A man reportedly found dead near the Loblaws on Carlton St. earlier this week is believed to be the first homeless victim of the ice storm.

Few details were immediately available about the man’s identity or how he came to spend his final hours in the frigid weather, when the temperature hovered around -10C.

Officers at Toronto police’s 51 division told the Star to speak with communications staff on Monday, while a Loblaws manager said he had not heard of the incident.

A card found on the man’s body identified him as a member of The Good Neighbours’ Club, a drop-in centre for homeless men over the age of 50.

Lauro Monteiro, the club’s director of operations, told the Star he was contacted about the death by a counsellor at homeless shelter Seaton House, and said officials were still trying to notify the man’s next of kin.

Seaton House would not comment, citing privacy concerns.

Monteiro said club staff, who see about 400 people a day, are still trying to find out if anyone at the club knew the man.

“People can drop in and come here and trust us, but often folks don’t necessarily become that familiar because that’s the way they like to keep it,” he said.

Monteiro said to his knowledge, the dead man is the ice storm’s first homeless victim.

The man’s death comes after two homeless men were recently found dead outdoors in Alberta, one in Edmonton and the other in Calgary.

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty is holding a vigil at the corner of Carlton St. and Church St. at noon on Monday. Spokesperson Gaetan Heroux said one of the lingering questions is how long the man spent outside in the cold before he was discovered.

He said the death was totally preventable, and highlights the critical need for better housing and more mental health supports for the homeless.

Monteiro at Good Neighbours said many homeless men don’t like to be surrounded by unfamiliar faces, and are therefore hesitant to stay in shelters.

Local councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam said the city has not done enough to support the homeless.

“We have had so many opportunities to respond, and I don’t think that we have done a good job,” she said. “We know that the homeless population in Toronto is getting larger and older, so there is a social tsunami coming our way and we need to be much more proactive as we try to address it.”

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Wong-Tam said she was heartbroken over the man’s death, and wondered if perhaps she spoke with him during one of her many visits to Good Neighbours.

“We have a very wealthy city, and yet we have people who are living on our streets. It’s tough,” she said. “Obviously, we can’t look the other way, and yet, thousands of people do. (This man) is our responsibility.”