MONTREAL — Firefighters are battling a massive blaze in a historic Montreal building that once hosted Canada's first movie theatre.
More than 120 firefighters were on scene today in the city's Chinatown district as flames leaped out of the historic Robillard building.
By noon, the fire had gutted most of the four-floor building, which was built around 1885.
According to the city, Louis Minier used a room in the Robillard to project the first moving picture film in Canada in June 1896.
Minier was working for the famous Lumiere brothers, who are credited with inventing the early motion picture camera.
Initial reports about the blaze came in just after 11 a.m.
