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Quebec coroner to release report into Innu man who froze to death in Montreal in 2021

MONTREAL — A coroner is scheduled to release her report today into the death of a homeless Innu man whose body was found inside a portable toilet in Montreal. Fifty-one-year-old Raphaël "Napa" André died in January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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An empty Ste-Catherine Street is shown in Montreal, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Quebec government imposed a nighttime curfew to help stop the spread of COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

MONTREAL — A coroner is scheduled to release her report today into the death of a homeless Innu man whose body was found inside a portable toilet in Montreal.

Fifty-one-year-old Raphaël "Napa" André died in January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

His body was found steps away from a shelter that had been closed by public health officials because of plumbing problems and a COVID-19 outbreak.

Quebec had also imposed a nighttime curfew to curb the spread of the virus.

Coroner Stéphanie Gamache is scheduled to hold a news conference in Montreal shortly after she releases her report.

The coroner's inquest on André's death was held in May and June 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.

The Canadian Press