The mayor of Ormstown, a small town southwest of Montreal, is calling for more police officers and concrete action from the province, after a series of fires targeting restaurants sparked fear among residents and businesses.
Philippe Besombes met with Quebec’s Minister of Internal Security, Guy Jr. Lapointe, and senior provincial police officials on Monday morning, a day after a fire destroyed a local pizzeria.
“People are in shock,” Besombes said in an interview Monday with The Canadian Press.
“They are very concerned, and I am very concerned.”
The city has fewer than 4,000 inhabitants, according to 2021 federal census figures.
The mayor said four fires have targeted restaurants in Ormstown in recent months, including two that caused significant damage. A fifth suspicious fire has been reported elsewhere in the region.
Besombes said he has already met with the provincial police three times in recent weeks. However, he believes that his municipality needs a much larger police presence, especially in the downtown area.
He said he had conveyed a concrete message to government officials at Monday’s meeting: “We have to stop talking, we have to act.”
According to the mayor, four provincial police officers in two patrol cars provide coverage of the 13 communities in the Haut-Saint-Laurent region during the night.
While this level of police presence can, in his opinion, be sufficient in normal times, he believes that the recent series of alleged cases of arson must be taken into account.
“It takes an extra police presence during the day and at night,” he said. “(…) I need a much more sustained police presence in the downtown area than there is at the moment.”
Besombes said officials had promised to present him with a concrete plan, including measures to prevent further incidents and strengthen the investigation.
He said he left the meeting encouraged, but still worried. “I am reassured about the will to act, but I am not yet reassured about the next steps,” he said.
On Sunday, Minister Lapointe wrote on X that the residents of Ormstown have the right to feel safe in their community.
Lapointe did not immediately comment after his meeting with Besombes.
The latest fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. Sunday at a pizza place on Lambton Street, according to provincial police.
Police said clues found at the scene suggested the fire was started deliberately. The building, which also housed apartments upstairs, was destroyed and no injuries were reported.
Fire investigators and technicians have been dispatched to the scene. Police said no suspect had been identified and the investigation was ongoing.
Besombes said the repeated incidents had shaken the community, with some traders questioning whether they could continue to operate safely.
The mayor added that he has also raised concerns with the province about the economic impact of the fires and the need to protect businesses.
“We will have to support us in terms of economic maintenance and then ensure that our merchants can carry out their work in complete safety, in complete peace of mind,” he said.
Despite the growing concern, Besombes said he is convinced that the community will be able to meet the challenges ahead.
“We are a rural municipality with a long history. Here we are very tightly knit,” he said. “So, I’m still confident that we’ll get through all of this and that we’ll stay strong and united as a community.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
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