Canada deploys military assessment team to Turkiye after earthquake
Canada deploys military assessment team to Turkiye after earthquake
OTTAWA -
Canada deployed a disaster assessment team to Turkiye on Wednesday in the wake of a devastating earthquake that's killed thousands, as the federal government faced criticism that the window to help with rescue efforts was closing.
International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan announced the deployment of the Canadian Disaster Assessment Team on Wednesday evening and said it consisted of military and Global Affairs officials.
A senior government official who spoke on background ahead of Sajjan's confirmation underscored that the deployment of the team does not automatically guarantee a further deployment of Canadian resources to the country.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which razed thousands of buildings in Turkiye and Syria on Monday, killed nearly 12,000 people and wounded thousands of others.
On Wednesday, Canada's Turkish and Syrian communities were among those who warned that time was running out as local organizations sent teams abroad to assist with search and rescue efforts. Rescue workers from British Columbia were deployed in the quake zone early Thursday morning local time.
Sima Acan, president of the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations, said it's "very sad" that the Canadian government has not yet committed to sending any search and rescue teams abroad.
"Just hearing that Canada is ready to help but not doing any help and it's been over 60 hours (since the earthquake), it is very upsetting," said Acan, who spoke to The Canadian Press from Istanbul.
Acan said she is concerned that it is already too late for most of those still trapped under buildings.
"Probably we lost the majority of those people who were under those big tons of heavy blocks and every minute counts," she said. "We are losing them."
Marwa Khobieh, executive director of the Syrian Canadian Foundation, said she was "disappointed" with the federal government's response to the disaster.
"By the hour, we're losing hundreds of people, and the more we wait, I would say, the worse the situation is," she said.
Rahul Singh, executive director of Toronto-based humanitarian aid organization GlobalMedic, said the absence of an official team to support relief efforts on the ground indicates that Canada is not doing enough to respond. The group's own teams were en route to Turkiye on Wednesday.
"Canada's response is woefully inadequate and it's just a sign of bad governance. We have very poor government when it comes to foreign policy, and they have a horrific track record when it comes to disaster response," he said.
Canada's response to the disaster has come under fire as search teams from more than two dozen countries have joined tens of thousands of local emergency personnel in Syria and Turkiye.
Experts said the survival window for those trapped under the rubble or otherwise unable to obtain basic necessities was closing rapidly. At the same time, they said it was too soon to abandon hope.
"The first 72 hours are considered to be critical," said Steven Godby, a natural hazards expert at Nottingham Trent University in England. "The survival ratio on average within 24 hours is 74 per cent, after 72 hours it is 22 per cent and by the fifth day it is six per cent."
Ottawa has announced $10 million in aid and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that the federal government was still determining how best to help.
"From the very beginning we've been talking with our diplomatic staff, our counterparts over there, working with the international community on getting as much help as needed the right way," he said.
"We are there to help, we're just looking at how to best do it."
Trudeau announced the federal government would match funds donated to Canadian Red Cross relief efforts up to $10 million.
Defence Minister Anita Anand said late Tuesday that the federal government had not ruled out sending a Disaster Assistance Response Team to help with the recovery effort, but that it was working to figure out what would be most useful.
"All options are being considered. And from a defence perspective, we certainly are looking to (DART) as an option," she said.
The Canadian assessment team would recommend whether to send additional support, such as a DART, with a final decision to be made by the federal government.
Meanwhile, Canadian humanitarian aid workers were travelling to Turkiye on Wednesday to help.
Volunteers from B.C.-based Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue, a team that has participated in earthquake rescue operations around the world, arrived in Turkiye late Wednesday, the group announced on social media.
Turkiye's consul general in Vancouver, Taylan Tokmak, told The Canadian Press the team was being deployed in the quake zone early Thursday morning local time.
In Vancouver, donations for those affected by the earthquake poured into a warehouse on Tuesday, but a volunteer organizer said professional search and rescue personnel on the ground in the next 72 hours would make a more immediate impact.
"Time is our enemy at the moment," said Cansoy Gurocak.
