Owner of Old Montreal buildings struck by deadly arsons suing city

Firefighters stand next to a building in Old Montreal on Saturday, Oct., 5, 2024. A fire that tore through a century-old building in Old Montreal killed at least two people and forced dozens of others out of the area. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

The owner of two Old Montreal buildings that went up in flames, killing several people, is suing the city for over $7 million.

In a court document, Émile Benamor is accusing Montreal police (SPVM) of not having done enough to crack down on a string of arsons between 2023 and 2024, resulting in the Oct. 4, 2024 fire that killed a French tourist and her seven-year-old daughter. He also claims the Montreal fire department was at fault.

The three-storey building on Notre-Dame Street had a wine bar, Loam, on the main floor, and a 19-room hotel on the second and third floors. The fire started in the restaurant before engulfing the rest of the 100-year-old building.

The court documents claim Loam was the victim of a wave of arson attacks and extortion by criminal gangs to force restaurant owners to pay them. Two suspects, including the person who allegedly started the fire and the driver of a getaway car, were arrested shortly after.

“The arsonist was allegedly known by SPVM officers, who failed to arrest him for unknown reasons, as will be shown at the hearing,” says the document.

Following the fire, the SPVM announced it was developing new strategies to investigate and crack down on extortion of business owners. Five suspects were arrested in connection with extortion a week later and in November, the head of the SPVM’s arson department claimed these efforts ended the string of extortion-related arson.

The document cites SPVM data saying over 30 criminal fires targeted bars and restaurants in the city in 2023, with another 25 between Jan. 1 and Oct. 4, 2024.

“However, it was only after the arson attack of Oct. 4, 2024, and its dramatic consequences that the SPVM took the simple and reasonable measures mentioned,” says the court document, adding that had they been taken earlier the fire and “damages to property” wouldn’t have taken place.

Benamor also said the fire department did not deploy sufficient resources to combat the fire, and the building was nearly a total loss.

The $7 million claim would cover $6 million in damages to the building plus $1 million for loss of rent revenue, city invoices for occupation of public domain, cleanup, loss of business and opportunities and inconvenience.

The City of Montreal declined to comment as the legal case is ongoing.

Benamor also said he was publicly blamed “and even intimidated” after the event.

“The claimant’s reputation is forever tarnished, as his name is undoubtedly attached to this case, which involves several deaths and causes the claimant considerable stress and inconvenience,” said the document.

A public inquiry into the Notre-Dame Street building fire was launched in October, as the two Old Montreal buildings owned by Benamor—the other one being the Place d’Youville building that caught fire in 2023—had a history of fire code violations. They were also both used for short-term rentals for tourists.

Previous deadly fire at owner’s building

Seven people died in the March 2023 fire at the Place d’Youville building. The heritage building, built in the 1890s, had been flagged by safety inspectors before the fire.

He put the building up for sale in January, 2024.

Benamor filed a lawsuit against the city following the 2023 fire, saying the city’s rules and regulations for heritage properties made it impossible to make some changes or repairs to the building. He also alleged firefighters did not deploy adequate resources to the March 16 fire.

Five Montreal firefighters were formally recognized by Quebec’s public security minister for their heroic efforts to save people’s lives during the blaze.

The owner also sued city officials, including the mayor, for defamation.

The family of Charlie Lacroix, a victim of the fire, filed a $1.5-million lawsuit against Benamor, the City of Montreal and a man operating rentals out of the building.

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.