TORONTO —
Canadian evacuation flights have pulled more than 1,100 people out of Afghanistan this month, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said Sunday, and 40 families evacuated before the Taliban marched into Kabul have now completed their COVID-19 quarantine periods in Canada.
“We have seen 12 flights out and over 1,100 people evacuated. That is remarkable work on the part of our armed forces,” Mendicino told CTV’s Question Period.
Afghan families began arriving in Canada on Aug. 4. Canadian rescue efforts were halted for several days, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has blamed on the Taliban’s presence at the airport in Kabul.
Since evacuation flights resumed on Thursday, Mendicino said, three planes have taken more than 400 people out of the country.
At a press conference on Sunday, Mendicino told reporters that when Canada’s evacuation flights resumed on Aug. 19, a flight of 175 Afghans and 13 foreign nationals left Kabul airport, on Friday, 106 people were evacuated, and on Saturday more than 121 people were evacuated.
The first 40 Afghan families who arrived in Canada earlier this month left COVID-19-related quarantine just days ago, he said.
One family who arrived on Canadian soil on Aug. 4 has already grown. A refugee who arrived that day has had a baby girl, who is a Canadian citizen, said Mendicino.
In the United States, meanwhile, Maj. Gen. William Taylor told reporters on Saturday that the U.S. had evacuated 17,000 people from Afghanistan, including 2,500 U.S. citizens. To further aid their evacuation efforts, the U.S. announced on Sunday that they will use 18 commercial planes to transport people from Kabul.
On Sunday, the White House said that nearly 8,000 people had been evacuated in the last 24 hours on coalition flights, including commercial flights, and U.S. military flights.
With air bridges reopening, there is hope that Canada will be able to aid more people out of Afghanistan, but the unstable situation at Kabul airport is making it difficult.
“The situation on the ground is volatile, it’s precarious. And so we’re staying in constant contact with all the people we’re trying to help, and we’ve given full operational discretion to the armed forces to make whatever calls they need to get those people on flights, and as you seen, we’ve made some progress but there’s more work to do,” Mendicino told Question Period host Evan Solomon.
However, the minister said it is expected that the Taliban will follow through on their word to let people who want to leave, leave.
“We’ve made it very clear publicly and we’ll continue to do so that it’s our expectation that the Taliban allow every person who’s trying to leave Afghanistan safe passage to do so,” he said.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan told reporters at a press conference on Sunday that the situation on the ground at Kabul airport is changing by the hour.
“The situation on the ground is extremely chaotic and difficult,” he said.
PORT ALBERNI, B.C. – RCMP say the body of a second person has been found inside their vehicle after a road washed away amid pouring rain on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Police say two vehicles went into the Sarita River when Bamfield Road washed out on Saturday as an atmospheric river hammered southern B.C.
The body of the other driver was found Sunday.
More coming.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
The B.C. Greens say Sonia Furstenau will be staying on as party leader, despite losing her seat in the legislature in Saturday’s provincial election.
The party says in a statement that its two newly elected MLAs, Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell, support Furstenau’s leadership as they “navigate the prospect of having the balance of power in the legislature.”
Neither the NDP led by Premier David Eby nor the B.C. Conservatives led by John Rustad secured a majority in the election, with two recounts set to take place from Oct. 26 to 28.
Eby says in a news conference that while the election outcome is uncertain, it’s “very likely” that the NDP would need the support of others to pass legislation.
He says he reached out to Furstenau on election night to congratulate her on the Greens’ showing.
But he says the Green party has told the NDP they are “not ready yet” for a conversation about a minority government deal.
The Conservatives went from taking less than two per cent of the vote in 2020 to being elected or leading in 45 ridings, two short of a majority and only one behind the NDP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio is making a difference, 4,175 kilometres away from home.
The 32-year-old Canadian international midfielder, whose parents hail from Colombia, has been working with the Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization, a charity whose goal is to help disadvantaged youth in the South American country.
Osorio has worked behind the scenes, with no fanfare.
Until now, with his benevolence resulting in becoming Toronto FC’s nominee for the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, which honours an MLS player “who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community” during the 2024 season.”
Other nominees include Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
The winner will be announced in late November.
The Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization (CCCO) is run entirely by volunteers like Monica Figueredo and Claudia Soler. Founded in 1991, it received charitable status in 2005.
The charity currently has four projects on the go: two in Medellin and one each in Armenia and Barranquilla.
They include a school, a home for young girls whose parents are addicted to drugs, after-school and weekend programs for children in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, and nutrition and education help for underprivileged youth.
The organization heard about Osorio and was put in contact with him via an intermediary, which led to a lunch meeting. Osorio did his due diligence and soon got back to the charity with his decision.
“It was something that I wanted to be a part of right away,” said Osorio, whose lone regret is that he didn’t get involved sooner.
“I’m fortunate now that to help more now that I could have back then,” he added. “The timing actually worked out for everybody. For the last three years I have donated to their cause and we’ve built a couple of (football) fields in different cities over there in the schools.”
His father visited one of the sites in Armenia close to his hometown.
“He said it was amazing, the kids, how grateful they are to be able to play on any pitch, really,” said Osorio. “But to be playing on a new pitch, they’re just so grateful and so humble.
“It really makes it worth it being part of this organization.”
The collaboration has also made Osorio take stock.
“We’re very fortunate here in Canada, I think, for the most part. Kids get to go to school and have a roof over their head and things like that. In Colombia, it’s not really the same case. My father and his family grew up in tough conditions, so giving back is like giving back to my father.”
Osorio’s help has been a godsend to the charity.
“We were so surprised with how willing he was,” said Soler.
The TFC skipper has helped pay for a football field in Armenia as well as an ambitious sports complex under construction in Barranquilla.
“It’s been great for them,” Figueredo said of the pitch in Armenia. “Because when they go to school, now they have a proper place to train.”
Osorio has also sent videos encouraging the kids to stay active — as well as shipping soccer balls and signed jerseys their way.
“They know more about Jonathan than the other players in Colombia,” Figueredo said. “That’s the funny part. Even though he’s far away, they’ve connected with him.”
“They feel that they have a future, that they can do more,” she added. “Seeing that was really, really great.”
The kids also followed Osorio through the 2022 World Cup and this summer’s Copa America.
Back home, Osorio has also attended the charity’s annual golf tournament, helping raise funds.
A Toronto native, he has long donated four tickets for every TFC home game to the Hospital for Sick Children.
Vancouver’s Berhalter was nominated for his involvement in the Whitecaps’ partnership with B.C. Children’s Hospital while Montreal’s Sirois was chosen for his work with the Montreal Impact Foundation.
—
Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform, formerly known as Twitter
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
Sentencing hearing continues for University of Waterloo gender studies class stabber
Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio making a difference off the pitch as well as on it
Inequality has broad impacts on the health of Montreal children, report finds
Liberal majority victory shifts political landscape in New Brunswick
Thomson Reuters acquires AI accounting assistant developer Materia
Building Homes Faster with our Latest 3D Construction Printer
Legault ‘shocked’ by Montreal teacher scandal, pledges to toughen secularism measures
Susan Holt Breaks the Glass Ceiling in New Brunswick Politics
