Man in his 40s found dead in 'makeshift shelter' in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough

Montreal police found the body of a man in his 40s in an alley on Léo-Pariseau Street, near Jeanne-Mance Street, in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.

Police received a call about an "inanimate body" at around 10:15 a.m. Monday, said Véronique Dubuc, spokesperson for the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).

She said the body was found in a "makeshift shelter" between two buildings.

A security perimeter was established to allow investigators to analyze the scene.

The cause of the man's death has not been determined.

"It's really too early to know exactly the causes and circumstances of the event," said Dubuc.

She said police can't confirm the presence of marks of violence on the body because of the state in which it was found.

Enrique Flores, a security guard who works in one of the buildings, said a woman who claimed the dead man was his friend asked him to call the police on Monday morning.

Flores said he is "not surprised at all." He said the area has changed a lot in recent years.

"It's more difficult for us. It's more physical. Before, it was more easy," he said.