Nearly one year later, families waiting for justice after deadly Old Montreal fire
It's almost been one year since a fire ripped through a heritage building in Old Montreal, killing seven people.
The tragic anniversary is on Saturday and the fire has raised a lot of unanswered questions and is the subject of several lawsuits as families continue to look for answers.
The building on Place d'Youville is now boarded up and under repair.
Still, there is very little progress in the police investigation since the fire broke out on March 16, 2023, killing Dania Zafar, 31, and six others.
"I'm not impressed by that. I'm not impressed," said Zafar's father, Zafar Mahmood.
Montreal police have said the fire was criminally set. Insp. David Shane said they did arrest someone but no charges have been laid.
"We really need to be patient because as criminal investigators, we cannot sacrifice time for quality of investigation. We won't get two chances," Shane told CTV News.
He said the investigation is still ongoing and wants to assure families that no stone is left unturned.
"We understand that it's a long time for the victims. We really do. We really feel for them," he said.
The building housed illegal short-term rentals. Shane cannot confirm if any charges will be brought against the building's owner.
Nearly one year after the deadly fire in Old Montreal, no charges have been laid as victims' families wait for justice.
One of the victim's fathers said his daughter was trapped inside a unit with no windows and others reported no fire alarms.
"All the possible infractions from the Criminal Code are on the table. So definitely arson, homicide, but also criminal neglect," he said.
Shortly after the deadly fire, Montreal's squad to crack down on these types of rentals was launched. Since then, three investigators have inspected 400 units and handed out 42 tickets.
The city says it wants to accelerate the work but is not planning on expanding the pilot project to other boroughs.
"We have to increase our collaboration with the Government of Quebec and after that, we'll see," said Benoit Dorais, a member of the city's executive committee.
But for Mahmood, his life will never be the same.
"We miss every inch of her. Her smiles, Her caring attitude," he said
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
DEVELOPING Alberta's request for federal assistance approved after fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
BREAKING Loblaw, George Weston to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500-million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'
U.K. police officer suspended after video appears to show a man being kicked in head
A British police officer was suspended from all duties Thursday after a video was posted on social media that appeared to show an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying on the floor of a terminal at Manchester Airport.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Jasper mayor says alert system to be reviewed after message 'glitch'
More than 25,000 people have been displaced from Jasper National Park since wildfires started to threaten the picturesque corner of Alberta Rockies on Monday, but the mayor of its namesake municipality says not everyone received an evacuation alert when it was sent out.
Unclaimed bodies are piling up in Newfoundland. A funeral director blames the government
A funeral director in St. John's says the bodies piling up in freezers at Newfoundland and Labrador's largest hospital likely belong to people whose loved ones couldn't get enough government help to pay for a funeral.