The City of Montreal launched a “blitz” of inspections with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec in the city center, two weeks after a deadly fire in a heritage building.
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“We want to give priority to heritage buildings with a rental vocation,” explained Mayor Valérie Plante on Wednesday.
This blitz has already begun in view of the upcoming arrival of tourists for the summer season, in particular with Formula 1 enthusiasts who should be present in large numbers in the metropolis in June.
The wave of inspections is currently concentrated in the borough of Ville-Marie, and more particularly in Old Montreal, where a tragic fire killed seven people and injured nine on March 16.
According to testimonies, victims of the blaze were trapped in apartments without windows and without an emergency exit. Some of these residences had been rented on the Airbnb short-term rental platform.
Since then, other dwellings without windows, sprinklers or emergency exits have been noticed on the platform, in particular by the “Journal”.
Ms. Plante also invited visitors to report any problem of unsafe tourist accommodation to the City.
“It is necessary that [les touristes] challenge the landlord, but above all that they inform 311 right away, right away, right away, it’s obvious, ”she said.
Shared responsibility
The Mayor has repeatedly emphasized that the responsibility for issuing and granting authorizations to modified buildings is shared between the City and the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ).
“Depending on the size, vocation, location, sometimes it’s the City that does the inspection, sometimes it’s the Régie du bâtiment,” she said.
Asked about the issuance of certain permits by officials of the Ville-Marie borough, Ms. Plante affirmed that the work done by the inspectors is “in accordance with their responsibilities”.
“The process is followed to the letter, that’s for sure and certain,” she hammered.
The mayoress nevertheless welcomed the opening of a public inquiry into the fire announced Tuesday by the chief coroner of Quebec, Me Pascale Descary.