----
With files from Lee Berthiaume, Darryl Greer and The Associated Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2023
The Akwesasne Mohawk Police identified two of the eight migrants whose bodies were pulled from the St. Lawrence River earlier this week, but said Saturday they're still searching for a local resident whose boat was found near the victims.
A rare infection with tuberculosis-like symptoms was reported in a toddler after an iguana bit her before snatching away a slice of cake on a trip to Costa Rica.
Cape Breton University has more than doubled in size by enrolling thousands of international students, and critics say the campus and community weren't ready. Watch the documentary 'Cash Cow' on CTV W5, Saturday at 7 p.m.
As questions continue to swirl around the issue of other countries' meddling in Canadian affairs, interim RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme says he's 'very, very concerned' about foreign interference, and would like to see the national force be able to use intelligence as evidence in its investigations.
After the bodies of several people were discovered in the St. Lawrence River, who authorities say were likely trying to cross illegally into the U.S., a migrant advocate is questioning why people are fleeing Canada.
The latest seasonal outlook from The Weather Network shows early April will continue to be chilly with flip-flopping temperatures bringing above and below the usual levels of precipitation seen around this time.
Storms that dropped possibly dozens of tornadoes killed at least 21 people in small towns and big cities across the South and Midwest, tearing a path through the Arkansas capital, collapsing the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois, and stunning people throughout the region Saturday with the damage's scope.
A new Canadian study of 4.8 million people says a daily alcoholic drink isn't likely to send anyone to an early grave, nor will it offer any of the health benefits touted by previous studies, even if it is organic red wine.
Cape Breton University has more than doubled in size by enrolling thousands of international students, and critics say the campus and community weren't ready. Watch the documentary 'Cash Cow' on CTV W5, Saturday at 7 p.m.
W5 profiles the man who makes the sounds for breaking bones and squealing tires in Hollywood’s biggest films; and he does it from a small town in Ontario. Watch 'Sound Farms' at 7 p.m. on CTV W5.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. An interactive map and chart on W5.CTVNews.ca shows where in Canada these asbestos cement pipes are being used.
CTV W5 speaks with members of the comedy industry, including Russell Peters, for a wide-ranging look at how political correctness and 'cancel culture' has changed the world of stand-up comedy.
An Ontario couple has filed a request with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) to appoint a new police force to investigate the death of their 17-year-old son Benjamin, who died during a hockey team-bonding event in September 2019.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in 'What Happened to Ben' on CTV W5.
Toronto city planners have found some issues with the proposed redevelopment of Ontario Place and say one part of the design is so big it 'overwhelms the public realm.'
A Brampton, Ont. man is under arrest after what is being described as a “troubling series of events” that saw female paramedics in Peel Region allegedly sexually assaulted and harassed.
Legion groups from across the province are taking part in the weekend convention, which kicked off on Saturday with meetings, along with a short parade near the cenotaph.
The Akwesasne Mohawk Police identified two of the eight migrants whose bodies were pulled from the St. Lawrence River earlier this week, but said Saturday they're still searching for a local resident whose boat was found near the victims.
Two runaway horses were discovered in a backyard swimming pool Friday in Hemmingford, Que., about an hour south of Montreal. The horses had already been on the run for hours, locals say, escaping from a nearby enclosure.
A bustling strip in Montreal is expected to be closed for at least a week after the city raised concerns about the safety of a heritage building on Sainte-Catherine St.
Cape Breton University has more than doubled in size by enrolling thousands of international students, and critics say the campus and community weren't ready. Watch the documentary 'Cash Cow' on CTV W5, Saturday at 7 p.m.
A Nova Scotia man who has searched for his missing son almost every day for nearly three years recently came across a letter in a bottle written by an 11-year-old boy about four decades ago.
Some have speculated it's already "the power behind the throne" of the UCP, but a controversial right wing group appears to be grabbing even more influence ahead of Alberta's May election.
Community members gathered Saturday to donate gently used clothing, gift cards and cash, along with messages of support for the victims of a devastating northeast Calgary house explosion.
