Le Châteaubriand working to rebook clients after electrical fire causes major damage
Posted November 8, 2025 10:45 am.
Last Updated November 8, 2025 2:39 pm.
Montreal’s Le Châteaubriand reception hall says it’s assessing the impact of a fire that caused major damage to its building in Rivière-des-Prairies early Friday morning.
In a statement posted to Instagram, the owners confirmed the fire was electrical in nature and broke out in the early hours of Nov. 7. No employees or guests were inside at the time.
“All of us at Le Châteaubriand are deeply thankful for the fire department’s quick response and for the fact that no employees or guests were on site,” the statement reads. “We’re equally thankful for and incredibly moved by the outpouring of support from the community and our industry counterparts.”
The venue said it has already made alternate arrangements for a wedding scheduled this weekend and will continue to reach out to clients whose events were booked in the coming weeks.
“We understand clients will have concerns about their upcoming events,” the statement continues. “Rest assured, Le Châteaubriand will contact you to discuss next steps.”
Firefighters battle overnight blaze
According to the Montreal fire department (SIM), the blaze broke out around 2:39 a.m. at the hall located near Maurice-Duplessis and Armand-Bombardier boulevards.
More than 80 firefighters responded to the second-alarm fire, which heavily damaged the building’s second floor and caused smoke and water damage to the first.
By 10:15 a.m., firefighters declared the blaze under control. No injuries were reported, and an investigation by the fire department remains ongoing.
Wedding industry rallies to help couple
The fire’s aftermath rippled through Montreal’s wedding community, with vendors and venues quickly stepping up to help affected clients.
For local DJ Anthony Marsillo, owner and operator of Marsientertainment, the past 24 hours were emotional and hectic.
Marsillo had been scheduled to DJ a wedding this weekend for a couple at Le Châteaubriand. He says he had already set up early for the couple’s wedding, as he often does to ensure everything runs smoothly. Much of his equipment was damaged in the fire, and he says he woke up Friday morning to a string of missed calls — and heartbreaking news.
“Friday morning we wake up and receive about 10 missed calls that Le Châteaubriand had caught fire,” Marsillo said. “It’s just sad because knowing the owners, being a DJ over 15 years, being in the community also, it’s a lot more than that. Pat and Tony, myself, I mean, you know, it’s nothing that nobody ever wanted. It’s something that you don’t expect. So you know, you’re faced with what’s at hand.”
Despite the shock, Marsillo said the local wedding community quickly came together to help the couple.
“I think the best option is to work together, and it really shows that through adversity, you guys come as a community and work together,” he said.
“You’re running on emotions. You don’t know what’s happening. If we’re to cry first, we’re to go first, we’re to call first. I mean, you know, you have to pick up yourself, speak to people, see what we can do, what’s the positive outcome out there. I’m somebody super positive. I like to always keep it happy no matter what. So you know, I always say there’s never a problem, just a solution,” he added.
With the help of other venues and suppliers, the couple’s wedding was successfully relocated to Le Mont-Blanc in Laval.
“Steve Gentile from the Mont-Blanc, he basically opened up his heart and his door saying, ‘Listen, you know what, we had missed a wedding,’” Marsillo said.
Since most of Marsillo’s equipment was damaged in the fire, Goldstar Entertainment stepped in to help ensure the couple’s wedding could still go ahead.
“Basically they said, ‘Listen, you know what, we see your stuff, we’re going to, we’re going to set you up as if you just have to plug it in and play,’” Marsillo explained.
“At the end of the day, you know, I was just happy that they’re basically going to get their wedding that they deserve.”
It’s a clear example of the community coming together — turning a negative situation into a positive one.
“You know, it’s a dream. We saw that together. We all work together to come as a community to work together, outweighing the outcome. And you know, at the end, when something negative, we turned it out to be a smile. And tonight we’re going to be doing the wedding,” Marsillo said.
“You know, we pick ourselves up, we turn that key, we smile, drink a coffee and we do our day,” he added.
‘We’ll emerge stronger than ever’
Le Châteaubriand’s owners, Pat and Tony, say they are assessing the damage and developing a plan to resume operations. They thanked firefighters, staff and the community for their support as they navigate this difficult time.
“It’s thanks to this support that we’ve successfully made alternate arrangements for this weekend’s wedding and will continue to seek alternate arrangements for our clients, this holiday season, and beyond, until our operations resume,” they wrote. “Le Châteaubriand is already in the process of assessing the impact to our business and developing a plan to resume operations, and we’re confident we’ll emerge stronger than ever.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding, during this difficult time.”
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire has been deemed electrical. The venue has not yet announced a timeline for reopening.
