A licensed establishment in downtown Montreal was heavily damaged by an apparent arson attack early on Tuesday morning.
Montreal police (SPVM) reported no injuries a few hours later, and no one was arrested.
Authorities were alerted at around 1 a.m. when a 911 call reported a fire in the building on Cathédrale Street near the intersection with Saint-Antoine Street West.
Police were informed that a person was seen throwing a Molotov cocktail into the building in order to set it alight. The person then fled on foot, towards an unknown destination.
Firefighters from the Montreal fire department (SIM) intervened to limit the damage caused by the fire.
The building is located at a busy intersection.
It includes Place du Canada, a Citizenship and Immigration Canada building and a bus terminal.
At the end of the night, a security perimeter prevented any vehicular traffic on a section of Cathédrale Street, south of Saint-Antoine West.
The investigation is being conducted by the SPVM's arson squad.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 6, 2023.
