The passage of the Rebellion Losses Bill on the night of April 25 , 1849 , led to the sacking and arson of the St. Anne 's Market parliamentary building . The fire , set by Loyalist rioters attempting to disrupt an ongoing Assembly session , spread to nearby building and burned rapidly . Firefighters sent to respond to the fire at St. Anne 's Market were slowed by mobs of rioters , leading to the building 's total destruction within two hours . Over 23,000 volumes in the parliamentary library , as well as the partial archives of Upper Canada and Lower Canada , were lost in the fire . The parliament reconvened the following day , April 26 , at the Bonsecours Market , where it would reside until moving permanently to Toronto
sacking and arson
Burning of the Parliament Buildings in Montreal
St. Anne's Market