Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferada broke down in tears Thursday after confirming two unhoused men-Serge and Valmont-died within 24 hours at separate shelters. Both had lived on the streets for years and were well known to outreach workers.
The city pledged $412,000 to community group l’Anonyme to assist residents of the Notre-Dame Street encampments. Later that day, officials revealed a third death: an Indigenous woman who passed away at a shelter serving Indigenous populations.
David Chapman, head of Resilience Montreal, said his organization alone loses someone every two weeks. “It’s traumatizing over time,” he said. Most deaths stem from drug overdoses at encampments.
Sam Watts, CEO of Welcome Hall Mission, noted such deaths occur roughly once a month due to untreated health issues. Chapman urged provincial authorities to establish an official count of unhoused deaths to guide service planning.
“We cry because we’re sad, but also because we’re mad,” Mayor Ferada said. “All governments need to do better.”
Quebec Solidaire MNA Guillaume Cliche Rivard accused the CAQ government of choosing not to fund homelessness initiatives despite available resources.