Quebec coroner investigating after three homeless people died last week in Montreal

By Canadian Press on April 1, 2026.

MONTREAL — The Quebec coroner’s office has ordered an investigation into the deaths of five people experiencing homelessness in Montreal since September.

Three of those deaths occurred over two days last week.

In a news release, chief coroner Reno Bernier said the inquest will offer an in-depth analysis into the contributing factors of the five deaths.

He has tasked coroner Stéphanie Gamache and prosecutor Émilie Fay-Carlos to conduct the inquest.

Bernier says Gamache can also consider other recent deaths under similar circumstances.

He says it’s crucial for Montreal to address the underlying human and social issues that are leading unhoused people to die on the street.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2026.

The Canadian Press