Montreal police are investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed an abandoned building that once was Canada’s first movie theatre. The Robillard Building was erected in 1885 and in June 1896, Louis Minier used a room in it to project a moving picture. Minier worked for the Lumiere brothers, who are devised an early motion picture camera.
The fire began late morning on Nov. 17, 2016 and was the fifth historic building to be damaged by fire this year in Montreal, said the municipal opposition party Projet Montreal.
Asbestos found
The Robillard building was under renovation but the work had stopped after asbestos was found. The province of Quebec has very strict rules governing renovations in the presence of that cancer-causing mineral. Providing protection for workers and safe disposal of material can dramatically increase the costs for work being done.
Opposition councillors say the city must do more to protect heritage buildings.
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