Large fire engulfs Mont Gabriel Hotel in Laurentians; multiple fire departments respond
Firefighters from several municipalities were called to the scene of a large fire Friday at the Mont-Gabriel Hotel in Sainte-Adele, Que.
Officials told CTV News the fire began at around 10:15 a.m., though the cause of the blaze is not yet clear.
"At around noon, we thought the fire was under control, but it continued to spread through the walls and floors," wrote Sainte-Adele Mayor Michèle Lalonde on social media. "We are trying to preserve the main section."
"It is a general alert, firefighters from about twenty municipalities and cities are involved," she added.
By late afternoon, large portions of the structure had been destroyed while plumes of smoke rose high above what remained of the hotel.
A large plume of smoke hangs over the Mont-Gabriel Hotel in Sainte-Adele, Que. Friday. Firefighters from several municipalities were called to the scene to fight the blaze.
'I THINK OF MY COLLEAGUES, JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS'
Sainte-Adele is a small municipality located about 60 kilometres north of Montreal.
Mont-Gabriel advertises 136 available rooms at its hotel. A promotional video on its website shows large interiors with prominent wood finishing and exposed ceiling beams, which are also made of wood.
"It was a vintage hotel, all made out of logs," said Nathalie Leblanc, who works in the dining hall.
"I’m thinking of the owner,” she said. “After COVID-19, and there was also the tornado at the beginning of the summer."
In late July, a tornado swept through the nearby town of Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard, flattening areas of forest and causing devastating damage to several properties. Leblanc told CTV the hotel was also impacted, with the high winds knocking out power to the building.
"I think of my colleagues, just before Christmas time. I think of the clients, too," she added. "Tonight, the hotel was [fully booked], tomorrow night as well. I imagine that they will all be cancelled.
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.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
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.
'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.
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.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'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.