Homeless man gifted new violin after reporting his old one stolen.

"God bless you."

Those were the first words out of the mouth of Mark Landry, a Montreal homeless man, when he saw a man approach him holding a brand new violin case.

Landry, a frequent performer in the Montreal Metro transit system, made headlines today after a Montrealer's Facebook post this morning said Landry's violin was stolen.

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Friends say Landry, a native of Moncton, N.B., moved to Montreal about 15 years ago, has struggled with mental health problems and substance abuse and is nearly blind.

For years, Landry had a room, sparsely furnished with a mattress on the floor, in a boarding house on Ste-Catherine Street, he said in a short documentary about his life.

But he remains a beloved figure in the neighbourhood.

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More than anything, Landry took exception to being referred to as a violoneux, which translates as fiddler, in media reports — a term he said belittles his skills as a musician

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