The S�ret� du Qu�bec is investigating the deaths of two children in the Laurentians.

Police say it appears to be a double-murder-attempted suicide.

The bodies -- identified as five-year-old Olivier Turcotte and his three-year-old sister, Anne-Sophie Turcotte -- were found Saturday in their home in Piedmont, a small community about 60 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

The 36-year-old father of the children, Dr. Guy Turcotte, is considered a possible suspect in the killings.

Police say they discovered Turcotte in the house, suffering from an apparent drug overdose. He was rushed to H�tel-Dieu de Saint-J�r�me Hospital for treatment. Hospital officials have confirmed that the parents of the two children killed were both doctors at the institution.

"It's a real tragedy -- for his wife, all team doctors, all personnel," said Francois Therrien, the hospital's director-general.

Turcotte has been transferred to a Montreal hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition.

Family drama

Police say concerned family members alerted the authorities when they didn't hear from the father and the children.

The town's mayor, Cl�ment Cardin, told reporters the man and his wife had a troubled marriage. He also said the man was new to the neighbourhood -- he began renting the home on Beaulne Rd. in January.

Police say the mother of the young victims was contacted and notified of the deaths. She had been skiing in the Charlevoix area when the bodies of the children were discovered.

Investigators waiting to question father

Autopsies will be conducted on the bodies of the siblings, on Monday or Tuesday, in Montreal.

Police say the homicide squad spent the day at the scene questioning neighbours and family members. They could not question the father of the victims because of his medical condition.

With files from CTV Montreal's Daniele Hamamdjian and The Canadian Press.