Survivor of fatal Old Montreal fire still trying to get life back on track
Posted March 14, 2024 9:43 am.
Last Updated March 14, 2024 7:09 pm.
A survivor of the Old Montreal blaze that killed seven people is still coping one year later.
For 30 years, Montrealer Patrick Brasseur lived in a third-floor apartment in the now destroyed building in Old Montreal. It was ravaged by the fatal fire on March 16, 2023.
Brasseur was injured as he escaped the flames and was left homeless. After spending almost two months in hospital and a few weeks in a shelter, he had to stay in his car because he couldn’t find a place to live.
“It was hard for me,” Brasseur said. “I visited many places. I spent the whole summer in my car.
“I tried many places but when you don’t have a job or income, they refuse that.
“It was bad. I used to go to truck stops to do my laundry and take a shower.”
Brasseur stopped his work in construction after the fire. Last October, he finally found a small apartment to rent in Rosemont – a far cry from his old space in the heart of the Old Port.
“I used to have a view of all the city, it was wonderful,” he said.
But the fire took it all away.
“I lost everything, all my souvenirs, all my pictures, all my jewelry, everything.”
And the physical scars on his arm will forever remind him of that traumatic day.
“When I saw the firefighter with the ladder, I just jumped on it, because I was going to jump down,” he recalled.
Montreal police’s criminal investigation is ongoing. Last August, authorities said the fire was deliberately set after they identified an area where it started, and found accelerants.
Brasseur says he hopes to seek compensation once the crime is solved. Until then, he’s looking forward to his future; he’ll be moving to a new home in July.
“I can’t wait to move,” he said. “Live a life.”
