MONTREAL — After three unhoused people died in Montreal last week, the Quebec coroner’s office has ordered an investigation into the underlying issues that are leading to the deaths of some of the city’s most vulnerable people.
In a news release on Wednesday, chief coroner Reno Bernier said his office will hold an inquest into the deaths of five people experiencing homelessness in Montreal since September, the youngest being 30 years old.
Valmont Brousseau, 71, and Alain Paris, 55, died in separate homeless shelters on March 24, the office of the Montreal mayor confirmed. The next day, 57-year-old Serge Martin died, the coroner said.
The coroner will also investigate the Oct. 24 death of Marie Soleil Nantais, 46, and the Sept. 23 death of 30-year-old Jennifer De Nobile.
Bernier said the inquest will offer an in-depth analysis into the contributing factors of the five deaths, and he has tasked coroner Stéphanie Gamache and prosecutor Émilie Fay-Carlos to conduct the hearings.
The chief coroner says Gamache can also consider other recent deaths under similar circumstances.
“With the rise in deaths among people experiencing homelessness, a thorough examination is needed to address the underlying human and social issues,” Bernier said in the release. “Because every life matters, it is essential to shed full light on the causes and circumstances of these deaths. ”
The inquest will lead to recommendations for the city to better protect those experiencing homelessness and foster “a broader discussion on the issues specific to this phenomenon” to prevent further deaths, Bernier added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2026.
Erika Morris, The Canadian Press
