A memorial to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Raphaël Napa André’s death was held Tuesday afternoon, just steps from the warming shelter honouring his name.
Around 40 people attended the outdoor memorial, listening to prayers and speeches. Speakers said the cold temperatures felt during the event are what the homeless population experiences every winter.
The Innu man’s body was found on a cold Sunday morning last January, inside a portable toilet around the corner from the Open Door Shelter. At the time, the drop-in centre that provides services to the homeless was forced to close at 9:30 p.m., due to public health directives issued following an outbreak of COVID-19.
Advocates believe the 51-year-old experiencing homelessness was sheltering from the cold. The coroner’s office has yet to release the cause of death.
Shortly after his death, the Raphaël Napa André memorial tent was installed in Cabot Square to provide respite for the homeless population with nowhere to go. The warming shelter was set up with community support and some government funding.
Organizer’s scraped together enough funds to keep the memorial tent open after the City of Montreal extended the permit in December, allowing it to remain until March 31. But they stress the need for more permanent solutions to protect the vulnerable community.
“We need a building,” said Nakuset, the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal executive director. “Ideally we could have a place where they could just hang out. But if they’re tired we could also have a resting area for them and some, if we have up to 500 people, we need a place where you can at least let 100 people in, maybe more.”
Every day of the week it provides access to a full intervention team, provides a warm place to sleep for 16 people and on average, serves 400 people a night with warm drinks and food.
Alia Hassan of the city’s executive committee told Global News that a permanent solution in the Ville-Marie Borough will be announced “in the coming days” with Projets Autochtones Du Québec, a local Indigenous housing organization.
— with files from Annabelle Olivier and Gloria Henriquez