A 93-year-old woman whose body was found in the snow outside a Montreal seniors residence Sunday was the mother of former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe.
Quebec's coroner's office is investigating the death of the woman, who perished after leaving her retirement home when a fire alarm sounded early in the morning.
A friend of Duceppe confirmed to The Canadian Press that the victim was Helene Rowley Hotte.
The victim had hearing problems and likely didn't understand the message that her building wasn't part of the evacuation order, Montreal police said.
The door locked behind her as she went into a backyard, and she wasn't able to get back inside the building.
Police received a call shortly before noon Sunday about a woman found dead in the snow, likely from hypothermia.
They transferred the investigation to the coroner's office after determining there was no criminal element to the death.