Montreal kosher bakery destroyed in second suspected arson fire within 25 hours

A kosher bakery in Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough was targeted twice in about 25 hours and ultimately destroyed. According to police and the owners, on the night of November 2 at about 11:30 p.m., someone tried to enter Mimimelon through its rear entrance, threw liquid against the building and set it alight before fleeing; that fire caused little damage. About 25 hours later, in the early hours of November 4, the same address caught fire again, and about 60 firefighters took roughly two hours to bring it under control. The bakery was destroyed, neighbouring businesses were affected, and no one was injured.

Police: evidence points to deliberate ignition; motive not established

Montreal police said evidence recovered at the scene indicated the fire was deliberately set, and the arson squad and hate-crimes unit are investigating. No arrests have been announced and investigators have not publicly established a motive. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Info-Crime Montreal. In a statement, the owners confirmed the complete loss of their establishment, saying the destruction put the livelihoods of its 22 employees in jeopardy.

Background: a September threat, and a March incident nearby

Co-owner Jennie Volfson told CTV News that in September, someone entered the bakery with their face covered and shouted a threat against Jews before fleeing. Police have not publicly established whether the incidents are connected. The bakery was also the subject of a Journal de Montréal investigation published on October 24 detailing years of food-safety violations; police have not said the investigation is connected to the fires. This article reports only confirmed facts and attributed accounts, and draws no conclusion about motive.

(Sources: Montreal police spokesperson statements; CTV interview with co-owner Jennie Volfson; Montreal Jewish News, November 4-5, 2026. Cover photo is a file photo of Montreal firefighters at a fire scene, not the scene of this incident.)