MONTREAL – A vigil is to be held in Montreal this evening to remember one of the deadliest arson fires in Canada’s history.
Relatives and survivors of the Blue Bird Cafe blaze in 1972 will gather at the site to commemorate the tragedy.
They will be pushing for a permanent memorial in time for next year’s 40th anniversary.
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Thirty-seven people were killed in the fire on Sept. 1, 1972.
And more than 50 others were injured in a blaze that has devastated families to this day.
About 200 people were packed into a club above the Blue Bird when the fire was deliberately set on the stairway that was the main entrance.
It was lit by three men who were drunk and angry at being thrown out of the club by a bouncer.
There were not enough fire exits and many people died of smoke inhalation.
Many of those who did escape did so by climbing out windows and leaping to the ground two storeys below.
The fire spurred standardized safety codes for public buildings in Montreal.
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