Canada’s ‘enrichment’ continues
A plane carrying 52 Haitian children arrived in Ottawa on Wednesdayafternoon, the second such flight bringing orphans whose adoptions havebeen fast-tracked since the deadly earthquake two weeks ago.
“These children are the second group to arrive in Canada whoseadoptions are in the final stages of approval and have been cleared bythe Haitian government,” said Peter Kent, minister of state for foreignaffairs.
The plane arrived at Ottawa International Airport at around 1:45 p.m.ET, with Immigration Canada officials and a medical team aboard.
The children emerged from the plane wearing woolen tuques and hoodedjackets — to better tolerate the outside temperatures of about 3 C.They were then wrapped in blankets and carried across the tarmac to theterminal.
On Sunday, a plane carrying 24 young Haitians touched down in Ottawa.
Kent said Canadian Embassy staff in Haiti continue to find andidentify all the children who have been cleared for adoption by theHaitian government and by provincial adoption
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has said about 90 children havebeen approved by Haitian authorities to live with Canadian families.
Kent also said the Canadian death toll in Haiti has risen to 21, with the number of Canadians unaccounted for at 147.
International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda told reporters thatCanadian non-governmental organizations have reported that $82.5million has been raised for Haiti relief, money eligible for matchingby the government.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty urged Haiti’s creditors Wednesday tocancel Haiti’s debts, noting that Canada cancelled all its Haitian debtlast fall.
“Haiti’s future must be focused on the priorities of its people, not on the liabilities of its past,” Flaherty said.
Flaherty called on Haiti’s remaining bilateral creditors — Taiwanand Venezuela, specifically — to follow Canada’s lead and cancel theirdebt as soon as possible.