Here are a couple of good stories for a change relating to the relief efforts in New Orleans.
Greg Norman Offers The Use of His Helicopter
Golfer Greg Norman sent his helicopter to Louisiana Friday, and said it will stay there for as long as a month. His pilot, Gary Hogan, will fly medical supplies and other items into the region. The helicopter can carry about 1,000 pounds of supplies and shuttle small groups of people.
After Katrina hit, FEMA had contacted the helicopter's manufacturer in seeking help, and word eventually got to Norman. FEMA will coordinate Hogan's flights and supply fuel.
Canadian warships to sail to Louisiana
Three Canadian warships, a coast guard vessel and three Sea King helicopters will be sent to Louisiana on Tuesday with relief supplies for the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir William Alexander will sail along with the Canadian Navy vessels, HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Ville De Quebec and HMCS Toronto. Duties would involve reconstruction, health care and humanitarian aid. As well, about 40 navy divers from both coasts were also expected to deploy with the mission, which got clearance after American officials accepted a Canadian offer of help.
Canadians donate over $1 million for Hurricane Katrina relief
The Canadian Red Cross estimates that so far Canadians have donated over $1 million to date to help survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
As well, the agency said 37 Canadian Red Cross workers left for Houston on Saturday to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in the first of a series of missions being organized for the months ahead. The volunteers -- from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Edmonton, Alberta -- will support the American Red Cross in managing 270 shelters and delivering some 500,000 hot meals each day.
Relief Efforts Continue to Flow In From All Over Canada
In Halifax, Nova Scotia's Conservative government announced it would donate $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross.
P.E.I. Premier Pat Binns has offered to help co-ordinate an effort to provide shelter and support for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by Katrina.
People in the Maritimes are offering to take in victims of Katrina. Deputy Prime Minister McLellan said there are offers by Maritimers ready to open their homes to people on the U-S Gulf Coast, who've been left homeless by the storm.
Because of the deep connection of Atlantic Canada's Acadians with the U.S. South, McLellan said many people have offered to shelter children or families who may need somewhere to go.
Air Canada said Friday it had dispatched an Airbus passenger jet from Toronto to New Orleans with a cargo of bottled water and relief supplies. The airline said it would operate shuttle flights over the next several days to help in the evacuation of about 25,000 people from New Orleans to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
Magna will house 400 Katrina refugees in Florida
Canadian auto parts giant Magna International announced it is gearing up to help in the hurricane relief effort.
Magna International will bus more than 400 people from the devastated U.S. Gulf Coast to its facilities in Florida, where a spokesman said they can stay until November.
Magna's relief effort will focus on helping women and children.
Magna's Dan Donovan is organizing the relief effort, helped by former U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Paul Cellucci, who now works at Magna Entertainment.
Canadian Relief Agencies Start To Help Katrina Victims.
Winnipeg-based Mennonite Disaster Service said Wednesday it is gathering donations to help send hundreds of volunteers to rebuild homes.
Canadian Red Cross volunteers with experience in large scale disasters were being contacted Wednesday and officials hoped a handful would be travelling to the southern U.S. by the weekend.
In Edmonton, Canada's Public Security Minister said Canada will do whatever it can for the U.S.
Anne McLellan said that could involve a wide variety of things, including sending military engineers.
But McLellan said medical drugs may be among the first items Canada is called upon to ship south.
She said an American government agency asked Ottawa to do an inventory of medication that could help stop the spread of infection. McLellan said the inventory has been done and the U.S. government has been informed of Canada's ability to ship the drugs.
Suzanne Charest of the Red Cross said they'll likely send more than 100 volunteers in the coming weeks to help serve hot meals, assess the needs of displaced families and to train other volunteers.
