Savoura president had MDMA, methamphetamine and cannabis when helicopter crashed in 2019

Toxicology results released this week reveal that Stéphane Roy, former president of Savoura, had MDMA, methamphetamine, and cannabis in his system when his Robinson R44 helicopter crashed on July 10, 2019, north of Mont-Tremblant. Roy and his 14-year-old son Justin died in the crash while returning from a fishing trip. Bodies were recovered near Lac Valtrie, about 220 kilometres northwest of Montreal, after a 14-day search involving the Canadian Armed Forces, Quebec provincial police, Canadian Coast Guard, and hundreds of volunteers.

Roy's estate sought to keep the toxicology results confidential, arguing they infringed on Roy's dignity and the family's dignity. Quebec Superior Court Judge Luc Morin ruled against the request last week, stating that the public nature of judicial proceedings must be maintained. "Despite all the empathy the court can feel facing such a tragedy," Morin wrote, "the publicity of judicial debates must be maintained, as justice rarely accommodates secrecy and closed doors."

Roy's estate has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Robinson Helicopter Company, claiming mechanical failure—specifically affecting rotor blades—caused the crash. The helicopter manufacturer counters that Roy failed to maintain the aircraft properly and operated it in a "deficient" manner. A 2021 Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigation concluded the crash resulted from failure of the main rotor blade, though the specific cause of that failure remains disputed between the parties.