Immigration Minister Sean Fraser signalled this week that Canada may fast-track applications to come to Canada from people in the earthquake zones of Turkiye and Syria.
Two major earthquakes rocked southwestern Turkiye and northwestern Syria in a matter of hours on Monday, destroying thousands of buildings.
The confirmed death toll keeps rising, with more than 19,800 people killed and at least another 64,000 injured.
Tens of thousands more are homeless in the middle of winter and struggling to access food, water and shelter.
Fraser said his department is trying to figure out the effect on permanent residency applicants already in Canada's immigration system to determine how to help them.
“This is a conversation that we're having,” he told reporters.
“We're trying to understand what the impact is on the clients who are in the system.”
On Wednesday, Canada deployed a disaster assessment team to the region to determine what additional aid from Canada is needed.
A team of search-and-rescue experts from British Columbia that independently offered to help was expected to begin on-the-ground work in the early hours of Thursday local time.
Many governments, including those of the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, India and European Union, have sent rescuers to the region. Countries including South Korea, Israel and Spain have deployed military personnel.
Canada's decision about whether to send a Disaster Assistance Response Team could take a few more days, based on previous examples of such deployments.
When a 7.8 magnitude quake hit Nepal in 2015, Canada similarly sent an assessment team to the country first to decide what kind of support it could provide. It departed about a day after the disaster hit.
The earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and injured at least 22,000.
About six days after Canada sent its assessment team, it deployed the response team, which included about 200 personnel.
The government reported that the team provided engineering, medical and mapping support. Its members also cleared roads, provided water filtration systems, distributed radios and removed some 3,000 cubic metres of rubble.
With time now running out to recover more people who could be stuck under rubble, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is pressing the international community to provide money for Turkiye and Syria and work on physical access for aid to earthquake-stricken parts of Syria.
Canada announced on Tuesday that it was providing $10 million in humanitarian assistance.
On Wednesday, the government said it would also match up to $10 million in donations to the Canadian Red Cross earmarked for earthquake relief between Feb. 6 and 22.
Some groups, including the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations, have urged Ottawa to do much more than it has so far.
“Relief efforts in Turkiye and Syria will need far more support in the coming weeks,” NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson said in the House of Commons on Thursday. “Canadian partners are stepping up to help, but they need more support.”
She urged the government to match donations made to the Humanitarian Coalition, a group of 12 Canadian aid agencies.
International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan responded that a needs assessment is ongoing and “all options are on the table,” including an additional matching fund or a direct contribution to the coalition.
On Thursday, hopes were starting to fade of finding many more people alive, more than three days into the crisis.
The deaths reported so far have surpassed the toll from a 2011 earthquake off Fukushima, Japan, that triggered a tsunami, killing more than 18,400.
The Turkish Association of Canada is accepting donations of items such as blankets, clothing, boots, tents, sleeping bags and sanitary products at its office in Ottawa, to be sent to survivors who are in need of supplies.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2023.
Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
A Markham hockey buff who built a massive backyard ice rink without permissions or permits has reluctantly agreed to remove the sprawling surface, following a years-long dispute with the city and his neighbours.
The Parole Board of Canada says it is now working to allow victims' families to attend Paul Bernardo's parole hearing and deliver their victim impact statements in person.
An Emily Carr painting that sold for US$50 at an estate sale has fetched C$290,000 at a Toronto auction.
A Saint-Sauveur couple was back in court on Wednesday, accused of attacking a teenager over a prank.
A volcano in southwestern Iceland that has roared back to life after eight centuries of silence has erupted for the seventh time since December, sending molten lava flowing towards the Blue Lagoon spa, a major tourist attraction.
Peel police say a bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of one of the suspects charged in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Two people have been arrested following a protest outside Stornoway, the official residence of Canada's leader of the Opposition.
Sea Bears centre Chad Posthumus has died at age 33.
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Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is expected to unveil plans for the proposed transition away from the elected park board on Thursday morning.
A Toronto woman who was defrauded out of $158,000 in a roofing scam over the summer received about half her money back following a tip from a CTV News viewer.
Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
Peel police say a bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of one of the suspects charged in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Calgarians woke up to more snow on Thursday, part of a system of weather that's expected to continue until at least Saturday.
Road conditions in southern Alberta rapidly deteriorated again Thursday after more snow fell.
Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
Two people have been arrested following a protest outside Stornoway, the official residence of Canada's leader of the Opposition.
The consortium responsible for building Ottawa's new north-south line, TransitNext, says it is ready for the City of Ottawa to begin the final phase of approvals before opening the line to the public.
Workers aged 60 to 64 will no longer be entitled to the tax credit for career extension, which could represent tax savings of $1,540 per year.
