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On June 9, 1998, an explosion caused by a gas leak tore through the building that houses Accueil Bonneau, an organization that provides help for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Three people were killed and more than 20 injured.

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What followed was an outpouring of support from the private sector, the city of Montreal and the provincial government. Within four months, the Accueil Bonneau’s building had been rebuilt.

On Monday, some of the people who were there at time — and people involved with the organization today — returned to the Accueil Bonneau to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its rebuilding.

Sister Nicole Fournier, who was the director of the Accueil Bonneau at the time, lived in the building and was left with only the clothes on her back.

The morning after the explosion, there wasn’t a lot of time to think about what had just happened, she said. It wasn’t until later that she realized how serious the incident was.