'It just takes one bad dose': Coroner rules NDG fixture Sean Abbott died from overdose
A beloved man who was a fixture on the streets of Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood died last year from a combination of street drugs in his system, including fentanyl, a coroner has ruled.
Sean Abbott fell ill on a sidewalk after midnight on Sept. 18, 2022 and asked a bystander to call 911. He was rushed to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
In the days after his passing, around 100 people gathered near the flowerbeds at Parc Girouard to remember the 38-year-old and share stories of the man known by many as "the king of NDG."
A coroner report that has not yet been made public but obtained by CTV News showed that there were traces of cocaine, fentanyl and alcohol in Abbott's blood. There were no signs of trauma and the family reported no history of self-harm.
His death was ruled accidental.
NDG residents gathered in Parc Girouard on Sept. 24, 2022 just days after the death of Sean Abbott in a vigil to honour his memory (Luca Caruso-Moro, CTV News).
Abbott, who spent much of his life homeless, was beloved among locals, who crossed paths with him at his usual spot -- the dollar store near the intersection of Sherbrooke and Wilson. Those who knew him described him as a kind, smiling socialite who rarely forgot people's names.
His longtime friend, Michelle Jette, said the cause of death brings some closure, but said what happened to him is a cautionary tale for people living in vulnerable situations.
"It just takes one bad dose, one hot dose to kill you and rip you from the people you love," she said Thursday.
Jette said she tried to help him with his addiction issues and to find him housing and work, but was sometimes faced with resistance.
Now that he's gone she wants people living with similar challenges to know that help is out there.
"You can always seek for help. Sean felt that he was hopeless, that he couldn't change. But he could have," she said, overcome with emotion.
"Even if you feel no one's there you've still got yourself. I think Sean … didn't value himself in that way. And I'm really sad he couldn't change that in his life and he can't change it now. Take care of yourself. People love you. There's someone out there who cares about you."
Thinking back to the community vigil last September, she said she was overwhelmed by the turnout and the nearly $3,000 that was raised to support his family. To honour his life, the community held a clothing drive to donate sweaters and warm jackets to people in need.
She said it spoke to the impact Abbott had on the people who came to know him.
Residents put flowers, pictures, and cards at the base of a tree located at the home intersection of Sean Abbott during a daytime vigil on Sept. 25, 2022 (Luca Caruso-Moro, CTV News)
A makeshift memorial set up at the base of a tree near his spot after his passing remains there today.
Over the years, it had become known in the community as Sean's tree.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.