A dozen people gathered in downtown Montreal on Tuesday to commemorate the death of Raphaël Napa André, an Innu homeless man who froze to death in a chemical toilet in the Milton-Parc area a year ago.
Posted at 3:13 p.m.
Despite the freezing cold, several people took the floor to pay tribute to the man.
The gathering took place at Square Cabot, in front of the tent set up by the organization Résilience Montréal since February 2021, in memory of Raphaël André. The heat drop-off was erected to provide food and a place to warm up to the homeless.
Mr. André, 51, was found unresponsive on the morning of January 17, 2021. The chemical toilet he was in, at the intersection of Parc Avenue and Milton Street, was a few steps from the refuge La Porte Ouverte, which he used to frequent.
The center, which is usually open at night in winter, was at that time closed in the evening due to an outbreak of COVID-19. The curfew was in effect at the time of the tragedy.
“As of Monday, the 50 places for homeless Indigenous people offered at the Guy Favreau complex will be transferred to the Hôtel des Arts, so we are moving from a night center to a 24/7 resource,” said the mayor’s office. of Montreal, Valérie Plante, in writing to The Press. The Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal region, Chantal Rouleau, took part in the event.
Last week, a 74-year-old homeless man who lived in a camp died of cold during a wave of polar temperatures that hit Montreal.
Raphaël André was from Matimekush-Lac John, an Innu community in Schefferville, 500 km from Sept-Îles.
With Philippe Teiscera-Lessard and Mayssa Ferah, The Press