Fentanyl pills are seen in this undated handout photo.
A toddler was left on his own for four days after the two adults in the house died of a fentanyl overdose last winter in Gatineau, Que., a coroner investigation has concluded.
The deaths of Christopher Lecouvie, 33, and his girlfriend, Amélie Gauthier-Matte, 21, had made headlines in February because a three-year-old boy was found in their house. Police believed at the time that the child had been alone for at least two days.
There were no signs of violence so no foul play was suspected, but it was only on Thursday that Quebec's coroner's office released its findings on the double deaths, confirming that they stemmed from an opioid overdose.
The release of the two reports on the deaths of Mr. Lecouvie and Ms. Gauthier-Matte come as Quebec, until now spared from the opioid crisis, has begun recording more overdose cases. Last week, Quebec Health Minister Gaétan Barrette and Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois announced that naloxone, a drug to counter opioid overdoses, would be made widely available.
Mr. Lecouvie and Ms. Gauthier-Matte, who both came from Northern Ontario, moved in October, 2016, to Gatineau, across the river from Ottawa.
The coroner reports say their decomposing bodies were found in her apartment, lying in bed and holding each other.
A neighbour made the discovery the afternoon of Feb. 27 after noticing Mr. Lecouvie's son tossing toys out of a window.
An autopsy determined the couple had likely died on Feb. 23.
Toxicology tests found a lethal level of fentanyl in Mr. Lecouvie's body, along with ecstasy, methamphetamine and cannabis.
The reports say that fentanyl, ecstasy, methamphetamine and metabolites of heroin were found in Ms. Gauthier-Matte's blood and stomach.
Coroner Pierre Bourassa concluded that both victims died of respiratory arrest caused by fentanyl intoxication.
Tu Thanh Ha