The 16th local edition of the Night of the Homeless will bring residents together in Boisbriand on Friday, October 16, as organizers seek to turn attention toward a crisis that is becoming increasingly visible across the Laurentians.
The rain-or-shine gathering will run from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Boisbriand Recreation Centre, 989 Grande-Allée Blvd. Residents from across the Thérèse-De Blainville MRC—including Blainville, Boisbriand, Bois-des-Filion, Lorraine, Rosemère, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines and Sainte-Thérèse—are invited to attend.
This year’s national theme, “Making the Invisible Visible,” reflects the event’s goal of raising awareness about homelessness, poverty and social exclusion. The timing is also significant: the annual gathering is held as colder weather approaches, when life without stable housing becomes even more dangerous.
Preliminary results from Quebec’s 2025 “Everyone Counts” exercise estimated that more than 12,000 people were experiencing visible homelessness across the province. The Laurentians accounted for 779 of those people, representing a 73.7 per cent increase in the region between 2022 and 2025.
The count provides an estimate of visible homelessness during a single night. The Quebec government describes it as one of several tools used to understand homelessness, meaning the results do not capture every person living in unstable, temporary or otherwise precarious housing.
The Boisbriand evening will combine awareness activities with music and opportunities to meet organizations working in the community. Performances are scheduled by the duo Martin and Andréa and singer-songwriter Antoine Vrana, who is returning for a second year.
Visitors will also be able to view photographs from “A Look at Homelessness,” a project produced in 2025 with the participation of people who had experienced life on the street. A scavenger hunt will introduce participants to local organizations, with participation prizes provided by Odyscène and the Armada.
Rapper, actor and producer Samian, who recently founded Nikamo Musik, is returning as the event’s spokesperson. Organizers say homelessness touched his family directly through an episode experienced by his father, changing Samian’s perspective on the issue and reinforcing his commitment to inclusion.
The Night of the Homeless began in Montreal in 1989 as the “Night of Homeless Youth,” an initiative of the Auberges du cœur du Québec. Events are now held in communities throughout Quebec on the third Friday of October.
