Montreal homeless advocates call for reform after coroner's report on Innu man's death

Visibly moved, the chief of Raphaël André's Innu community stood to speak after the Quebec coroner presented her findings Thursday on the 2021 death of the 51-year-old unhoused man.

"When you knock on the door one minute before closing, and you get an answer like 'no room'? Come on, forget the rules and come in, my friend, come in, my son. That's a human being," said Réal McKenzie, the chief of Matimekush–Lac John in northern Quebec.

McKenzie's emotional reaction followed the release of coroner Stéphanie Gamache's report into André's death in January 2021. The Innu man was found frozen inside a portable toilet, just steps from the shelter he frequented — one that had reduced hours during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The death was avoidable, the report concluded, and it highlighted a need for more resources to combat homelessness.

"It was totally preventable," said Nakuset, executive director of the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal.

At the time, the Legault government had implemented a curfew that applied to unhoused people as well. It was clear something bad was going to happen, Nakuset said.

"But I'm not quite sure we've learned anything, because we just had another death this winter — another homeless man froze to death," she said. "It's disheartening."

There still isn't enough shelter space, she said. People are gathering in Metro stations and on the streets. There are lineups and waiting lists, but people need services now, she said.

Nakuset said she hopes those in power who read the report will act on it.

David Chapman, executive director of Resilience Montreal, said his organization serves the Cabot Square area and is run by an all-Indigenous board and largely Indigenous staff. Despite the clear need in that area, he said his organization struggles to secure enough funding to keep its doors open.

At a time when Canada is talking about reconciliation, it's difficult to understand why his shelter faces constant funding uncertainty, Chapman said.

Some advocates have pushed for long-term housing solutions to end homelessness, he said, but that shift in mindset is pulling resources away from short-term emergency services. He said the approach fails to meet ongoing, year-round needs that can't only be addressed seasonally.

That's why one recommendation in the report stood out to him. Recommendation 11 calls for "stable and recurring funding for organizations providing emergency shelter services, both day and night, to guarantee universal accessibility to these services, with a focus on harm reduction."

Another recommendation calls for more funding for support services — including mental health, addiction and social support — to ensure professional staffing and proper care. That, too, is urgently needed, Chapman said.