arson

Car fire in Pointe-Claire adds to spike across West Island

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By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A vehicle was set ablaze in the driveway of a residence on Hastings Avenue, near Empress Avenue, in Pointe-Claire on the West Island early Monday morning. Montreal police (SPVM) have launched an investigation into the incident.

At approximately 2:40 a.m., multiple 911 callers reported a car engulfed in flames. Firefighters arrived at the scene and managed to control the blaze. The vehicle was declared a total loss.

The exact cause of the fire remains unknown at this time. The SPVM has handed the case over to their arson unit to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Three similar incidents occurred in Dollard-Des-Ormeaux earlier this week, where vehicles were set on fire under suspicious circumstances. Additionally, multiple incidents of this nature have been reported in Kirkland over the summer and into the fall, highlighting a concerning pattern of arson attacks occurring in the driveways of private residences across the West Island.

This is a developing story. For full report please see The Suburban.

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Five-alarm fire strikes NDG property

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By Joel Ceausu
The Suburban

The Montreal Police arson squad is investigating the five-alarm fire that hit a vacant property on Robert Burns in CDN-NDG, off Côte Saint-Luc road Sunday morning. Area residents reported smoke rising from the three-storey building before 5 am, and firefighters arrived to begin battling the blaze.

Montreal police say that it was soon determined that the fire was deliberately set inside the building which has been vacant for two years.

As of 6 AM Sunday morning the neighborhood air was thick with the smell of smoke, which lingered until at least 9 PM Sunday night long after firefighters had left. At 10 pm Sunday police and fire investigators remained on scene inspecting the property.

The site is known for frequent incidents including vandalism, youth gathering on the roof, and pest issues.

Last summer several police cruisers chased a gang of teens through Côte Saint-Luc after they were spotted on the property reportedly attempting to light a fire. The teens scattered throughout the neighborhood eluding police officers who chased them in cars and on foot through parking lots and underground garages.

The property is also well known as the source of a local rat problem, with rodents seen daily scurrying across the pedestrian bridge over Côte Saint-Luc Road to feed on garbage bins on Adalbert, Earle, Ashdale, or south to the fields and Connaught, racing back to the property to nest.

The property is slated for demolition this year to make way for an 18-storey mixed commercial and residential building. The 120-kV overhead high-voltage line within the Hydro-Québec easement behind the building will also be replaced by a larger, 65-metre high pylon closer to the railway track to accommodate the city’s and Hydro’s 27-km green corridor.

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Three cars torched outside Ile-Bizard home

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By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Three vehicles were torched last Thursday in a residential parking lot in Île-Bizard.

Montreal police (SPVM) were alerted to the fire on Laurier Street, near Chevrier Boulevard at approximately 3:45 a.m.

A second 911 caller reported hearing an explosion near the same location shortly before officers arrived.

According to SPVM spokesperson Mariane Allaire-Morin, the officers immediately noticed a strong smell of accelerants emanating from three burning vehicles on arrival.

Firefighters were able to quickly put out the fire, avoiding damage to the home and neighbouring homes. Authorities say that the vehicles are considered a total loss.

Investigators determined the involvement of at least two suspects who were captured on surveillance cameras nearby.

The SPVM’s arson unit continued to investigate the scene in order to determine the circumstances surrounding the criminal fire.

No injuries were reported and no arrests have yet been made. n

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Vaudreuil Walmart set to reopen mid-May

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The Vaudreuil-Dorion Walmart on de la Gare Boulevard is set to re-open May 16 following an alleged arson attack that took place last February, forcing the department store to shut down for major repairs. On February 20, shortly after opening its doors to the public, shoppers and employees were evacuated after a fire broke out near the BBQ sale section of the store. One person was treated for smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.

Luciano Minisini-Burke was arrested by Quebec provincial police officers shortly after the fire was reported. After undergoing a psychological evaluation at the Phillippe-Pinel institute, he was deemed fit to stand trial.

Walmart Canada has worked diligently to ensure the reopening of the store and took an optimistic approach by using the opportunity to coordinate the restoration work with other renovations that were originally planned to expand the grocery department at a later date.The store will undergo an inspection by Montreal’s authority on sanitary and safety conditions, MAPAQ, prior to the opening date.

As the warehouse starts taking in orders for restock items, Walmart employees will restock the shelves while continuing efforts to clean up in order to welcome shoppers as of mid-May. This is not the first time the store needed to undergo a major clean up and renovations due to arson. A similar incident took place at the same location in October 2020. n

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