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The RTC obtained the incident report for the fire on April 30, 2024, provided by the Clerk's Office of the City of Montreal. Unfortunately only the french document was provided however we translated the most interesting parts below.

Relevant details:

• The fire chief determined that the fire was caused by a cigarette thrown into the garbage container.
• A sprinkler activated.
• An alarm system connected to a central unit activated.
• The smoke detector activated.
• The first firefighters were called at 9:10 AM and took 4 minutes and 41 seconds to arrive on site.
• Upon departure, the firefighters informed the dispatch center that the alarms raised by the system and the sprinklers were non-urgent, likely because they had difficulty stopping them (as described by eyewitnesses). The firefighters instructed Minto officials to call the alarm company for verification.
  

Conclusion:

• The source of the fire was minor but demonstrates that cigarette use is poorly controlled; cameras in strategic locations in the garage would help maintain the security of the premises.
• The alarm system and sprinklers operated, which is reassuring.
• The firefighters had to ask Minto to have the alarm and sprinklers checked. Is this related to incidents that occurred early in the morning, twice since the fire?

Additionally, witnesses mentioned that the new speaker system was not working, and residents were unsure whether it was a drill or a real incident.

The Collective has requested that tenants be informed of the status of the alarm project, especially since the old communication system was removed while the new one does not seem fully operational yet.

The number of outdoor parking spaces reserved for Minto has grown and now represents nearly 50% of the spaces for buildings A and B. The administration told us in February that these spaces were for contractors, yet they are mostly occupied even on weekends when no work is being done, while the need for visitor parking spaces becomes more urgent.

The parking space boundaries have been repainted, but in a way that shows a lack of understanding of how the lines should be used.

According to the Office des Personnes Handicapées du Québec, in addition to having clear designations that the spaces are reserved for people with disabilities, it is recommended to mark a side access aisle between the spaces.

Translation:

In a parking area adjacent to a building, the "Building" chapter of the Building Code requires the layout of oversized spaces, with a minimum width of 2.4 meters, bordered by a side access aisle of 1.5 meters in width along their entire length. This aisle can be shared between two spaces. The following diagrams show adequate ways to layout parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities.

The intention is to create a space between parked cars, allowing people with reduced mobility enough room to get out of their vehicle.

However, instead of creating a side aisle between cars, the painters simply used up the space within the disabled parking spot at the edge of the parking area. In addition to not helping to create the useful space, these markings are confusing for drivers who won't understand why they can't park in this part of the space in order to avoid being too close to the car on the left.

Aisle bordering the pedestrian crossing instead of being between cars

Beginning of aisle to the right instead of being between cars

The Rockhill Tenants Collective is in the process of surveying the residents on the quality level of the Rockhill services. If you haven't completed a paper responses yet, you can supply your answer via the web. Respond to the survey

The lack of irrigation last summer causing the drying out of newly laid lawns, and the snow removal tractor's off-trail excursions mean that, with the arrival of spring, many areas on the Rockhill grounds have turned to mud, giving it the appearance of a construction site, rather than a property about which the Montreal Heritage Council said in 2013:

"The CPM considers it important that a landscaping management plan be implemented (...) in order to preserve the landscape qualities of the place in the medium and long term."

and about the "Contribution to the project for conservation of Mont-Royal":

"The layout should take more into account the fact that part of the site is located in the buffer zone surrounding the Oratory Woods."

(see l'avis de Réaménagement des espaces extérieurs - Appartements Rockhill)

In the face of such a disaster, one can only denounce the administration's lack of concern for Rockhill's green vocation. We demand that Minto take its ecological responsibilities seriously and dismiss contractors who are negligent with respect to landscaping!

Now that the last snow is behind us, the debris from what were still garden lamps last year are scattered all over the grounds, giving it a post-apocalyptic and neglected look that matches the presence of graffiti, cigarette butts, and mud. The administration tells us that decisions about suppliers are made in Ottawa, so they cannot decide whether or not to take them back next year. We are assured that very serious warnings have been given, however - which seems to indicate that they will have another chance to destroy the new lamps supposed to replace these.

Graffiti that appeared more than a month ago on the walls of Rockhill has still not been cleaned up, contributing to the neglected appearance of the grounds and raising concerns about the presence of people with anti-social behavior on the premises.

One of the graffiti was made on the wall next to the security office, which seems to indicate a laxity with respect to illicit activities happening right under the nose of security.

Another graffiti was observed near the main entrance of building C - as a welcome for those coming to the rental office?

It is recognized that the lack of urgency in making repairs and cleaning the property encourages antisocial behaviors and contributes to the frustration and feeling of insecurity among tenants who must see this deterioration every day with no apparent interest from the administration.

For Minto REIT, whose business model consists of buying rental properties and increasing their value through improvements to the buildings and apartments, it is contradictory to allow the deterioration of common areas and infrastructures to accumulate.

The administration must act immediately to send a clear signal that such misdemeanors will not be tolerated, to avoid the complex to start having the appearance of a hang-out for a street gang!

The lone security guard for the six buildings at Rockhill is placed in an impossible situation, especially on Thursday through Saturday evenings.

Tenants must call multiple times for assistance while the guard is overwhelmed by numerous situations he must face alone without support, sometimes among several people who may be intoxicated and looking for conflict. In an aggressive situation, the presence of a second guard could help calm things down and/or provide assistance.

It is the responsibility of the landlord to provide peaceful enjoyment of the housing, including ensuring that tenants are not disturbed by other tenants in the building. (see the article from Éducaloi)

Several tenants have also reported that when they are bothered by the smells of tobacco or marijuana, the security service says they are unable to investigate where the smell is coming from. They also say they are unable to follow up with the police as they would not investigate a single isolated case.

Regardless, Minto cannot shirk their responsibility for problems that are common in rental buildings, under penalty of being asked for a rent reduction for loss of enjoyment.