Old Montreal fire: Pointe-à-Callière Museum files latest lawsuit against city
Posted September 19, 2023 4:06 pm.
Last Updated September 19, 2023 4:29 pm.
A new civil lawsuit has been filed in connection with the deadly fire that claimed seven lives in Old Montreal.
The Pointe-à-Callière Museum and its insurance company are suing the city for $3 million.
They claim the City of Montreal failed to adequately inspect the building, failed to enforce its rules despite a series of inspections since 2009, and that city was complacent towards the building owner Emile Benamor.
The fire was so severe that neighbouring buildings were also damaged, including the nearby Pointe-à-Callière Museum. Both buildings are on Place d’Youville.
In the museum’s view, the blaze would never have caused so much damage had the city been diligent in its inspections.
View from drone over the scene of the Old Montreal fire (Credit: CityNews)
Montreal police said in August the fire had turned into a criminal investigation after they found traces of accelerant at the site.
Since the blaze, several civil lawsuits have been filed.
In March, the father of victim Nathan Sears filed an application for a $22-million class-action lawsuit against Benamor, short-term rental platform Airbnb and the man who had been operating rentals out of the building.
Just last week, the family of Charlie Lacroix, an 18-year-old who died in the tragedy, also filed a $1.5 million civil suit against the city, Benamor and an alleged operator of illegal Airbnb units.
And Monday, it was made public that Benamor is suing the city for $7.6 million, alleging Montreal’s strict patrimonial rules contributed to the severity of the blaze.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
