Bell Canada has sued the City of Sherbrooke and the Government of Quebec for more than $ 1 million for damages sustained by its facilities during an arson attack under the Montcalm bridge in August 2021.
According to firefighters, the fire was caused by a smoker’s item falling into piles of garbage accumulated by squatters under the bridge. The fire, which severely damaged telecommunications cables, lost telephone and Internet service to Bell subscribers within days. Traffic on the bridge was also blocked for several months while the repairs were being carried out.
For Bell Canada, in Ville Sherbrooke, the Ministère des Transports du Québec (owner of the structure) and the Ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles (owner of the land) to ensure the safety, cleanliness and maintenance of the area .
” The defendants were responsible for the fire and for the damage Bell sustained. “
According to the motion to institute proceedings filed with Sherbrooke courthouse clerks, municipal and government authorities cannot ignore issues and doubts related to unauthorized attendance under the Montcalm bridge.
Defendants were aware or inevitably knew that the space under the Montcalm bridge was frequently accessed without the right and without the consent of individuals, whose work was a source of nuisance and created a risk to the security and integrity of the bridge. of Montcalm. and the facilities it containssaid Bell Canada in its motion.
The company also filed the investigation report conducted by the Sherbrooke Fire Protection Service following the event on August 11, 2021 as evidence at its request.
An amount charged for damage and repairs
An amount of $ 1,133,622 was claimed to cover losses associated with the substantial loss, which affected approximately 2,000 of their subscribers.
The cost of repairing the equipment is also part of this claim.
Bell had to renovate Bell’s facilities, where the work took place over several weeks, and involved significant mobilization of financial, human and material resources, primarily due to the complexity associated with the restoration of services. under the structure. from the Montcalm bridgesaid Bell Canada.
The Government of Quebec and the City of Sherbrooke have indicated to the Superior Court their intention to fight this lawsuit. The City also said it did not want to comment on the case because it was in court.
Both parties must prepare the case before it returns to the Superior Court docket in the coming months.
Source: Radio-Canada