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MONTREAL – An undetermined number of people died in a major fire in Old Montreal on Friday, police said, in a building owned by a man whose other property in the same neighbourhood went up in flames last year, killing seven.

A police source who spoke to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t permitted to speak publicly said at least two people died in the early morning fire, but officials would not confirm that number.

Insp. David Shane told a news conference, “we expect deaths,” based on testimony from first responders and witnesses police spoke with. He added that investigators had not yet been able to enter the three-storey building that housed a restaurant on the ground floor and a 19-room hostel above.

Major crimes detectives and the arson squad were set to begin what would be a lengthy investigation into the fire that Shane described as “suspicious.”

“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and rest assured that every effort is being made to solve this case,” he said.

The blaze started on the ground floor of the building just before 2:40 a.m. and quickly spread to the second and third floors. Two people were hurt, one of whom was taken to hospital with serious injuries, Shane added. Several people managed to escape unharmed.

“We are unable at this time to confirm the number of fatalities or their identities, and investigators are also continuing to determine exactly how many people were in the building when the fire broke out,” he said.

About 125 firefighters were deployed to the scene, and smoke could be seen billowing from the building for several blocks in Old Montreal. About two and a half hours after firefighters started beating back the flames, the building partially collapsed.

City of Montreal property records say the Notre-Dame Street East building was constructed in 1923 and is owned by Emile Benamor. He is also listed as the owner of a heritage building nearby on Place D’Youville that was ravaged by fire in March 2023, leading to the deaths of seven people. All but one victim were staying in short-term rentals.

A number of lawsuits were filed stemming from that fatal blaze, and a coroner’s inquest ordered into the fire is on hold until the conclusion of the police investigation and any potential criminal trials. Shane said police have submitted the results of their investigation to the Crown.

Alexandre Bergevin, a lawyer who represents Benamor, told The Canadian Press his client did not have any comment on the Notre-Dame Street fire. The ground floor of the building housed a wine bar called Loam. The upper floors were rented out to a third-party that operated a hostel called Le 402, Bergevin said. On the website booking.com, reservations for the hostel were suspended Friday.

Fire department chief Martin Guilbault said the hostel was a 19-room establishment that occupied the upper two floors. The building was subject to numerous media reports and investigations. The Journal de Montreal visited the site in 2023 and reported on a number of failings. People who stayed at the hostel also left complaints on various websites about the poor state of the units.

Guilbault said Friday that in 2023 a number of fire code infractions were cited by inspectors, but he said they had all been corrected.

“In spring of 2023, formal notices for major non-compliance were sent to the owner of that building. We’re talking about the absence of a fire alarm system and the absence of smoke alarm(s),” Guilbault said. “By spring 2024, all the non-conformities concerned by the formal notice had been rectified and as far as the (department) was concerned, the building was considered safe.”

Fire department officials said fires in the city’s historic district are complicated, in part because streets are narrow and buildings are adjoined in a row.

Nancy Drummond, 35, said she lives a few units away from where the fire broke out. She said she was told by a neighbour in the middle of the night to leave immediately, and could see flames coming from the restaurant. She managed to grab her shoes and little else.

“There was a boom, something that rattled our building,” Drummond said. “I looked outside and I see the fire department, fire trucks, and then my neighbour knocked immediately (to leave).”

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante visited the site late Friday afternoon and pointed out the similarities — and differences — with the 2023 fire in Benamor’s other building.

“What is similar is that we have the same owner — it’s quite impressive,” Plante said. “The second element that is similar is that in both cases now, there is a criminal investigation that is open.”

The difference, she said, is that with the building that caught fire on Friday the fire department worked to make sure it was in compliance with fire codes. “I really want to reassure everyone that all the light will be shed” on the fire, Plante said.

Montreal police have a telephone number dedicated to families and relatives of victims of the Notre Dame Street fire seeking information: 514-280-1294.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2024.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said police reported three people injured. In fact, police said two people were injured.

CF Montreal has surged above the Major League Soccer playoff line with a late-season unbeaten run.

Now the players will try to keep their foot on the gas and clinch their spot in the post-season.

“The most important thing is not to get complacent, not to get comfortable where we’re at,” goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois said Friday. “We know, especially in this league, how everything could change after one game.”

Montreal (10-12-10) won its third straight game by defeating Atlanta United 2-1 on Wednesday — its first road victory since March 10 — and climbed to eighth in the Eastern Conference ahead of the penultimate Matchday at seventh-place Charlotte FC on Saturday.

Laurent Courtois’s side has 40 points, three clear of ninth-place Toronto FC, 10th-place Philadelphia Union and 11th-place D.C. United. Toronto, however, only has one game remaining on the calendar.

A victory on Saturday would guarantee Montreal a playoff berth provided one of D.C. or Philadelphia doesn’t win their respective matches. If Montreal draws, it can still clinch if either D.C. or Philadelphia loses.

The eighth- and ninth-place teams face off in a wild-card game on Oct. 22. The winner would meet Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami CF in a best-of-three series beginning Oct. 25.

Sirois hopes Montreal can secure its place before meeting New York City FC at home on MLS Decision Day on Oct. 19, which follows an international break, but he also isn’t keen on settling for a wild-card spot.

With Charlotte (12-11-9) five points ahead in the standings, he believes Montreal should be gunning for seventh.

“The mentality I’d like to go into Saturday’s game with is the one where we’re trying to go for the seventh place, where we’re trying to go and win in Charlotte and make that possible,” Sirois said.

Defender George Campbell doesn’t believe Montreal should change its approach now that they’re the ones defending a playoff spot instead of chasing it.

