A few days after dismissing it, the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, is now calling for a public inquiry into the fire that killed seven people in Old Montreal in mid-March.
The duty was able to confirm this information, first reported by Radio-Canada, from a reliable source. Mr. Bonnardel will address the media around 2 p.m. in Quebec City.
The Minister of Public Security is the only elected member of the Quebec government who can request such an investigation from the Bureau du coroner. The Chief Coroner can do it too, but she said at the end of March that it was “too early” to start this process.
The tragedy in Old Montreal, which raged in a heritage building housing several illegal short-term rental units, was until now the subject of private investigations by coroner Géhane Kamel. A public inquiry will enable it to hear experts and witnesses in hearings accessible to all.
In the National Assembly, the three opposition parties had asked for the launch of such a process. The official opposition in the City of Montreal followed suit a few days later.
So far, however, the Quebec government has chosen to rely on ongoing investigations. “We are closely following the evolution of the file and must let the authorities do their job”, indicated Minister Bonnardel’s office last week.
An inquest into the death of Maureen Breau
The duty was also able to confirm on Tuesday that the government of François Legault is demanding a public inquiry into the death in the line of duty of police officer Maureen Breau, in Louiseville. The city’s mayor, Yvon Deshaies, as well as the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, Éric Duhaime, were among those who demanded it.
The Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) has so far looked into the circumstances surrounding the death of this Sûreté du Québec officer.
Further details will follow.