Notice – Operation Stork: February 16, 2010 update

February 16, 2010 — A flight carrying 19 Haitian children to their new Canadian parents will land in Montreal this afternoon. A number of Canadians being evacuated from Haiti will also be on board. Air Transat staff will accompany the children, who range in age from 20 months to 16 years. All of the children are destined for Quebec.

The flight will arrive at Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport at approximately 3 p.m. (Eastern time) on February 16. No further charter flights are scheduled at this time. However, children will continue to arrive on other flights as they are approved to come to Canada and as flights are available.

All of the children who were brought to Canada were already in the adoption process when the earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince. To date, all of the parents who received provincial/territorial approval to adopt have been united with their children. As more approvals are received, those children will also be able to come to Canada. We are only proceeding with cases where a match between the child and parents was made prior to the earthquake.

Adoption facts

• As of January 24, 2010, the Government of Haiti has given permission for up to 217 children to come to Canada. These children were at different steps in the adoption process when the earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince.
• Today’s arrivals will mean that 202 children have arrived in Canada since the Haitian Prime Minister gave permission for children to be allowed to travel to Canada for adoption
• In addition to the 19 children arriving in Montreal today:
  • Two children, aged 5 and 9 years, arrived in Ottawa on February 10. They were destined for Quebec.
  • A 16 year old child arrived in Ottawa on February 6.
  • 31 children arrived in Ottawa on February 3. The children ranged in age from 6 months to 16 years old. One child was destined for Ontario, one for Alberta and the rest went to Quebec. These children were accompanied by Air Transat staff, CIC officials, and a medical team.
  • 62 children arrived in Ottawa on January 30. The children ranged in age from 3 months to 17 years. Thirty-five of the children were destined for Quebec, and the rest went to British Columbia (11), Alberta (10), Saskatchewan (2), Manitoba (2) and Ontario (2). The children were accompanied by Air Canada staff, CIC officials, and a medical team.
  • 52 children arrived in Ottawa on January 27. The children ranged in age from six months to 18 years of age. Twenty-four of the children were destined for Quebec and the other children went to British Columbia (4), Alberta (11), Saskatchewan (8), Ontario (1), New Brunswick (2), and Nova Scotia (2). These children were accompanied by Air Transat staff, CIC officials, and a medical team.
  • One child arrived on a Canadian Forces evacuation flight on January 26 and another one was already in Canada.
  • 24 children arrived in Ottawa on January 24. The children ranged in age from 11 months to 14 years in age, and were accompanied by Air Canada representatives, CIC officials, and a medical team.
  • Nine children arrived through the United States having been evacuated on American evacuation flights.

A total of 237 children were adopted from Haiti by Canadians in 2008 and January-September of 2009.

Update on special immigration measures

Canada is expediting immigration applications from Haitians with family in this country. Haitians in Canada temporarily are also being allowed to extend their stay.

• CIC is participating in a number of information sessions for the Haitian community in Montréal, Toronto, Welland, Ottawa, and Vancouver to provide information on the special immigration measures and on how to sponsor immediate family members who were directly and serious affected by the earthquake in Haiti.
  • About 2073 people have attended the information sessions in Montréal.
  • Approximately 450 people attended the Ottawa information session on February 10.
  • About 45 people attended the information session in Vancouver on February 5.
  • About 215 people attended Toronto area information sessions on January 29 and February 5.