Kangirsuk woman dies suddenly near St-Jérôme

By NUNATSIAQ NEWS

The apparently drug-related death of a Kangirsuk woman near Montreal earlier this week has left her many relatives and friends in Nunavik in a state of shock.

Maggie Simigak, 35, died early Sunday morning at the St-Jérôme hospital following a tragic set of events that are still under investigation by the Surêté du Québec provincial police force.

An autopsy did not conclusively indicate the cause of death, although apparently a piece of cellophane with some crystals was found in Simigak’s mouth.

More toxicology tests are planned, but the SQ said it may take several weeks or even months before the results are known. Police have not ruled out the possibility that a drug, such as cocaine, may have been involved.

According to agent Gilles Mitchell, the North Shore police force received a 911-emergency call shortly after midnight last Saturday from a male caller in Piedmont, who said he was concerned about his girlfriend’s whereabouts. He said they had heard noises outside from prowlers and she had gone outside to see what was happening, but had not returned.

Police responded to the call, searching the property around the Swiss-style chalet to find the woman.

“The police found the woman under the porch,” Mitchell said.

She told them she was the victim of a domestic assault.

“There were no signs of violence,” Mitchell said. “She was conscious and able to speak.”

The police escorted her to the police cruiser to wait for the arrival of an ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, the police went to fill in the emergency technicians on the situation.

“When they came back, she was lying down on the floor [of the car], she had stopped breathing, and she was unconscious,” Mitchell said.

Efforts to revive the woman, who has since been identified as Simigak, were unsuccessful. She was pronounced dead at the hospital in nearby St-Jerôme.

When the SQ later attempted to reach Simigak’s boyfriend, he didn’t answer the phone or come to the door. At 8 a.m. Sunday, a SWAT team entered the residence from which the 911-call had been placed.

Following a search, the SQ charged Ghislain Gingras, 35, with providing false identification to police, possession and trafficking of marijuana and possession of cocaine.

Share This Story

(0) Comments