Fire destroys Montreal heritage building that housed Canada's 1st cinema

A major fire today in Montreal's Chinatown has gutted a heritage building that housed Canada's first cinema.

The four-storey Robillard Building dates to 1889, and was vacant and being renovated.

More than 50 vehicles and 120 firefighters responded to the five-alarm fire and were working to keep the flames from spreading beyond the building, which is at 974 St-Laurent Boulevard at the corner of Viger Street West.

The fire was reported at 11:19 ET Thursday, said fire Chief Yvon Daunais.

It was under control about an hour later, but continues to smoulder.

No injuries have been reported.

This fire is on St-Laurent/Viger. You can feel the heat. We're being moved back now. http://pic.twitter.com/qRN7fMcUfQ

— @seanhcbc

According to the Centre d'histoire de Montréal, the first indoor motion-picture projection in Montreal was shown at the building on June 27, 1896, in what was then called the Gaiety Museum and Theatorium.

The Robillard Building in Montreal as it looked in 1921. A fire Thursday has gutted the building that housed Canada's first cinema.

"The building was a very important piece of 19th-century history," said Dinu Bumbaru, policy director of Heritage Montreal. 

DERNIÈRE HEURE Montréal : Incendie majeur en cours boul. St-Laurent, près de Viger. #rcmtl http://pic.twitter.com/RYQf2yzjZk

— @SMCharronRC

Montreal police are directing traffic away from the scene.

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Fire destroys Montreal heritage building that housed Canada's 1st cinema