There are some parts of this city that tend to catch fire more than others. I’m thinking of the Plateau and St. Henri, especially, but that includes anywhere where land values are rising fast enough for unscrupulous landlords to make a buck from fire insurance and a quick sale to a condo developer.
This was taken in the summer of 2007 and the fire was on rue Ste. Marguerite, I believe.
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ah I remember this fire.. I felt so bad for the people right next to the building, they had just finished fixing the outdoor of their house, which was very damaged by the smoke.
Where was this taken from? it’s a great view!
On the roof of the Canada Malt Plant I believe..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdg/sets/72157594418464984/
I was looking at the above photo of the fire in St Henri and it brought to mind another fire in the area over 50 years ago.
One evening in Feb? 1957 we heard on CJAD 800 that the big church on De Courcelle in St Henri was ablaze.
This was kitty corner to the Tramways Car Barns which were then on the NE corner of Glen Road and St Jacques/St Antoine.
We drove to St Jacques and Decarie and parked adjacent to the CPR roundhouse at the Glen on Decarie, as we assumed that St Jacques might be closed at St Remi by water and fire hoses across the road and the streetcar tracks.
It was MINUS 35 F!!! and one of the coldest days EVER recorded in Montreal!
As we turned down St Jacques the wind hit us full force, but we could see the flames knifing into the sky above the buildings along St Remi.
CNR Turcot Roundhouse was steaming to our right down below, as steam not all gone yet, but soon.
The wind was terrible and we had to face uphill passing under the ‘Projection’ over St Jacques of the CPR turning loop up above at the Glen.
Tried to carry on, but it was just too COLD!
Walked back to the car and went home.
I was surfing the web looking for info on the 1957 church fire and found the replacement church had burned, too, as in this link.
http://citynoise.org/article/7052
What has happened to some of our once-cherished ‘Houses of Worship’ is appalling, and maybe a fire is a blessing in disguise?
There was once a small synagogue on Terrebonne between Walkley and Montclair Aves, South side ( Temple Beth Sholom? ) built in 1957, and I see it is now gone, too.
Something else that has now disappeared is Hydro-Quebec’s electric substation on Somerled Ave between Doherty and O’Bryan, North side.
We walked by it every day for 17 years, and occasionally crept up to the barred gates behind to look at the humming transformers within, each on a small section of railways track.
By looking in the front door on Somerled we could see one of those GE clocks and check on the time.
below the clock were several meters keeping an eye on power usage.
Feeder cables to this substation were on tall poles that paralleled both Doherty and O’Bryan North to other feeders adjacent to the CPR behind Cote St Luc shopping centre.
A similar small HQ substation was located on Cote St Luc Rd near Melrose, south side, but the exact location evades me now.
In the above photo St Henri looks quite verdant with the low-rise brick buildings. Lovely!