‘Pattern’ of violence, threats against federal fisheries officers in Maritimes

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.

The NFL saw its fewest number of concussions in the preseason since tracking started in 2015.

There were 44 concussions in practices and games, a decrease of about 24% from last year.

“The reason for that change has certainly to do with changes to rules, changes to equipment, including the Guardian Cap, as well as a host of other efforts we’ve made over the years to drive the numbers down,” said Jeff Miller, the NFL executive vice president overseeing player health and safety.

The league’s revamped kickoff rule led to fewer injuries overall but there were some concussions on the play.

“We saw a couple more concussions on the dynamic kickoff than we thought we would see,” Miller said. “We haven’t seen any concussions in the first three weeks of the dynamic kickoff in the regular season.”

Nearly 99% of players wore top-performing helmets, including more than 250 players wearing helmets that the league says provide as much — and in some cases more — protection than a helmet paired with a Guardian Cap.

There was a nearly 50% reduction in concussions in the preseason among players wearing the Guardian Cap in mandated sessions versus the pre-mandate average.

The injuries were back in the forefront when Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained his fourth diagnosed concussion in five years during Week 2.

“I know that he is seeing top experts,” NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said.

Lower-extremity strains were down by 27% in 2024 compared to the 2021 preseason, the year before the acclimation period was introduced.

“While there is no finish line in our efforts to make the game safer, the injury data from this preseason is an example of how the league’s deliberate approach to player safety continues to deliver results,” Sills said. “We’re committed to building a culture of safety around the game, and this preseason was another positive step in that direction.”

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TORONTO – The police officer who was shot and seriously injured in Toronto’s midtown on Wednesday was released from hospital the next day, a spokeswoman for the Toronto Police Association confirmed Friday.

The shooting in the Yonge and Eglinton neighbourhood fuelled concerns about a recent spate of Toronto gun violence and recharged political debates about Canada’s bail system, given the suspected shooter was apparently out on bail.

It happened at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, when police who were conducting a robbery investigation stopped a vehicle. Two sources with knowledge of the investigation say the plainclothes officer was shot in the abdomen by a man who got out of the vehicle.

Ontario’s police watchdog says an officer fired a gun in the underground parking garage where it happened as the suspect fled, but no one was hit.

The suspected shooter was later arrested at an east-end hospital. Police say 21-year-old Tibor Organa faces several charges, including attempted murder, unauthorized possession of a firearm and three counts of robbery.

Two others were also arrested in the robbery investigation, police said, a 22-year-old woman and a 15-year-old.

Court records indicate the suspected shooter had been out on bail after being charged with multiple counts of theft and breach of probation among other offences in the Township of King last May.

The bail system has repeatedly come under the scrutiny of politicians and law enforcement actors who levy accusations of overly lenient conditions and releases.

It caught the ire of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who said during question period in Ottawa on Thursday that the government’s “hug-a-thug” system is putting people at risk.

Government House leader Karina Gould said no police officer should be hurt in the line of duty, but Poilievre’s comments showed he was “trampling” over Canadians’ rights.

Studies and prisoners’ rights advocates have been critical of the argument that bail should be more restrictive, saying that erodes a fundamental principle of the justice system — the presumption of innocence.

Nonetheless, after provincial premiers including Ontario’s Doug Ford pleaded with the federal government to fix what they deemed a broken system, Ottawa legislated to tighten bail rules late last year. Local authorities are ultimately responsible for managing the system governed by those laws.

Gun violence in Toronto was under the spotlight this week as police responded to two deadly shootings less than 24 hours apart on Monday.

The first nine months of 2024 have already seen more shootings, and more deaths due to firearm violence, than in each of the past three years.

Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the force had upped its presence in neighbourhoods most affected by shootings, and police had made 746 firearm-related arrests so far this year.

He said police data indicate this year’s figures are on par with pre-pandemic rates.

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

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