The provincial coroner’s bureau holds public inquiries when the fatalities are considered to be of significant public interest.
In a release, Reno Bernier, Quebec’s chief coroner, said on Tuesday that he has ordered “the holding of a public inquiry following the request from Public Security Minister François Bonnardel, concerning the two deaths that occurred during a fire in Old Montreal on Oct. 4, 2024. Coroner Géhane Kamel has been appointed to chair this investigation. She will be assisted by prosecutor Pierre-Olivier Bilodeau.”
The provincial coroner’s bureau looks into all deaths that are considered unnatural, but it takes the extra step of holding public inquiries when the fatalities are considered to be of significant public interest.
No dates have been set yet for the public inquiry into the fire at Place d’Youville.