OTTAWA — Generous Canadians have chipped in more than $113 million to help earthquake-ravaged Haiti with relief and rebuild efforts.
International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda called the charitable tally to the Haiti Earthquake Fund “astonishing” and recognized Canadians who showed “caring and compassion” in the wake of the disaster.
“This amazing response reflects the true values held by Canadians and it has also brought many to say — and I’ve heard it so many times over the past four weeks — it makes me proud to be a Canadian,” she said.
The government program to match individual donations dollar-for-dollar ends Friday, and Oda urged Canadians to make one last “big push” to contribute before the deadline.
Conrad Sauve, secretary general of the Canadian Red Cross, said fundraising has been feverish around the world — especially in Canada where $67 million has come from individual donors.
“Canadians on a per-capita basis are among the most generous, if not the most generous, in the world in terms of this response,” he said.
Foreign Affairs has confirmed 27 Canadians were killed in Haiti and another 73 are still unaccounted for. More than 4,000 people have been evacuated back to Canada on 43 flights.