It's official — Quebec has set a new record for the most stolen vehicles recovered in one year by Canadian border agents.
Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
Winter officially starts in one month, but we're getting an early taste this week.
Alberta’s government is poised to overhaul the province’s auto insurance system, with a no-fault model emerging as the most likely, offered to counter rising premiums.
Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
The leaders of Nova Scotia’s three main political parties will take part in a roundtable discussion at CTV Atlantic in Halifax on Thursday.
A 19-year-old is facing charges after video of him allegedly driving close to 200 km/h while holding alcohol was shared on social media in the Yarmouth, N.S., area.
Sea Bears centre Chad Posthumus has died at age 33.
The prosecution is expecting to wrap up its case today in the trial of two men accused of human smuggling at the border between Manitoba and Minnesota.
A Winnipeg woman is warning others to be on guard after she was nearly duped by an elaborate scam involving fake Manitoba Hydro workers, Bitcoin machines, and a “frightening” amount of her own personal information.
The Saskatchewan RCMP says officers are still looking for one man wanted in connection to serious assaults that took place in Swift Current in October, but said they have arrested a second suspect.
Three Credit Unions in Saskatchewan are exploring a potential merger – with work on the transition beginning as early as next year.
A Saskatchewan agricultural equipment manufacturer is facing a $100,000 fine after a worker was injured in the workplace.
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Four members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and one member of the Red Devils Motorcycle Club are facing robbery and weapons charges as part of an ongoing investigation.
A man who plead guilty to a double stabbing in 2015 will soon be out on statutory release, but he'll have to follow some strict conditions set out by the parole board.
Alberta-based non-profit the Mustard Seed is stepping up to run Saskatoon's Lighthouse.
A 15-year-old girl who was set on fire at a Saskatoon high school earlier this fall is still recovering in hospital.
A Saskatoon teen accused of driving a car involved in a high-speed crash that killed a 16-year-old last spring has pleaded guilty to his charges.
Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
Next week, Sudbury city council will decide how to rehabilitate the College Street underpass, which was built in 1949.
Greater Sudbury Police has taken delivery of body cameras for its officers and will begin training next month.
A London father and son say they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
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Police officers were in the north end of Barrie on Thursday morning, this time in the area of Livingstone Street West and McDougall Drive.
Emergency crews had to rescue one person trapped inside a vehicle after a rollover collision in Oro-Medonte Thursday morning.
The results are in from a commercial motor vehicle safety blitz provincial police conducted earlier this week and include a dozen vehicles taken off the roads.
Essex County OPP have shut down an illegal cannabis storefront in Leamington and seized $13,500 in products.
The death of two pedestrians in a Walkerville car crash has prompted calls for the City of Windsor to implement a safety plan it approved in January.
*WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some may find disturbing. Reader's discretion is advised.*
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An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
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Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
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Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is welcoming president-elect Donald Trump's pick for the next U.S. ambassador in Ottawa.
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A Dallas anesthesiologist was sentenced Wednesday to 190 years in prison for injecting a nerve-blocking agent and other drugs into bags of intravenous fluid at a surgical center where he worked, leading to the death of a coworker and causing cardiac emergencies for several patients.
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Raw pistachios sold by Nutworks are being recalled in Ontario due to possible Salmonella contamination.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is inviting Canadians to choose the name of the first Canadian Lunar Rover.
Australia’s communications minister introduced a world-first law into Parliament on Thursday that would ban children younger than 16 from social media, saying online safety was one of parents’ toughest challenges.
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CTV film critic Richard Crouse says the follow-up to Best Picture Oscar winner 'Gladiator' is long on spectacle, but short on soul.
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Bitcoin topped US$98,000 for the first time Thursday, extending a streak of almost daily all-time highs since the U.S. presidential election. The cryptocurrency has rocketed more than 40 per cent in just two weeks.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are quickly approaching, meaning many people will be looking to score a deal ahead of the holidays. There are some precautions to take before shopping online.
Reddit was down for thousands of users on Thursday, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com, a day after it rolled out a fix for a software bug that prevented tens of thousands of people from accessing the social media platform.
Sandra Kroek and her grandson Remington spent 200 hours painting a massive Star Wars mural together.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
CTVNews.ca wants to hear from digital nomads who have taken up location-independent jobs and can work from anywhere with an internet connection.
Sea Bears centre Chad Posthumus has died at age 33.
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A 19-year-old is facing charges after video of him allegedly driving close to 200 km/h while holding alcohol was shared on social media in the Yarmouth, N.S., area.
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Even though sales of electric vehicles aren't growing as fast as in past years and President-elect Donald Trump may ditch tax credits for EV buyers, automakers are moving ahead with new models that should appeal to mainstream buyers.
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