The Montreal morgue is running out of space.
Officials are issuing a call to Montrealers to come forward and claim the 89 unclaimed bodies left behind, some for as long as two and a half years.
The coroner’s office published a complete list of all the deceased people left behind, in hopes they will be collected by someone close to them.
In general, remains that are only kept temporarily by the coroner and returned to their families within hours or days after death.
Sometimes, however, bodies are not claimed.
Chief Coroner Catherine Rudel-Tessier told the Journal de Montreal there are 138 refrigerated units at the facility, and 89 of those spaces are being used, holding unclaimed bodies.
People like Gerald Rudolph, Carole Bellefleur and Norman Budd have all been named on the list, left behind by their families.
Some more examples:
- Sabrina Verhelst, born on Sept. 14, 1980. She lived at 4214 Sainte-Catherine St. The coroner has held her since July 1, 2016
- Daniel Welshman, born on March 29, 1958. He lived at 1759 Henri-Bourassa Blvd. Est. The coroner has held him since July 2, 2014
- Angela Leduc, born on March 12, 1964. She lived at 101-3738 Laval Ave. The coroner has held her since Nov. 30, 2015
Family members sometimes refuse to claim the bodies even after they are identified, Rudel-Tessier told le Journal.
The morgue is hoping to return the bodies to relatives as soon as possible.
