal activity of Airbnb in Montreal," Lefebvre said. "I think a public inquiry would be a perfect forum to gather the information properly and accurately that would be helpful for our class action." 

A public inquiry conducted by a coroner would help shine a light on the case and help prevent similar future incidents, Salem said. 

Salem and other opposition members also called for the city to address concerns about buildings that may not conform to safety standards. 

"How many more buildings are non-compliant and how did the city of Montreal miss this?" Salem said. "Information is trickling in, but it's a real mess and there is obviously a serious and worrisome safety issue. This problem is not to be taken lightly."

In an email, Catherine Cadotte, a spokesperson for Mayor Valérie Plante, stressed that the SPVM's investigation is still ongoing.

"The SPVM will complete its investigation as soon as possible and our administration will rely on the expertise of the coroner to determine the need for a broader public inquiry," she said.

Cadotte added that the city was working toward tightening rules requiring the owners of vacant buildings to maintain their properties. 

François Bonnardel, Quebec's public security minister, said in a statement he was not opposed to a public inquiry. 

"The fire is under investigation by the coroner," he said. "And there is an investigation by the SPVM. We are closely following the evolution of the case and must let the authorities do their job."