Quebec Relief Efforts for Haiti in High Gear

UNCLAS MONTREAL 000038 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV EAID PREL HA CA SUBJECT: Quebec Relief Efforts for Haiti in High Gear REF: 10 OTTAWA 86 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Quebec's and Montreal's historical and cultural links to Haiti are driving significant relief efforts at the provincial, municipal and local levels. While the ties of this province and city to Haiti were no secret, the extent of society's involvement in relief efforts has been striking. END SUMMARY ¶2. (U) Three weeks after the earthquake that devastated Haiti, Quebec's newspapers (both French and English) still devote substantial (often front-page) coverage to Haiti, covering relief efforts and related subjects. The disaster has evoked special interest and a sense of "solidarity" here because Quebec and Haiti have the two largest francophone populations in the Western Hemisphere. Quebec is also home to 132,000 people of Haitian origin. Over 100,000 of them live in Montreal, where they are a well-established, growing and "visible minority". Province Front and Center -------------- ¶3. (U) Quebec Premier Charest has been very visible since the earthquake hit, assuring the Haitian community of the province's concern. His bid to take part in the January 25 Haiti Donors Conference in Montreal was rebuffed by the federal government, but he met at that time with Haitian PM Bellerive, outlining programs that had been sending Quebec and Montreal police officers to take part in MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti), and Hydro-Qu????bec's longstanding work to upgrade ????lectricit???? d'Ha????ti's capabilities. Charest has pledged $3 million to Haitian relief, to be delivered through NGOs, dwarfing offers from other provinces. Quebec's Department of Employment and Social Solidarity has offered stipends to aid Haitian families arriving in Quebec as well as those already present that were directly affected by the earthquake. Opens Doors to Further Immigration -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The province also announced February 3 that it would raise its previously-announced quota of 1500 (of 50,000 Quebec immigrant spots for 2010) was being raised to 4500 in order to unite extended families of Haitian Canadians. Quebec has special discretion and approval authority for immigrants choosing to live in Quebec and has previously modified existing Canadian regulations during crises for certain cases. About 70 of 85 fast-tracked Haitian adoption cases for Quebec families have already flown into Montreal, with the remainder scheduled for a fifth flight this weekend. At least 219 fast-tracked adoption requests by all Canadians have been granted. The city of Montreal is running an emergency service center to assist Haitian Canadians in finding missing family, and with counseling on immigration and related issues. City of Montreal Also Active -------------- ¶5. (U) Montreal's police chief and eighteen Haitian-born Montreal police officers built on existing cooperation with Haitian authorities, undertaking a mission to aid in security issues in the wake of earthquake; with the generosity of Air Transat and Air Canada. This flight to Haiti was not unique; like several other flights originating from Montreal, it included volunteer doctors, aid workers, nurses, field-station cooks, etc., and was fully loaded with tons of water, clothing, generators, tents and medical equipment donated by local NGOs. ¶6. (U) Other aid, reconstruction, and related efforts also bear the Quebec label to a great extent. Nearly half of the first 800 Canadian soldiers involved in relief operations at Jacmel from the Quebec-based 22nd "the Royal Van-doos" Regiment. Several Montreal-based NGOs, religious organizations, and official personnel were already established in Haiti at the time of the earthquake, and have since expanded operations. The Jesuits (a Catholic religious order) are organized in Haiti in an administrative union with Quebec, an arrangement that has led to substantial interaction between Quebec and Haiti in educational and poverty-reduction efforts. Contacts in Montreal told us that the order had set up six relief centers staffed by Quebecois/Haitian personnel in the wake of the earthquake, building on their existing infrastructure. ¶7. (U) The Montreal-based NGO Center for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI) also has a long-standing relationship with Haiti, and was able to ramp up its operation by funding the deployment of additional medical personnel to Haiti, as well as sending food and supplies. CECI commented to us that they feel their operations functioned particularly well because they primarily utilized Canadian-Haitians fluent in Creole, unlike other large operations. Charitable Giving Runs High -------------- ¶8. (U) Montreal is still abuzz with private charity and corporate fundraisers for Haiti. A French-language telethon garnered $6.7 million in Quebec, while a separate Canada-wide effort brought in $13.5 million. The Canadian Red Cross branch in Quebec has been particularly active, although there are no provincial-specific statistics kept on the $90.8 million raised in Canada. Other large Montreal-based charities are active with donors, including Oxfam-Quebec and the Archdiocese of Montreal. The latter has collected $2 million through its Development and Peace charity group. Comment -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The ties of this city and province to Haiti were well known to us, but the extent of the attention to - and involvement in - relief efforts has been striking. The Consulate has played an active role, as well, with strong outreach to NGOs and media to update them on U.S. actions. The Consulate has also provided TDY assistance for the crisis, with the Consular and Management Section Chiefs working in Port-au-Prince and the Dominican Republic, in addition to two Creole-speaking Canadian LES who have been deployed back to their nation of birth to assist USG efforts. ¶10. (U) Minimize considered. MCCLENNY