RCMP updates status of investigation into the Brooks Bank Fire, which claimed four lives of the Rochon family 25 years ago

Lorraine Rochon, speaking at an RCMP
media briefing on the 25th Anniversary of the
Brooks Bank tragedy

A quarter of a century has passed by since the tragic events of February 5, 1990 took place in downtown Prince Rupert.

Yesterday marked an anniversary of the day which saw the Prince Rupert Fire Rescue Department face one of its more heartbreaking of fire fighting assignments and left the RCMP to continue on with the work of attempting to solve a crime that is as mysterious today, as it was in 1990.

As the PRFD tackled the all consuming fire of the Brooks Bank building on Third Avenue West, it was later learned that the horrific blaze had claimed the lives of four Prince Rupert residents: Helga Rochon (45), Sherri Rochon (27), Pauline Rochon (19), and Pauline’s seven month old daughter Kimberly Dumais.

Now 25 years later, the remembrance of that infamous day highlights a crime of arson and lists four homicides that have yet to be solved. The loss of life still a memory that remains with residents every time they pass by the downtown site of the tragedy.

The February 1990 fire call, came during an era of a number of high profile blazes in the downtown area, though none that struck the city in those years has carried as much emotional resonance to the city as the Brooks Bank Fire.

The case file from that incident is now part of an investigation being handled by the Provincial Unsolved Homicide Unit of the RCMP and the subject of a media gathering in Vancouver on Thursday.

At the media conference, the RCMP reviewed what they know about the crime to date and disclosed some background regarding an anonymous letter that the family received four years ago that offered some new perspective on the four homicides.

From their renewed look at the case file the RCMP investigators still hold the belief that someone, somewhere, knows something about the fire. And on Thursday the RCMP urged them to come forward to bring a close to the 25 years of uncertainty.



To seek some momentum for the case file, the RCMP also issued a call for the public to return to February 5th of 1990 and should they trigger a memory previously forgotten, to share that bit of information with investigators.

Any small detail may be the one key ingredient that leads to  bringing this long standing case to a close and provide some form of completion for Lorraine Rochon, one of the surviving members of the Rochon family.

Ms. Rochon spoke at Thursday's media conference, offering her perspective of the last twenty five years with a powerful statement.

One that sought the assistance of the public with the investigation, while at the same time recounting the numerous family milestones over the years that have been forever altered by the deaths of her family members.

The Prince Rupert detachment of the RCMP issued this background piece on the latest steps in the investigation, included in the media release is the full statement from Ms. Rochon, which offers up a small sample of the pain and grief that the family has had to endure for far too many years now.

Those who may have any information related to the events of February 5, 1990 are asked to contact the Provincial Unsolved Homicide Unit Tip Line at 1-877-543-4822.

You can also contact the Prince Rupert Detachment of the RCMP at 250-627-0700  or by way of Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Locally the Northern View had two items of note on the emotional anniversary this week:

Rochon sister makes plea to the province for information on fatal fire
Fatal Fire unsolved 25 years later

While CFTK TV 7 featured this review of the story on Thursday evening.



The nature of the RCMP gathering of Thursday also received the full attention of the major news sources for the province, some of their work can be found below.

Globe and Mail-- Family pleads for answers to 1990 Prince Rupert arson cold case
Vancouver Sun -- Relative begs secret letter-writer to help solve 25 year old Prince Rupert arson
CBC--  Rochon family cold case reopened 25 years after fire killed three generations
Victoria Times Colonist-- Family of fire victims makes plea 25 years on
Vancouver Province -- Plea made to anonymous letter writer to help solve arson deaths
CKNW-- It's not too late to help solve 1900 Prince Rupert cold case, police say

Global Television BC featured three items of interest on the Brooks Bank Fire as part of their Thursday broadcasts, one of which included archival footage of the 1990 crime scene.


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