Haiti is Canada’s second largest recipient of developmental aid, and more than 100,000 people of Haitian descent live in Canada.

Governor General Michaelle Jean, who was born in Haiti, held an emotional news conference Wednesday afternoon saying, “We know that every minute, every hour, can make a difference and draw a line between life and death.”

A large Boeing C-17 was to leave this morning ( Thursday ) loaded with humanitarian supplies.  The HMCS Halifax and the Destroyer HMCS Athabaskan will also be sent to Haiti once they are loaded with humanitarian supplies.

On Wednesday a CC-130 Hercules left, with Canadian Forces personnel, to assess the situation. There are about 700 ‘ registered ‘ Canadians ( the number could actually be much higher )  living in Haiti…and all those at the Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince have been evacuated to living on the Embassy lawn as a precaution.

Since 2006 Canada has provided, or was/is in the process of providing, prior to this tragic event, $136 million dollars to Haiti for road construction, boats, health care, education, technical assistance, building construction, and disaster preparedness.

For more information see: The Earthquake Disaster in Haiti

Photo of the Canadian Embassy in Haiti courtesy of: flickr.com