Minister Paradis is pleased to once again promote the sharing of Canadian expertise to support development in Haiti.
January 13, 2015 – Québec, Quebec – Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
The Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, the Honourable Christian Paradis, held a press conference today to announce Canada’s support for the Sustainable Strengthening of Haitian Firefighters’ Response Capabilities project, which will be implemented by the city of Québec.
Minister Paradis was accompanied by the Mayor of Québec, Régis Labeaume, and other partners who will help to ensure the project’s success. The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean added her voice of support to those of Minister Paradis and Mayor Labeaume via a video message.
This project will reduce the vulnerability of Port-au-Prince residents to fire through the rebuilding of the municipal fire station and by offering training to its staff.
“The Port-au-Prince fire station, which was seriously damaged by the earthquake, is critically important to the security of the population in a country where natural disasters happen so frequently,” said Minister Paradis. “We are proud that Canadian expertise is once again being shared to improve security and to save lives in Haiti.”
“Today, we are fulfilling an engagement taken in December 2012, following a mission to Haiti,” reminded Mayor Labeaume. “Since 1995, the city of Québec has been collaborating with Haiti through the presence of police officers and firefighters assigned to various mandates. By drawing on our expertise in the area of the planning and construction of effective fire stations, this new project aims to ensure the security of the most vulnerable populations of Port-au-Prince.”
“Port-au-Prince’s firefighters, who showed remarkable bravery during the 2010 earthquake, still find themselves in extremely precarious facilities today,’’ said Madame Jean, Secretary General of La Francophonie and former UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti. ‘‘They are currently unable to intervene effectively during an emergency because they lack the appropriate equipment, which poses a major risk to public safety in the capital. I am pleased that finally, thanks to support from the Government of Canada and the city of Québec, the people of Port-au-Prince will soon have not only a high-quality fire station, but also a firefighter training program that will be duplicated across the country.”
In the five years since the January 2010 earthquake, Canadian initiatives have improved living conditions for Haitians, and it is vital to safeguard these gains.
Maxime Robert
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
343-203-6238
maxime.robert@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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