The death of a homeless man Thursday near a temporary shelter in Gatineau shocked the community and political class.
• Also read: A body was found near a makeshift shelter in Gatineau
The coroner’s office is opening an investigation into the unclear circumstances that led to the death of 47-year-old Marc Jodoin.
This usually occurs when a death occurs in violent or unclear circumstances or appears to have occurred due to negligence, or when the identity or probable cause of death is unknown.
“The reason we have a security parameter in place is to secure these items, which will be used by our investigators for more in-depth analysis. This will allow us to accurately determine the circumstances that led to the death,” said Patrick Kenney, spokesman for the City of Gatineau Police Department.
“He’s still pretty close to me. […] Let’s say I was pretty surprised to find out too. Then it’s sad to know that we have lost a good person,” says Éric, a homeless man.
Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle said she was “saddened to learn of a death at the camp.” We cannot remain indifferent. My thoughts are with the family, his relatives and friends. I support everyone involved on site who is deeply affected today. “Let us continue our efforts to prevent these situations.”
For its part, Hull-Wright city council speaks of a “collective failure”.
“I was saddened to learn yesterday of the loss of a citizen of our community. We will have to wait for the results of the coroner’s inquest announced this morning before drawing any conclusions, but we can already say that this is a collective breach of the obligation to ensure the safety of everyone, especially the most vulnerable. ” he said.
The MP for Hall, Suzanne Tremblay, assures that support is available locally.
“The collaboration with all partners is excellent. I think the most important thing is to continue to work together and provide the necessary support.”
Recall that the man was found in a tent on the site of the improvised camp near Gîte Ami and the Robert Guertin Arena.
The police were called to intervene at around 3:30 p.m. Death was announced at the hospital.