Overview
- Nöam, a kosher restaurant on Décarie Boulevard, was heavily damaged by a two-alarm fire around 3:15 a.m. Saturday and no injuries were reported.
- Investigators say they are reviewing security footage and transferred the investigation to the Montreal police arson squad while no arrests have been made and no motive has been publicly declared.
- Community members, the building owner, and elected officials have urged police to consider an antisemitic motive because the restaurant took catastrophic damage while neighboring businesses suffered only minor harm.
- Video published by news outlets appears to show a lone suspect wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants igniting the fire and fleeing the scene, making the footage central to the probe.
- Nöam opened in August 2024 and its loss has heightened safety and economic concerns for Montreal’s Jewish community as police continue forensic work and searches to identify a suspect.