City Council agrees on sizable donation for Haitian relief

ADBRIDGED NEWS RELEASES

*************************** Haiti earthquake response - City of Sault Ste. Marie

SAULT STE. MARIE - The City of Sault Ste. Marie is providing the attached resolution concerning City Council's response to the tragic earthquake that recently struck the the country of Haiti.

The resolution will be considered at the January 25 council meeting.

Councillors will be formally approving the resolution at that meeting, however they have already indicated their overwhelming support through a telephone poll.

As stated in the resolution, Council will be authorizing a $7,500 donation to the local branch of the Canadian Red Cross, who have established a fund for the earthquake relief effort.

Citizens of Sault Ste. Marie are encouraged to make their own financial donations to this fund at the local Red Cross branch at 105 Allard Street.

Donations can also be made by telephone at (705) 759-4547.

For anyone unable to bring their donation to the Red Cross office, the donations can be dropped at the Civic Centre, 99 Foster Drive, for forwarding to the Red Cross office.

Receipts, however will not be provided by City staff at the time of donation.

Resolution

Whereas on January 12, 2010 an earthquake struck the impoverished country of Haiti resulting in perhaps the worst natural disaster in history; and

Whereas the Canadian government has pledged to match all personal donations to a relief fund up to $50,000,000; and

Whereas Sault Ste. Marie has previously responded positively to such disasters with donations by its citizens and its municipal level of government; and

Whereas City Council authorized a donation of $7,500 in 2005 for the Asian Tsunami and a further donation of $7,500 in the same year for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the southern United States; and

Whereas City Council has provided financial assistance in other instances, including the Italian earthquakes, and flooding in southern Ontario; and

Whereas it has been made clear that donations of cash are the preferred way of providing assistance at this time,

Now therefore be it resolved that Council endorse a $7,500 contribution (from the 2010 unforeseen account) to the local branch of the Canadian Red Cross (who have already established a fund for this purpose) and encourages the citizens of our community to assist as much as possible and to keep the people of Haiti in our thoughts and prayers.

Moved by: Ozzie Grandinetti

Seconded by: Steve Butland

************************* Canadian Red Cross

You are invited to Boston Pizza Sault Ste. Marie on Monday January 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Come out to enjoy great food served by the Soo Greyhounds!

Make sure you bring your family and friends out for dinner to Boston Pizza as a portion of this evening’s sales will go directly back to the Red Cross in support of the Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort!

************************* Prime Minister of Canada

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on the deaths of Guillaume Siemienski, an employee of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and Hélène Rivard, a consultant with CIDA.

Both died as a result of the earthquake in Haiti.

“I was saddened to learn today of the deaths of Guillaume Siemienski and Hélène Rivard. Mr. Siemienski was on assignment with the United Nations, and Ms. Rivard had been a consultant with CIDA for more than twenty years. Their deaths are a reminder of the sacrifice Canadian men and women like Mr. Siemienski and Ms. Rivard are willing to make in order to bring Canadian generosity and aid to Haiti and the world.

“On behalf of all Canadians, Laureen and I would like to offer their families and friends our profound sympathies. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.” ************************* Mac's Convenience Stores Inc. I am writing to you about the great initiative Mac's Convenience Stores Inc. will start Saturday morning at all of their locations across Canada.

From January 16 to January 24, Mac's Convenience Stores will match each $1 donated in-store for up to $250,000.

Every dollar raised in Ontario will be matched by our company for up to $250,000 from Central and Western Divisions. We hope every loyal customer will help us reach are target.

When asked if you would like to add a $1 to your purchase for the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, please say yes! Sincerely, Palmer Maniacco Market manager Mac's Convenience Stores Inc.

************************* Air Canada airlifts relief supplies and rescue workers to Haiti; Launches in-flight donations program for earthquake victims

MONTREAL - In response to the devastation brought by the recent earthquake in Haiti, Air Canada has been working since the outset of the disaster with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Canadian Red Cross and the ONEXONE Foundation to support relief efforts in the region.

Air Canada will dispatch a dedicated relief flight to Port-au-Prince, Haiti that will carry a full load of humanitarian relief supplies and approximately 100 search and rescue technicians from the Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal (SPVM), the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM), and the Sûreté du Québec.

The donated Air Canada aircraft and volunteer crew are scheduled to depart Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m. from the carrier's Montreal headquarters base to Port-au-Prince, once the necessary preparations have been finalized overnight.

The return flight later the same day will be used to transport evacuees, in collaboration with DFAIT and the Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince.

Air Canada employees are working around the clock to prepare a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft for the relief flight.

All usable space in the belly and in the passenger cabin will be used to transport relief supplies.

The Boeing aircraft has a cargo capacity of approximately 14,800 kilograms and seating for 211 passengers allocated for search and rescue workers, medical personnel, Air Canada volunteers, and, for the return flight, evacuees returning to Canada.

************************* Photo caption: Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and Chief of the Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk, meet Friday with leaders of the Haitian-Canadian community.