Dear Editor, 

On Jan. 22, 2026, our family in Otter Lake received the kind of news no one is ever prepared for — we lost a beloved son, brother, father, grandfather, and friend in a tragic and unexpected way, on Jan. 21. The pain of his passing was made even worse by how we learned about it. 

No authorities contacted us directly. Instead, we began hearing unsettling information from people in town. Confused and desperate for answers, his sister and sister-in-law called hospitals in Shawville, Hull and Gatineau, only to be told that no information could be shared. They went to his home searching for any sign of what had happened. A neighbour mentioned that the police were supposed to notify the family, yet no one had reached out. 

They immediately went to the police station in Campbell’s Bay, where an officer finally confirmed that our loved one had passed away. Receiving such devestating news in this way — after hours of uncertainty, fear and searching — was a shock no family should ever have to endure. 

Later that day, the investigator assigned to the case called to apologize. He explained that he believed the ex-girlfriend was going to inform the family, while she had told police that she did not want to be responsible for delivering the news. As a result, no one informed us at all, and we were left to uncover the truth ourselves. 

We are sharing this experience so others understand what happened and to highlight how important proper communication is in moments like these. It should always be the responsibility of the police to notify a family of a death, clearly, directly, and with compassion. That did not happen in our case. 

We would never wish the loss of a loved one on anyone, nor the added trauma of learning about it the way we did.

Suzanne Dubeau, Otter Lake