National

B.C. rescue team waiting for Turkey quake go-ahead

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Feb, 2023 04:29 PM

VANCOUVER - A British Columbia search and rescue team is ready and willing to head to Turkey to help after a devastating earthquake, but it's facing multiple hurdles as it awaits approval from federal authorities.

Justin Mulcahy, spokesman for Vancouver's Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team, says "there has been no official request" from Ottawa to deploy the team.

B.C.'s Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says the province reached out to Public Safety Canada on Monday morning, just hours after the quake, because such emergency assistance needs to be co-ordinated.

Ma says the province has since been in constant daily contact with Public Safety Canada but has "yet to receive direction."

The minister says she can't presume to know what conversations Global Affairs Canada is having with partners as she waits on a federal response.

Mulcahy says the Vancouver rescue team is also waiting on international accreditation from a UN-affiliated agency that would allow them to deploy on short notice.

"We're working on that through this accreditation process so we can be in a position in the future to be able to immediately deploy our teams internationally," Mulcahy said.

"Our focus has been on having these teams available for use locally, provincially and federally."

The Vancouver Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team operates under the city's fire department.

Taylan Tokmak, Turkey's consul general in Vancouver, said Wednesday that a separate volunteer group, the Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue Team, is already in the Turkish quake zone.

Ma says the Burnaby team "self-deployed" this week.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by several powerful aftershocks, ravaged parts of southeastern Turkey and northwest Syria, flattening buildings and killing many thousands of people.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Applications open for dental care benefits

The benefit, to be used toward dental services, is available for children under 12 in families that earn less than $90,000 a year and ranges from $260 to $650 per child depending on net income.

Applications open for dental care benefits

Canada gains on U.S. in permanent resident race

It's a record that will likely be beaten more than once in the coming years, as a Canadian federal immigration plan released earlier this month aims to admit 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023 and 500,000 a year by 2025, with a particular focus on bringing in people with needed skills and experience.

Canada gains on U.S. in permanent resident race

How $10-a-day child care is rolling out in Canada

British Columbia was the first to sign on, inking a $3.2-billion deal in July 2021 with plans to create 30,000 new child-care spaces within five years and 40,000 within seven years. B.C. started a $10-a-day program at select facilities in 2018 and plans to double those spaces to 12,500 this month.

How $10-a-day child care is rolling out in Canada

B.C. public school teachers ratify new contract

It boosts annual salaries for new teachers as much as $8,500 by the end of the third year while B.C.'s highest-paid educators will earn up to $13,500 more over the same period, which Johnston says pushes them above the $100,000-per-year threshold for the first time.

B.C. public school teachers ratify new contract

Arctic cold descends on parts of B.C.

Arctic outflow warnings have been posted for B.C.’s central and northern coasts, with the wind chill predicted at minus 20. Special weather statements are also up for most of Vancouver Island and the south coast, with icy conditions and wind chills near minus 10.

Arctic cold descends on parts of B.C.

Street drugs kill another 179 people in B.C.

The coroner says the October statistics show that illicit drugs caused the deaths of 1,827 people in B.C. in the first 10 months of this year. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says the increased toxicity and variability of street drugs has created an environment where everyone who uses substances is at risk.