Nearly 150 firefighters were mobilized Thursday night to try to control a blaze that broke out at the historic Bon-Pasteur Chapel, a downtown Montreal concert hall.
As these lines were written, firefighters were still battling the flames. “We’re easily here into the early hours,” said Robert Rousseau, spokesman for the Montreal Fire Department (SIM).
Earlier, around 4:30 p.m., the SIM first received a call about “smoke coming from the roof” of the building at the intersection of Sherbrooke East and Saint-Dominique streets, Rousseau said.
“When we arrived, we noticed a fire and raised an initial alarm. The fire continued to progress and we had to issue a fifth alarm,” he said.
Mr Rousseau said it was difficult at this time to determine the cause of the fire. “It took over the attic. »
No one is missing and only one firefighter needs to be examined by Urgences-Santé, the spokesman added. The latter clarified that “his condition is considered stable and not serious”.
In addition, 27 evacuees were cared for by the Red Cross, he confirmed.
A “precious” listed building
The chapel is located in the center of the Good Shepherd Monastery, built in the second half of the 19th century.
Earlier in the evening, the Héritage Montréal organization expressed concern about the fire as the monastery houses its offices. The images are “worrying,” he wrote on Twitter.
On the same social network, the Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, urged the population to avoid the sector. “It’s still too early to see the damage to the valuable, listed building,” she tweeted, thanking the firefighters for their “work and commitment.”
A major fire broke out at the historic Bon-Pasteur Chapel at the intersection of Sherbrooke and Saint-Dominique streets in downtown Montreal. Please avoid the area.
It’s still too early to see the damage the precious asset has suffered…
— Valerie Plante (@Val_Plante) May 25, 2023
La Chapelle, whose fence was restored in 1985, is considered one of the “most prestigious” concert halls in Montreal, as we can read on the city’s website. A member of the Maisons de la Culture network, it notably owns a Fazioli concert piano and a Kirckman harpsichord dating from 1772.
To see in the video