Two ladies from Montreal who had been well-known within the metropolis’s deaf neighborhood have died in Portugal after being struck by a practice, in accordance with experiences.
The ladies killed have been recognized on-line by relations as Guylaine Boulanger, 62, and Elise Bénard, 66.
Serge Adam, who identifies himself because the cousin of Bénard, mentioned he’s shocked by her passing.
Evian Briere, a member of Boulanger’s household, posted a video on Fb which included a caption asking for his household’s privateness.
“This can be a very tough interval for us and we hope to guard our privateness. On this second, we’d like house to expertise our grief as a household,” the caption reads.
“Thanks on your understanding, your discretion, and all of the love you’ve for Elise and Guylaine.”
Get breaking Nationwide information
For information impacting Canada and world wide, join breaking information alerts delivered on to you after they occur.
World Affairs Canada responded to an inquiry from World Information saying they had been conscious of the deaths of two Canadian residents in Mesão Frio, Portugal, however didn’t verify the names of the ladies or the date the incident occurred, citing “privateness concerns.”
“We prolong our deepest condolences to their households and family members in addition to to all of these affected,” a spokesperson for World Affairs Canada mentioned in a press release.
“Consular officers are involved with native authorities and are involved with the households concerned to supply consular help.”
Jean Davia, a coordinator with Affiliation des personnes vivant avec une surdité (APVSL), advised World Information they knew Boulanger from her involvement with APVSL. The group brings collectively deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals within the Laval, Que., area by way of varied social and informational actions.
Based on The Portugal Resident, Boulanger and Bénard had been taking pictures and selfies near the Douro River on Saturday.
The pair had been with two different individuals, who weren’t injured within the incident.
The information outlet mentioned that sooner or later the 2 ladies had walked to a stage crossing the place they had been hit.
The practice conductor reportedly blew his horn when he noticed the 2 ladies on the tracks and utilized his brakes, however the locomotive didn’t cease in time.
Boulanger and Benard’s deaths are the third and fourth this month through which a pair from Quebec died in Portugal.
Earlier this month, World Affairs Canada confirmed a pair from Quebec had been amongst no less than 16 individuals who died when a well-liked streetcar in Lisbon derailed on Sept. 3.
The Quebec Ministry of Tradition mentioned in a press release that Blandine Daux and Andre Bergeron had died in the course of the derailment of the funicular.
–with recordsdata from World Information’ Mike Armstrong
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