Charges have been laid in connection to a northwest Edmonton drive-by shooting that spanned up to 12 blocks Friday, with police searching for another vehicle of interest.
This year's budget reveals the federal Liberals envision Canada relying more on its allies for trade in the future, economists and geopolitical experts say -- even if that could result in higher prices or missed opportunities.
The Liberal government left employment insurance reform out of the federal budget this week over concern that reforming the program amid a slowing economy could drive up premiums for workers and employers.
Lawyers representing Toronto MP Han Dong served Global News with a libel notice on Friday over reports that alleged he spoke to a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 about delaying the release of the two Michaels, and that he was a 'witting affiliate' of Chinese interference networks – allegations that Dong denies.
A new Canadian study of 4.8 million people says a daily alcoholic drink isn't likely to send anyone to an early grave, nor will it offer any of the health benefits touted by previous studies, even if it is organic red wine.
The federal government now expects far more Canadians with long-overdue dental needs to sign up for its insurance plan, and the health minister says that's why the estimated cost has risen by $7 billion.
The B.C. government's bid to restrict the sale of diabetes drug Ozempic to prevent non-Canadian residents draining supplies was the right move and a long time coming, says Brett Skinner, founder and CEO of the Canadian Health Policy Institute.
Italy is temporarily blocking the artificial intelligence software ChatGPT in the wake of a data breach as it investigates a possible violation of stringent European Union data protection rules, the government's privacy watchdog said Friday.
New research suggests the classic image of a Tyrannosaurus rex with massive, sharp teeth might be wrong. A study in the journal Science suggests the teeth on a T. rex was likely covered by scaly lips and didn't stick out when its mouth was closed.
W5 profiles the man who makes the sounds for breaking bones and squealing tires in Hollywood’s biggest films; and he does it from a small town in Ontario. Watch 'Sound Farms' at 7 p.m. on CTV W5.
King Charles III won plenty of hearts during his three-day visit to Germany, his first foreign trip since ascending to the throne following the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, last year.
After the first season of “The Last of Us” generated big buzz and an economic boom for Alberta, British Columbia may be next in line to host the production team.
Demonstrators gathered in 40 locations across Canada on Saturday to voice their opposition to the Royal Bank of Canada's funding of fossil fuel projects. The protests, part of a nation-wide effort dubbed Fossil Fools Day, unfolded in cities including Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax and Vancouver.
The UBS takeover of embattled rival Credit Suisse has shaken Switzerland's self-image and dented its reputation as a global financial center, analysts say, warning that the country's prosperity could grow too dependent on a single banking behemoth.
Under intense scrutiny from Washington that could lead to a potential ban, the top attorney for TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance defended the social media platform's plan to safeguard U.S. user data from China.
This year's Ramadan, which started last week, Target rolled out its first dedicated Ramadan and Eid collection. It's one of the latest signs of big retailers in the United States catering to Muslim shoppers' needs. Many Muslim enthusiastically welcomed the recognition, applauding retailers.
Statistics Canada has released its new report about the Canadians level of confidence in Canada’s institutions, finding that recent immigrants are more likely to express confidence in the media and parliament.
Vogue Philippines has revealed Apo Whang-Od as the cover star of its April issue, a move that makes the 106-year-old tattoo artist from the Philippines the oldest person ever to appear on the front of Vogue.
The most financially successful era in NBA history will continue uninterrupted for at least six more years, after the league and its players came to a tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that will kick in this summer.
Daniil Medvedev hasn't won a title in the United States since capturing the 2021 U.S. Open, when he turned away Novak Djokovic's bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam.
Holding a sprint race on a street circuit at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is a "ludicrous" proposition which will cost Formula One teams when they "trash" their cars, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said.
Formula One officials confirmed on Friday that teams can no longer touch their cars with jacks during penalty pitstops in the wake of the Fernando Alonso controversy at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Red Bull principal Christian Horner has criticized the stricter interpretation of a rule that bans Formula One team employees from climbing pit wall for victory celebrations.
