Feds push Legault to ease curfew rules, say homeless man's death in Montreal was avoidable

The federal government is adding its voice to those calling on Premier Franois Legaultto relax how curfew rules are applied to homeless people in Montreal, after a man died over the weekend, just steps away from a shelter that was closed for the night.

On Wednesday,Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said the death could have been avoided and joined Montreal Mayor Valrie Plantein asking Quebec to be more lenient with the city's homeless population.

Like most other Quebecers, they can'tbe outside between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., a public health measure aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.

"I would have wanted more flexibility on the part of the Quebec premier,"Miller said at a news conference in Ottawa.

Pressure has been building on the Legault government to exempt homeless people from the curfew rules since Sunday, whenthe body ofRaphal Andr, a homeless man originally from the Innu community ofMatimekush-LacJohn, was found in a portable toilet.

Andrwasforced to leave a nearby shelter, the Open Door, which has been barred from staying open overnight ever since a COVID-19 outbreak there last month. He was facing a $1,550 ticket if caught by police outside.

More than 15,000 people have signed a petition, sponsored by the Parti Qubcois, backing an exemption for the homeless.

So far,Legault has rebuffed such demands. He justified his position on Tuesday by saying that exempting homeless people from the curfew rules would encourage others to "pretend" to be homeless.

Miller, who represents a downtown Montreal riding, said Andr's death raises questions about whether homeless people are able to obey the law. "We have to show more humanity," he said.

Quebec'sIndigenous Affairs Minister seeks to reassure

Miller's Quebec counterpart, Indigenous Affairs MinisterIan Lafrenire, said police in Montreal were, by and large, directing homeless people to shelters, and had issued only a handful of tickets since the curfew began.

"This is not hunting homeless people in downtown Montreal,"Lafreniresaid in an interview with CBC News on Wednesday evening.

"If you're in a position where you're homeless in Montreal, you already are vulnerable. You don't need to be scared. You don't to feel that you'll get a ticket."

Lafrenire supported Legault's claim that exempting homeless people from the curfew would be impracticaland would encourage others to test the limits of the rules.

Lafrenirepromised the Quebec government wouldset up a warm shelter by Friday evening at Cabot Square, which is a popular downtown meeting spot for Indigenous members of the homeless population.

Quebec also announced it would help the city ofMontreal convert theCentre Pierre-Charbonneauarena, near the Olympic Stadium, into a temporary homeless shelter with 112 beds.

Advocates for homeless people had warned Legault,when he first announced the curfew, that it wouldplace many Montrealers in a precarious situation.

Legaultdownplayed their concerns by saying there was enough space in Montreal's shelters to accommodate them. That claim was contested by the administrators of several shelters in the city.

On Wednesday, Mayor Plante vowed to continue pushing Legault to allow exemptions for homeless people.

"I'm disappointed," she said of Legault's refusal. "The curfew adds significant pressure onthose without a home. The shelters are overflowing. It adds to the stress of front-line workers."