Haiti evacuees grateful to be home

Hundreds of Canadians who fled the devastation in Haiti may now be safe on Canadian soil but their struggle to deal with the ordeal has just begun.

The first group of 271 evacuees arrived early Friday morning in Montreal aboard two military aircraft.

Four additional flights were scheduled to arrive by Saturday morning, carrying another 400 passengers.

The evacuees are being welcomed and cared for by Quebec civil security officials.

Of those who arrived, five were taken to hospital, said Quebec Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis.

Some were treated for minor injuries at the Montreal hotel being used to provide the evacuees with assistance.

Others are being provided with counselling, clothing, help replacing lost documents and a place to stay until transportation can be arranged to take them home, Dupuis said.

"They have clearly suffered a traumatic shock," the minister said.

'What is really important to say is that a lot of people are suffering there, a lot, it is beyond imagination.' —Sara Rénélik, evacuee

At the Port-au-Prince airport, it was a near riot as hundreds of people were trying to push through the door, said brothers Emerson and Vadam Oram of Glovertown, N.L.

The two were finally able to board a Hercules aircraft to Montreal after spotting a hole in the fence.

"I'd like to thank God for sparing us — why those things happen — there's no answer to it," said Vadam Oran.

Adien Guignard said he can't forget the sound of people screaming in the streets and concerns the country is getting more and more dangerous by the day.

"A security guard offered me a gun [for protection] — just like that," Guignard said. "But the idea of shooting Haitians — I’ve been going there for nine years to help them – it is difficult to describe."

Montrealer Sara Rénélik and her son rented a motorcycle to get to the airport, without knowing whether there was a way out.

"At that time I was happy to be a Canadian,"  Rénélik said Friday, wiping tears from her eyes. "What is really important to say is that a lot of people are suffering there, a lot, it is beyond imagination."

A $200 shopping spree at a local Zellers store helped lift the evacuees' spirits.

Officials recommended they buy warm clothing and bags.

Evelyn Hromek, of Kelowna B.C., showed off the make-shift splint that staff at the Canadian embassy made for her hand using a spatula.

Hromek, who was in Haiti doing missionary work, said she has high hopes for the country during this troubled time.

"They are the most beautiful people and they are going to have the most beautiful country," she said.

Aid arriving

Air Canada confirmed Friday it will dispatch a dedicated relief flight to Port-au-Prince carrying supplies as well as 100 search-and-rescue technicians from the Montreal Police Department, the Montreal Fire Department and Quebec Provincial Police.

The Boeing 767-300ER is scheduled to leave Montreal on Saturday morning and will return later in the day with more evacuees.

The Canadian Press says 800 troops from CFB Valcartier are on standby for deployment on a peacekeeping mission to Haiti.

The troops with the Royal 22nd Regiment are expected to receive the green light from Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Saturday.