Quebec Prime Minister Francois Legault says his government will announce a new mental investment in the aftermath of the sword killings in the provincial capital on Halloween night.
Legault said this morning the attack created “all questions” about mental illness, adding that his junior health minister would make an announcement on the matter this afternoon.
However, Legault said it is unreasonable to think that all violent disasters can be avoided.
Two people were killed and five others were injured in the attack on Quebec City’s historic site, allegedly by a middle-aged man who was on his way from the north coast of Montreal.
The 24-year-old has been charged with two counts of first murder and five counts of attempted murder.
The attack prompted Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume to call for a comprehensive public debate on mental health, which he described as a major security issue facing Canadian cities in the coming years.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult to manage our cities. It has become very difficult for our flexible police force to work for social workers, and that is not their job, ”Labeaume said on Sunday.
Legault told a news conference in Montreal today that the proposed solutions included a close working relationship between social workers and the police.
Meanwhile, the province’s Minister of Community Safety, Genevieve Guilbault, said additional mental health support had been obtained from those affected by the tragedy.
Old Quebec residents began a process of mourning on Sunday, gathering victims, namely Suzanne Clermont, 61, and Francois Duchesne, 56.
The publication ban protects the identity of those injured, but officials say all five are expected to survive.
This report from Canada Press was first published on November 2, 2020.