“We can’t get complacent and overconfident or cocky, but we have to know that we’re a good team and we can compete with anyone,” Campbell said.

Amid a roller-coaster season that featured a nine-game winless streak, Montreal is hitting its stride at the perfect moment, earning 12 out of a possible 15 points in its last five matches.

Sirois said players struggled to find consistency while learning the system of their first-year head coach, but now they’re running on all cylinders.

“Each player is doing what they need to do and performing very well individually, which makes us very strong together,” he said.

It helps when one of those individuals is the team’s striker delivering on what he’s paid to do.

Josef Martinez, a league MVP in 2018, is turning back the clock of late with five goals in three outings, including both goals against Atlanta — his former club.

“He can do and execute stuff that nobody else can, and when he’s like this with the proper service, he’s unstoppable,” Courtois said after Wednesday’s win. “He’s one of the most exciting players I’ve ever seen, it’s an honour for me to coach him.”

After juggling his squad much of the season, Courtois has leaned on a nearly identical starting 11 the last three games.

That will likely have to change on Saturday with Montreal playing its third contest in eight days.

“The turnaround is short. There are players who are performing and have a lot of minutes, and there are also players who are fresh,” he said. “We’ll try to make the least risky decisions possible.”

Montreal’s strong run of form started with a 2-1 home victory against a defensively stout Charlotte side on Sept. 14. Sirois expects a more “aggressive” match on the road at Bank of America Stadium.

“Tomorrow, Charlotte might have a bit more possession, wanting to attack us a bit more,” he said. “At the end of the day, there might be a bit more pressure on them because they know that if we win, we’re two points behind them.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2024.

EDMONTON – After losing two in a row to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Edmonton Elks’ playoff hopes hang by a thread.

The 5-10 Elks will need to win their final three games of the regular season — at Commonwealth Stadium this Saturday to Saskatchewan, on the road to Calgary and then the home finale against the Toronto Argonauts — to have any sort of post-season chance.

“We’ve got a three-game regular season right now, that’s the way we’re approaching it,” said Elks head coach Jarious Jackson as his team prepared for the Riders. “It starts this weekend with Sask.”

After an 0-7 start, the Elks caught fire and won five out of six. But two lopsided back-to-back losses against the Blue Bombers have put the team’s playoff hopes in critical condition. The Elks haven’t made the playoffs since 2019.

“It’s bigger than that,” said quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson who threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns in last weekend’s 55-27 loss to the Bombers. “It’s about pride. It’s about who the hell we are and how we want to finish. It’s about pride in what we do, pride in how we operate. If you truly love the game of football, you have pride in it.

“It’s been an unbelievably tough season. Three games to decide it. This is what it comes down to.”

Meanwhile the Riders (7-7-1) can clinch a playoff spot with a win on Saturday — as long as they get help. The Lions would need to beat the Stampeders, and the Blue Bombers would need to triumph over the Tiger-Cats this weekend to set up that scenario.

Coach Corey Mace expects a game where two teams will treat it like their backs are against the wall.

“I’m sure Edmonton is (motivated), but the reality is, so are we,” said Mace. “We really just kind of focus inward on getting the job done for ourselves. If we handle what we’re supposed to handle, everything will fall where it needs to fall.”

The Riders will likely start the game with their No. 3 option at running back, Frankie Hickson, getting the bulk of the carries. A.J. Ouellette is on the six-week disabled list, and Ryquell Armstead is out with a bad shoulder.

“I’d lean Frankie, but nothing is out of the equation, yet,” said Mace.

Hickson has 392 yards rushing on 76 carries this season. Thomas Bertrand-Hudon will deputize him.

Meanwhile, the Riders remember that the Elks ran them over the last time these two teams met. In Week 9, the Elks rushed for 276 yards in a 42-31 win, with Javon Leake going off for 169 of them.

Leake was limited in practice this week, as he recovers from a thigh issue. He is listed as active on the depth chart. But running back Kevin Brown will miss the game due to injury,

“The running game’s awesome,” Bethel-Thompson said of the team’s rushing corps, which also includes Justin Rankin. The trio of Leake, Brown and Rankin have combined for 1,594 rushing yards this season, so even with Brown out, the Elks should be in good shape when the ball is handed off.

For Bethel-Thompson, it’s about the rest of the offence offering the running game the help it needs.

“The running game has been there. It’s about executing on second down and staying on the field,” he said.

Jackson said the Elks’ recent win over Saskatchewan was closer than it appeared. In fact, the Riders held a 21-20 lead over the Elks after three quarters.

“It was a very close game,” Jackson said. “Don’t get fooled by what the end score was because, at the end of the day, we popped a couple at the end of the game to make it a little bit out of reach.”

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (7-7-1) AT EDMONTON ELKS (5-10)

Saturday, Commonwealth Stadium

DEFENSIVE BOOSTS: The Elks and Riders got good news this week, as they both get key defensive backs back to health. Riders DB C.J. Reavis is expected to return after a one-week absence. And, the Elks get Darrius Bratton back into the fold.

“I told the coaches I’m not missing more games,” said Reavis. “I wanted to play last week.”

OPENING DAY MEMORIES: The Riders beat the Elks 29-21 at Commonwealth Stadium in the 2024 season opener for both teams. Receiver Shawn Bane caught three touchdown passes.

OFFENCE DOESN’T WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Elks are 5-10, despite leading the CFL in offensive points per game (28.1), touchdowns (46) and being second in yards per game (376.4) and first downs (325).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2024.