CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Canada sends help to Haiti

Friday, 15 January 2010

Canada's military has deployed the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to provide "eyes-on" feedback and assistance to the catastrophic situation left by the massive earthquake that occurred in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Spain.

A convoy of vehicles including transport planes; helicopters; the HMCS Halifax containing a Sea King helicopter; the HMCS Ville de Quebec and a CF-17 loaded with a Griffin helicopter along with rescue workers were sent to Haiti to provide aid and possibly excavate trapped Haitians and Canadians.

The Canadian Forces has named this mission "Operation Helmet" and foresees it as an ongoing mission that will focus on supplying search and rescue teams as well as medical supplies to victims of this devastating earthquake.

Officials say that this is the largest earthquake to hit the island in over 200 years, damaging countless homes and buildings, including the home of the President. Poor infrastructure is to be blamed for the crumbled buildings and lack of preparedness has the left residents of Port-au-Spain to searching for survivors by hand.

The Canadian emergency operations centre has been inundated with hundreds of calls and emails from Canadians hoping to contact their families and loved ones in Haiti. Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon is asking Canadians for patience because telecommunication to and from Haiti is currently at a virtual standstill.

Miraculously, one Canadian trapped in rubble from a collapsed building was able to send a text message crying for help. Cannon issued a statement, stating that the location of this person is known and has asked for help from the embassy to locate and rescue them.

There is no official number of the people presumed dead or missing, but officials are estimating the number to be over a hundred thousand. Among the missing are two Canadian police officers however, but 80 are said to be "safe and sound" along with 24 embassy staff.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has praised the $5 million contribution made by the government but hopes the feds will create a program to match dollar-for-dollar donations from Canadians. He also hopes the government will increase the processing time of visa and immigration to reunite Haitian families in Canada.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Harper plans to speak with President Obama and senior Foreign Affairs and DND officials about providing help to those affected in the earthquake zone.

If you are interested in Visas to Canada, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Canada.