Mother of N.B. man found dead has message for premier: ‘Your province is in crisis’

The mother of a man found dead last week in Moncton is calling for change after what she calls a series of systemic failures led to his body being found in a cold public washroom.

The mother of a man found dead last week in Moncton, N.B., is calling for change after what she calls a series of systemic failures led to his body being found in a cold public washroom.

Mary MacDonald said in an interview that her son, Luke Anthony Landry, died hours after he was released from incarceration last Monday without any money or winter clothes.

He survived an overdose at prevention site on Monday afternoon, where staff could not find him a warm place to spend the night.

When he died that night, RCMP misidentified his body and told another family they’d lost their son.

MacDonald says if she had the chance, she’d tell New Brunswick Premier Blain Higgs: “Your province is in crisis, and if it isn’t acted upon right away, more people are going to die.”

The premier did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Donna Price, whose son was mistakenly identified by the RCMP, says she believes their error stemmed from a disregard for unhoused people, and she is also calling for better supports and more compassion for Moncton’s vulnerable populations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nob. 29, 2022.