Are Montreal’s own policies keeping some buildings vacant — and vulnerable?

When a fire ripped through Jane Lu’s family home in May 2024, Montreal firefighters had to punch holes in the floors and ceiling to make sure it was out.

There were pieces of gyprock, wood and drenched insulation everywhere. 

The fire started in the Bouillon Bilk restaurant on St-Laurent Boulevard in the early morning hours and quickly spread. It forced Lu’s elderly father and brother out of their apartments on the second floor as well as the tenants on the top floor.

The water damage was extensive.

“We had to get an engineer’s report that said it was pretty much a 90 per cent loss,” said Lu. “They had to condemn the building.”

As they spoke to claims adjusters and their insurance company, Lu’s family realized they didn’t have enough money to rebuild.

They wanted to demolish the building and leave the land vacant, but the city said that was not possible without a concrete plan to rebuild.

“We’re not in the building-making business,” said Lu, whose family was simultaneously dealing with the stress of losing their home and moving.

What followed was months of uncertainty about what to do with the building. Lu’s experience reflects the hurdles some property owners face navigating the city’s policies around vacant buildings. 

Earlier this week, CBC reported on the city’s slow progress when it comes to tracking abandoned buildings and fining property owners for poor maintenance.

In Lu’s case, she says her family wanted to act, but they felt hamstrung by the city’s by-the-book approach and lack of support.

“There