MONTREAL – About 150 Montreal firefighters were called in to battle an early-morning five-alarm fire that consumed the condemned Église du Centre-Ville on René Lévesque Blvd. near Atwater Ave.
The blaze at the former Franciscan church, which was built in 1893, spread to the roof of a neighbouring building and did minor damage.
The church had become so run down before it closed that services were held in a basement chapel out of fears that the roof could hurt someone, said a former parishioner.
Montreal fire department operations chief Richard Laporte said the building was known to have been used by squatters. He also said the fire department was trying to determine if it was being renovated.
“If so, it means it was unprotected and the main structure was exposed,” he said.
Laporte said the fire was first reported just after 5 a.m. By the time the first unit arrived, the church was already engulfed in flames and it was immediately declared a five-alarm fire. Four hours later, hoses were still pouring water into the church while a payloader set to knocking down its walls after it was determined the historical structure could not be salvaged.
Laporte said the fire deaprtment was left with no choice because the structure could have collapsed.
“When it threatens firefighters lives, and possibly the lives of civilians down the road why have to tear it down. It poses a threat.”
The last service to be held in the basement chapel was in May 2007, when 400 people people attended a 90-minute mass celebrated by Pierre Brunette, provincial of the Franciscans.
The church on the main floor, known as the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, had been closed since 1997. The firary once housed as many as 50, but only four priests and brothers were living in the monastery when it closed. The Franciscans left the property after learning it would cost $5 million to repair the fieldstone church.
No one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
2 comments:
You see how infrequent fires are in Montreal when buildings that are worthless have 'bad luck' this lovely home is a write off happened yesterday I think it was...........hahahahaha
..and you'll note that the Police confirmed a 'grow-op' was being run from this place, Now if only Church's would catch on to this revenue making option, it would not only make them enough money to stay solvent,but it would attract users ( I mean Parishoners)......
Btw : the Police also found 300 to 400 plants , Well which is it, 300 or 400,that's a bit of spread there.......hahahaha I suspect when they say 300 to 400, that's really code for " We found 800 and haven't divided it up yet,...so we may have turned in 300 but possibly 400.........hahahahaha
MONTREAL – Firefighters called to quell a stubborn blaze that started in the basement of a two-storey structure in the city’s Southwest borough found enough hydroponic and other equipment to support a substantial marijuana grow-op – but not nearly as much pot as the indoor plantation could apparently sustain, operations chief Michel Gareau said.
Police are investigating, after having confiscated “300 to 400” pot plants, spokesperson Constable Yannick Ouimet said.
Four people who had been living on the top floor have been left homeless.
At the height of the blaze, Gareau said, 12 people had to be evacuated.
The three-alarm blaze, reported about 4:30 a.m. Friday, began in the basement of the modest wood and brick structure, on Hadley St., corner De Villiers St.
It wasn’t extinguished until about 8 a.m., Gareau added.
The building – which dated from 1912 and carried a municipal evaluation of $90,900 – was heavily damaged and is likely a total loss, the fire official said.
While the cause has not been formally pinpointed, Gareau said faulty electrical wiring, characteristic of many grow-ops, is suspected.
The lower floor was a business premises.
There were no injuries.
janr@thegazette.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Another old building 'Up in Smoke' as it were........hahahaha HF&RV
Dontcha just love the creative writing , I love the first line in the GAzette story:
"MONTREAL – The desolate spot where a 117-year-old Franciscan church stood on René Lévesque Blvd. W. until fire ravaged it early Saturday might not sit vacant for long."
They describe the Church Property as being " The Desolate Spot"........I'll bet the real estate version describes it more like PRIME LOCATION...........................hahahahahah and in the same sentance,the Gazette Crystal Ball suggests "that the property MIGHT not SIT Vacant for long.......................................................................I told you.........hahahahahaha HF&RV
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