Arson incident occurring at eatery managed by A5 Hospitality Group.
A festive small plates restaurant, Madame Bovary, owned by A5 Hospitality group, was the target of an arson attack early Friday morning in Boucherville. At approximately 3:40 AM, the Longueuil Agglomeration Police Service (SPAL) was summoned to assist firefighters battling a blaze at a building on Mortagne Boulevard. Preliminary on-site findings suggest the fire was deliberately set, according to François Boucher, SPAL's spokesperson. No reported injuries resulted from the incident, nor did the fire spread to neighboring structures. As of yet, no arrests have been made.
Investigators from the identity bureau were expected to delve into the circumstances encircling the incident upon their arrival at the scene the following morning. This attack on Madame Bovary follows a pattern of incidents connected to extortion threats that have persisted for two years in the greater Montreal area. The company behind Madame Bovary, A5 Hospitality, has been under threat, a fact reported in La Presse on Thursday. Additionally, this group suffered another setback earlier this week when an unknown assailant attacked the home of one of its administrators with gunfire in the early hours of Wednesday to Thursday.
Madame Bovary, founded in 2017 and having expanded to a second location in Laval in September 2024, is also associated with the bar Fitzroy, whose facade was pockmarked with bullet holes in early May. The investigations are ongoing, with the arson squad examining surveillance footage that depicts suspects fleeing the scene. The restaurant's staff and patrons are shaken, but thankfully, no casualties were reported. The authorities are working diligently to determine the parties responsible and bring them to justice.
The authorities are working diligently to determine the parties responsible for the arson attack on Madame Bovary and bring them to justice, as this incident follows a pattern of extortion threats in the greater Montreal area that have persisted for two years. The ongoing investigations involve examining surveillance footage of suspects fleeing the scene, as Madame Bovary, a restaurant associated with current crime-and-justice news, has also been at the center of other incidents, such as the incident at Fitzroy bar. Moreover, the politics of this situation become increasingly complex as the attack on Madame Bovary is not just a general-news story, but also a matter of justice, given the persistent threats against A5 Hospitality.
