A devastating fire in Old Montreal resulted in the tragic deaths of a mother and her seven-year-old daughter, Léonor Geraudie and Vérane Reynaud Geraudie. The fire broke out early Friday morning in a century-old building that housed a restaurant and wine bar on the ground floor, as well as a hostel on the upper floors. Montreal police are investigating the fire as suspicious, with major crimes detectives and the arson squad involved in the case. Of the 23 people believed to be in the building during the blaze, all escaped except for one who sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The victims were identified at a news conference by Montreal police inspector David Shane, who expressed condolences to their families.
The building where the fire occurred, located at 400 Notre-Dame Street East, was constructed in 1923 and is owned by Emile Benamor. Benamor was also the owner of a heritage building on Place D’Youville that was engulfed in flames in March 2023, resulting in the deaths of seven people. Following the Place D’Youville fire, multiple lawsuits were filed, and a coroner’s inquest is pending until the completion of the police investigation. While the fire at 400 Notre-Dame Street East is now under control, there are still many unanswered questions surrounding the incident. Officials are working to expedite inquests into both fires, with allegations of organized crime involvement and extortion being raised in media reports.
Security minister François Bonnardel stated that discussions were underway to combine the inquests for both fires to accelerate the process. Responding to speculations about the potential involvement of organized crime groups, Bonnardel cautioned that it is too early to determine if the fire was criminal in nature. City fire department chief Martin Guilbault revealed that infractions were found during a 2023 visit to the building, including the absence of fire and smoke alarm systems. Inspectors discovered that these issues had been rectified by 2024, although the building did not have sprinklers, which were not mandatory. Following the fire, inspectors conducted visits to other properties owned by Benamor and found them to be up to code, except for a minor violation in a neighboring building.
The Canadian Red Cross assisted in evacuating approximately 40 people from the affected building and surrounding area. Volunteers took in 16 individuals from 400 Notre-Dame Street East, where the fire broke out, as well as 22 families from an adjacent address. Montreal fire department spokesperson George Bele stated that firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control in the early hours of Saturday morning, approximately 24 hours after it first ignited. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing, with authorities focused on determining the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident that claimed the lives of a mother and her young daughter.
