The City of Montreal unveiled a monument in honour of the 37 people killed in the Blue Bird Café fire.

The fire was lit on September 1st, 1972, 40 years ago.

Families, friends and supporters of the victims have long been lobbying the city to install the memorial in memory of those lost, and that was finally done this year.

The Blue Bird Café was downstairs from the Wagon Wheel Bar. When three men were denied entrance to the bar, they set it ablaze by drenching the staircase in gasoline. They pled guilty to the charges.

There were dozens of injuries.

It is reported that because certain exits were locked, evacuating the building quickly proved impossible.

"I heard a commotion behind me, it was a fellow who ran up the stairs, put the gas on the stairs, putting the gas on the stairs, then running down and lighting it," said Gerry Lowengren who was at the Wagon Wheel Bar that night. "We were begging people to jump out the windows, just begging them because they were so hesitant, just procrastinating, because of their fear of jumping."

Last year, Helen Fotopoulos was at the memorial held in the parking lot where the Blue Bird once stood. She told CJAD News the city would be doing something.

Today, many families feel relief knowing the memory of the tragedy that took place that night will never be forgotten.

Victims

John Robert Allan
Sandra Annett
Frances Bowles
James Bowles
Larry Breddy
James Campbelton
Edward Crevier
Leona Dalquen
Marlene Dery
Marion Fanning
Michael Fehringer
Bonnie Rae Evelyn Hill
Catherine Hodson
Valpy Huntington
Patricia Jobes
Réjean Lajoie
Norman Lewis
Linda Livingstone
Brian Lolly
Josephine MacKay-Cameron
Patrick Maher
Patricia Mahoney
Katherine McGimpsey
Elizabeth Montgomery
Susan Morrison
Huguette Normandeau
Joel Petrie
Robert Petrie
Joan Robbins
Jerry Share
Irene Sharpajew
Loukas Simos
Kenneth Tarbuck
Ena Towers
Judith Ann Towers
Kathryn Elizabeth Witanen
Sandra Young