Death of woman at Montreal encampment 'a tragedy,' says mayor

A woman in her 50s has died after a fire broke out at a homeless encampment early Wednesday in Montreal.

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said the death is a tragedy that serves as a reminder of the importance of eliminating homelessness.

Emergency services were called to the site in the Montréal-Nord borough around 5 a.m.

At the scene, police say they found an unconscious woman, who was taken to hospital in critical condition. She was pronounced dead in hospital.

Firefighters were also called, but the fire was put out before they arrived. 

It remains unclear how the fire started or what caused the woman's death. Police said an investigation is ongoing.

Martinez Ferrada began Wednesday's municipal executive committee meeting by saying her thoughts are with the woman's family and those who knew her. She added that it's imperative for governments to ensure that everyone has access to safe housing and can live in dignity.

"It's not normal to see Montrealers dying on our streets," she said. "When we leave people to fend for themselves, the consequences affect our entire society.”

With winter around the corner, the city is expected to unveil its planned emergency resources for unhoused people on Thursday morning.

Quebec's premier-elect also reacted to the news on social media, saying he will make the fight against homelessness "a personal matter." Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said emergency budgets will be available in the short-term for emergency shelters, among other things.

"Winter is at our doorstep and we must be ready," he wrote. "We will act decisively to prevent this kind of tragic event from happening again."

He also promised to find solutions for long-term housing.

The Quebec government estimated there were just over 12,000 people living on the street in the province in 2025, a significant increase over the past decade. Provincial estimates indicate the number grew by 44 per cent between 2018 and 2022, followed by an additional 19 per cent increase over the next three years.

The government estimated that about 42 per cent of the province’s unhoused population lived in Montreal in 2025.

During the electoral campaign, which led to a PQ minority government, St-Pierre Plamondon pledged to cut the number of homeless people in Quebec in half by 2030.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2026.

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