‘It makes no sense’: 88-year-old woman found dead outside Laval seniors’ residence

An 88-year-old woman, Jeanne Demers-Goyer, was discovered dead Monday morning outside a private seniors’ residence on Promenade des Îles in Laval’s Chomedey district. Her body was found in the freezing cold.

Emergency services were alerted around 6:50 a.m. for a “medical assistance” call near the Villagia de l’Île Paton, according to the Laval police (SPL).

Demers-Goyer’s death was confirmed on the scene. A walker and some belongings were left where she was found.

Her grandson, Marc-Olivier Naud, said he came to the residence after seeing the news coverage in the morning and speaking to his mother. He was in disbelief his grandmother is the one who was found dead.

“My mom said, ‘It can’t be, it can’t be.’ She talked to her last night and everything was fine,” said Naud. “She’s 88 years old and considered non-autonomous. The first two floors here I think are for those considered non-autonomous. She was able to just walk out, walk past people. No one asked any questions. She wasn’t even dressed, probably. She turned the corner and probably fell, and she stayed there for three-four hours, and that’s how it ended. It makes no sense.

“I don’t see how someone deemed non-autonomous could get out at 6 a.m. and have their life end this way.”

It’s unclear exactly how long she may have been outside.

“You’re going to start seeing the effects of extreme cold within minutes, probably,” explained Montreal doctor Christopher Labos. “I mean, a human being cannot survive in sub-zero temperatures like this for very long unless they have some sort of external heat source or are dressed properly.”

Naud added this is not the first incident with his grandmother being found outside the seniors’ home. He says it happened in the summer as well, when the temperatures were of course much warmer than what was seen Monday, when it was about minus-24 Celsius in the morning. Naud said his grandmother’s condition has deteriorated over the last few years, but would not specify more details about her health.

“Someone, somewhere, will have to answer for this,” he said.

He questioned the security of the private seniors’ home, known as an RPA, and wondered how she was able to get out alone, with her walker, when she is not fully autonomous.

“When you pay $4,000, $5,000 a month, I can’t believe there isn’t a minimum level of security. At 88, she’s not someone who is 65 or 50 and still has all her faculties and is capable of doing everything and go out, able to walk, take care of herself, put on a coat. What was the situation?”

Management of Villagia de l’Île Paton said it would not comment when contacted by CityNews.

George, a 90-year-old resident of Villagia de l’Île Paton, told CityNews he was stunned.

“You think living in an official residence keeps you safe, that we’re secure, but accidents happen all the time,” said the man who’s lived there 14 years.

He says there’s usually someone at the front desk during the day, but after 9:30 p.m., no one is there.

“It’s sad,” he added. “I never thought this could happen here.”

The investigation has been handed over from police to the coroner’s office.

“We can confirm that the Coroner’s office has been notified of this death. Coroner Amélie Lavigne has been appointed to conduct an investigation to determine the causes and circumstances surrounding the death,” wrote Jake Lamotta Granato, spokesperson for the Quebec Coroner’s office. “At the conclusion of her investigation, if she deems it appropriate, [the coroner] may also make recommendations, which are preventive measures aimed at protecting human life and preventing deaths in similar circumstances.”

For now, the cause and circumstances surrounding the woman’s death are still unclear.

–With files from Lola Kalder