For the second time in a few months, about fifteen people had to be evacuated from the accommodation buildings adjacent to a building that has long been the risk of collapse in Montreal on Friday afternoon.
It is a passer -by, shortly after 2 p.m., which saw bricks fall from the structure, and which alerted the authorities, according to the Montreal Fire Security Service (SIM). In total, 15 people were inside the two buildings neighboring the building in question.
A shock, for Jérémy Perreault and Maude Brodeur, who had just moved into one of these buildings.
“It does not question our choice of apartment, but it is certain that it makes us think about our way of doing our research,” says Jérémy Perreault, who had just been taken care of by the Red Cross, with the other residents.
When you choose accommodation, you don’t think you necessarily choose the building next to it at the same time.
MAUDE CRODURE
Last March, pieces of the building in question, located at 5990, avenue du Parc, had collapsed on the other building of neighboring housing, causing significant damage to certain apartments. This event had forced the tenants to evacuate the premises for several weeks.
Photo Édouard Desroches, the press
It was a passer -by, shortly after 2 p.m., which alerted the authorities, according to the Montreal Fire Security Service (SIM).
Daniel Lalonde, the owner of the 5990, avenue du Parc, had asked for a demolition in May 2023, but ceased to respond to requests for additional documents from the district. Despite the efforts of the administration to convince him to act, he stopped cooperating, which led to a delay in demolition.
In interview with The press Last month, Marie Plourde, a municipal councilor of Plateau-Mont-Royal, said that the city had a lot of difficulty dealing with Mr. Lalonde, qualifying exchanges akin to the “cat and mouse game”. Meanwhile, a security perimeter was held around the building to protect residents.
But some tenants have never even been able to return to their accommodation, for lack of guarantee of adequate security. This is the case of Chika Shori, who presented himself at the scene of the intervention on Friday, in the evening.
Photo Édouard Desroches, the press
Daniel Lalonde, the owner of the building in question, had asked for a demolition of it in May 2023.
“I always keep my lease,” said Mr.me Shori, who hopes one day the accommodation she loved so much and inhabited for the past six years. For the moment, she lives with friends, but she admits that she should resign herself to finding something soon, noting the dead end in the situation.
The SIM carried out an intervention of analysis of the structure throughout the evening on Friday, and sent a drone to observe the building from the top of the air. At 8 p.m., Avenue du Parc was still closed to traffic, from Van Horne avenue to Bernard Ouest Street.
Two buildings
According to Norm Gordon, the owner of the building evacuated both in March and in the evening of Friday, the 5990, avenue du Parc has been deteriorating for at least 12 years.
But Friday, the situation has taken up a new magnitude when a second building was evacuated.
Photo Édouard Desroches, the press
In total, 15 people were inside the two buildings close to the deterioration building.
“It was a matter of time,” comments Ian Cucurull, owner of the other neighboring building, encountered by The press On site. “The city says it has linked hands, but who will arrange this if it’s not the city?” He explains. The man exchanges regularly with the municipal authorities, and ensures to keep his tenants informed as best he can.
“I really have a good owner, I do not intend to move,” says Elisabeth Lafortune-Cook, tenant of Mr. Cucurull, who was evacuated. “But it is certain that it changes the plans, we had a guest who was to sleep with us this evening,” added the young woman.
