Flames at Montreal heritage building finally extinguished
The flames at the former Monastère du Bon-Pasteur building in downtown Montreal have been extinguished, but over a dozen firefighters remained on site early Saturday morning to ensure the fire wouldn't reignite.
Residents were permitted to enter and retrieve their essentials, such as important documents and medications, by the early afternoon.
The five-alarm blaze started Thursday afternoon and burned into Friday evening, placing 59 people into the care of the Red Cross and triggering an air quality advisory due to smoke.
Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) chief Richard Liebmann said Friday that the fire was "very difficult" to extinguish due to the building's structure and construction materials.
A man in his 80s was discovered inside hours after other occupants fled. He was sent to hospital to be treated for hypothermia, and SIM authorities say it's unclear why he was overlooked in the evacuation.
The building, a former monastery, was built in 1846 at the corner of Sherbrooke and de Bullion Streets. A recognized heritage site, it housed residential units, a daycare, community organizations, and a concert hall.
It also contained precious historical and cultural items now feared to be destroyed, including a 250-year-old harpsichord and a $300,000 piano.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is set to begin on Monday.
With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.