Advocates say the number of homeless deaths in Montreal over the past three years is alarming.
“There are 35 people here today and it's actually increasing,” David Chapman said at a memorial in Cabot Square. “We put another picture up right away, so there are 36 people now.”
That's just the people served by Resilience Montreal, a community organization that provides services to the homeless. Chapman stressed that those 36 are just the ones they've heard about. He's sure there are many more. Resilience's executive director estimates at least 12 people died last year and there will be others in 2024, including at least one person who lived under the Ville-Marie Expressway.
A woman looks at photos of deceased homeless people during a memorial service for those who have died in Montreal, Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Advocates say the recent number of homeless deaths in Montreal points to a failure, not just of government but of society as a whole. (Global News)
“Matthew. Matthew Donohue, right there,” he said, pointing to a picture of the man taped to a white display board, alongside photos of other victims.
Chapman said Donohue was among the campers evicted last summer when no alternative site was organized.
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“We warned people that if you just kicked people out without giving them a realistic place to go, they’d go into hiding and be more likely to die from an overdose,” he recalled. “And that’s exactly what happened.”
According to him, Donohoe was found in a public restroom stall after overdosing on drugs.
“You can say 'I told you so,' but what does that solve?” he asked rhetorically.
Other workers believe that another notable fact is that more than half of the 36 people were Aboriginal women.
“There was a woman here, Elizapi Putoguk, who had no safe place to go and froze to death,” said Nakuset, executive director of the Montreal Aboriginal Women's Shelter.
Resilience Montreal officials said they held the commemoration to highlight the severity of the city's homelessness problem, but it was also a way for other members of the homeless community to find support for each other.
“This gives us time to mourn,” emphasized customer Vanessa LaPress. “Because when we were homeless and there were no funerals to go to and no one to…” She broke down in tears and couldn’t finish her words, but later said she and others were grateful for the event.
Advocates see the fact that so many people die on the streets as a sign of a government failure, saying there are not enough services for the homeless.
“We need more day shelters for people in crisis,” Nakuset noted. “So if they come in after drinking, we need to provide services for them so they are not turned away.”
Chapman also believes services should be available to all communities, but he acknowledges that is difficult.
“Because what you’re dealing with is community after community not wanting to make the resources available in their communities for the homeless,” he noted.
This has led to over-concentration of resources in some areas and raised coexistence issues, he said.
As advocates and clients mourn the deaths, they worry the situation will only get worse.
