The mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, refuses to criticize the work of the civil servants of the borough of Ville-Marie who have given in the last years permits of transformation for buildings containing dwellings which are not safe. However, she assures us that a “blitz” is underway with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec to check the safety of certain key buildings in Ville-Marie.
Last week, The duty revealed that transformation permits have been issued by the borough of Ville-Marie to at least four buildings in Old Montreal where several dwellings do not meet basic safety standards. Among these is the Hygie Hotel, located in a basement, whose rooms have no windows giving access to the outside in the event of a fire, while these rooms are not equipped with sprinklers or heating. an emergency exit, which contravenes provincial regulations.
The borough also issued two transformation permits in 2009 and 2010 to the building in Old Montreal which burned down on March 16, killing seven people. The building had at least one windowless room, according to a 911 call sent during the tragedy.
“All the processes in place are followed by the borough and the City”, reacted Mme Plant on Wednesday as part of a press briefing where she was questioned by several media on the subject. The mayoress thus refused to criticize the work of the officials of the borough of Ville-Marie, arguing that the process of granting transformation permits is a “shared responsibility” with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) .
“We are going to do a blitz with the RBQ to check the old buildings and those that have rental units,” added M.me Plante, indicating that particular attention will be paid to the Old Montreal sector. “We want to make sure we’re ready for the summer. »
However, the mayor could not indicate how many buildings will be inspected by the City and the RBQ as part of this operation, which is already underway.
More details will follow.
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