An investigation is underway after a 93-year-old woman, Hélène Rowley-Hotte, was found dead outside a seniors' residence in the city's east end Sunday morning.
Rowley Hotte was the mother of former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe.
Montreal police say a fire alarm sounded at around 4 a.m. Sunday at the Residence Lux Gouverneur on Sherbrooke St. E., a few blocks away from Olympic Park. Residents of the complex were then notified about which pavilions needed to evacuate.
It turns out that residents of the building Rowley-Hotte lived in didn't have to evacuate, but police say she had hearing problems, didn't hear the announcement clearly, and went outside anyway.
She wasn't able to get back into the building, and at around 11 a.m. — at the height of Sunday's snowstorm, and with windchill values well below minus 30 — she was found dead, lying in the snow.
The Quebec coroner's office has opened an investigation. So far, there's been no comment from either the coroner's office or management of the residence.
Oui, de tout cœur avec vous @GillesDuceppe, Yolande et vos enfants face à ce terrible drame. Toutes mes condoléances. Une pensée toute particulière pour toi mon ami @Alduceppe. https://t.co/q4igqbQ0ER
— Véronique Hivon (@vhivon) January 21, 2019
Isabelle et moi sommes bouleversés pas le décès de Mme Rowley, la mère de Gilles Duceppe. J’offre toutes mes sympathies à Gilles, à ses frères et soeurs, ainsi qu’à toute la famille dans ce moment d’une grande tristesse.
— François Legault (@francoislegault) January 21, 2019