Quebec coroner to hold public hearings for Innu man who froze to death in Montreal
Posted February 6, 2024 10:49 am.
Last Updated February 6, 2024 10:51 am.
The Quebec coroner’s office announced that public hearings will begin in May on the death of Raphaël André.
The 51-year-old Innu man was found dead in a portable toilet on Jan. 17, 2021 — he had been seeking shelter.
The incident occurred at the corner of Milton Street and Parc Avenue, steps away from the Open Door shelter in downtown Montreal after public health officials had ordered it to close overnight due to COVID-19 pandemic.
RELATED: Honouring Raphaël Napa André
On Monday, it was announced in a news release that coroner Stéphanie Gamache has been appointed to oversee this inquiry.
“The hearings will allow any interested party to express themselves regarding the circumstances of this death in order to analyze all contributing factors and propose solutions for better protection of human life,” the coroner’s office said in the release.
The public hearings will take place from May 13 to 24 and from June 3 to 14.
A projection in memory of André had been outside the Open Door Shelter after his death — created based on drawings and images his family and his community of Matimekosh-Lac John provided.
