Year in review: 10 of Montreal's biggest stories in 2023

2023 was not a quiet year for the Montreal area. From tragedies to victories and everything in between, here are 10 of the top stories that gripped Montrealers this year.

2023 was not a quiet year for the Montreal area. From tragedies to victories and everything in between, here are 10 of the top stories that gripped Montrealers this year. 

On Jan. 4, a man's lifeless body was discovered near Roxham Road in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que.

He was later identified as Fritznel Richard, 44, a Haitian migrant living in Montreal.

Until recently, Roxham Road was an unofficial border crossing commonly used by asylum seekers entering Canada through the U.S.

Richard was making the less common and more treacherous passage in the opposite direction, travelling on foot through a wooded area in an attempt to reunite with his family, who were living in the U.S. while he sought work in Montreal.

His death, believed to be caused by hypothermia, prompted calls to reduce regulatory barriers to migration.

The Roxham Road crossing was formally closed months later following an amendment to the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S.