Three years after deadly fire, police arrest owner of Old Montreal building

MONTREAL — The owner of an Old Montreal building that went up in flames in 2023 has been charged with manslaughter in the deaths of seven people who died inside.

Emile Benamor, 63, made a brief court appearance on Wednesday from a police detention centre and did not enter a plea before he was granted bail. In addition to the seven manslaughter charges, he faces eight counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm in connection with injuries to survivors of the fire.

The arrest comes days after the third anniversary of the March 16, 2023 blaze at the heritage property at Place D’Youville, originally built in 1890.

Montreal Police Chief-Insp. David Shane said at a news conference that the allegations against Benamor, who is a lawyer, were related to the state of the building and how it was being managed.

“We’re not accusing him of having (started) the fire,” Shane told reporters at Montreal police headquarters. He also said police were not accusing Benamor of having instructed someone else to start the fire.

The allegations have not been tested in court.

A total of 22 people were believed to be staying in the building on the night of the fire: six escaped unharmed while nine others were injured.

The victims were Camille Maheux, 76; An Wu, 31; Nathan Sears, 35; Walid Belkahla, 18; Charlie Lacroix, 18; Dania Zafar, 31; and Saniya Khan, 31. Six of the victims were staying in illegal short-term rentals in the building while Maheux was a longtime resident.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Michel Pennou authorized Benamor’s release on $10,000 bail and a personal undertaking of $100,000. Among other conditions imposed was a requirement to ensure his other rental properties are properly maintained and are compliant with the fire safety code.

Crown spokesperson Lucas Bastien said Benamor was charged by direct indictment, which means the case will go directly to trial before a Superior Court justice and jury, bypassing the preliminary inquiry phase. Bastien said the measure is meant to expedite proceedings and ensuring a trial happens quickly.

Benamor’s lawyer, Alexandre Bergevin, told reporters after the hearing that his client has co-operated fully with police. “Three years after, it’s a surprise,” he said of the charges, declining further comment.

Families of the victims had recently raised concerns about the lack of charges in the fire, which police identified as arson in 2023. “We are aware that they’ve been waiting for answers for a very long time,” Shane said. “We hope that this development will to some extent alleviate their suffering.”

The father of victim Dania Zafar told The Canadian Press he appreciated Montreal police efforts in making an arrest.

“The arrest is basically linked to the state of the building and how it was being managed regarding safety,” Zafar Mahmood said via text message from his native Pakistan. “The big question (is) who set it and what were the motives.”

Police had opened a criminal investigation into the blaze after saying that they had found traces of an accelerant at the scene. In August 2023, investigators ruled out accidental causes for the fire.

Shane said a case file was given to prosecutors in 2024 and investigators had been working with the Crown to supply more evidence. This included consultations with experts about the state of the building.

“Every case is different, in this case, the complexity of the case made it a bit longer,” Shane said.

Montreal police are conducting two distinct investigations into the fire. The one that led to Benamor’s arrest on Wednesday focused on alleged negligence in building management and whether that led to the quick spread of the fire.

Shane said a major crimes investigation into the intentional setting of the fire “will remain open until it is resolved.”

“Our priority is to bring justice to the victims and provide answers to the bereaved families.”

A number of civil lawsuits were filed stemming from that fatal blaze, and a coroner’s inquest ordered into the fire is on hold until any investigations or trials are completed.

Benamor was also the owner of another Old Montreal building that went up in flames in October 2024, claiming the lives of two French tourists.

Léonor Geraudie, 43, and her seven-year-old daughter Vérane Reynaud Geraudie died in the blaze, which started in a restaurant and quickly spread to the upper floors that were being used as a hostel.

In that other fatal fire, two men, Justin Fortier-Trahan and Juventino Hernandez Pelaez, who were 20 and 18 at the time, were charged with second-degree murder and arson among other charges and are currently awaiting trial.

Also in October 2024, police arrested three people after another building owned by Benamor was shot up. Shane said two of the three have already pleaded guilty to weapons-related charges and were sentenced while a third will appear in court in April.

In June 2021, the Quebec bar placed a restriction on Benamor’s right to practise tax law. The Canada Revenue Agency said Benamor pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges in January 2021, saying he failed to report income totalling $469,591 during the 2012 and 2013 tax years.

The CRA said the amounts came from a fraudulent scheme but the federal agency said it did not have evidence showing Benamor was aware that the funds came from such a scheme.

Benamor’s case returns before a judge on April 17.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2026.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press