The 35th Nuit des Sans-Abri took place in Montreal on Friday night, a province-wide event aimed at raising awareness about homelessness.
Here in Montreal, the evening started with a solidarity march from Phillips Square to Place Émilie-Gamelin, followed by a vigil that highlighted the various realities of homelessness.
Attendees were able to engage in discussion workshops, enjoy soup and coffee, donate warm clothing, learn about street work, visit a mobile supervised consumption site, and enjoy musical performances and meaningful exchanges.
“What brought me to the streets is that when I was young, I’ve been sexually abused. So early in my life, I was afraid of people and closed myself off. I moved forward as best as I could. But I started using alcohol to numb what I was going through because I was in pain,” said Martin Gonthier, a Montrealer who experienced homelessness.
“It’s a bad luck, streak of bad luck actually. Roommates haven’t paid so I got kicked out, ruined my name at the Régie. Since then it’s hard to get an apartment because the name is ruined, credit is ruined,” said Montrealer Ilona Pap.
La Presse reported Thursday that there have been three-times more deaths within the homeless community in Quebec in the last few years.
Data they obtained from the coroner’s office shows 72 deaths in 2023, compared to about 20 in 2019.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante addressed the issue Friday on a question about a homeless community on Notre-Dame street, after an announcement on housing.
“This is why we accompany them to different shelters. That being said, we also know, talking to the shelters organizations, that it’s tough because it’s pretty much full all the time. So I’m definitely waiting, not only me, but other cities in Quebec as well. But for Montreal, we are waiting for the plan from Minister Carmant, who’s in charge of homelessness, to tell us how many beds could be open, extra beds in some of the shelters,” said Plante.
On Thursday, Quebec Solidaire proposed a Montreal summit on the homelessness crisis, to bring together provincial, federal and municipal elected officials, as well as transit company representatives and community experts.
QS says that homelessness in Montreal is reaching “alarming levels,” and they’d like to see a summit on this in the next weeks or months. And those in the community say that fear fuels prejudices.
Those in the community say fear and prejudice add to the struggle.
“I think there are a lot of prejudices. But I believe that at the root, it’s fear. It’s the unknown. It’s the suffering that these people experience that causes the reluctance,” added Gonthier.