By Sidhartha Banerjee The death of an unhoused Innu man whose body was found inside a portable toilet in Montreal was avoidable, a Quebec coroner said Thursday, highlighting the need for additional resources to combat homelessness. Raphaël “Napa” André died on Jan. 17, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. André, 51, was found steps away from the Open Door shelter in downtown Montreal, which was 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. “We must keep in mind our collective responsibility when a death occurs that was avoidable,” coroner Stéphanie Gamache wrote in her report. André’s death was attributed to hypothermia in the context of severe alcohol intoxication. His blood-alcohol level was…
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