©️Valerio Saint Louis
Ottawa, 26 July 2025.- The Canadian Association of Peace and Security Officers (CPSOTA), led by Harold Turnier, has made an unprecedented donation to Haiti: 12 fire trucks, 10 ambulances, a worn-out truck, a new tractor and several equipment, for an estimated US$3 million. This donation, entirely financed without recourse to public funds, is considered the largest material contribution ever made to Haiti by a Haitian-Canadian organization.
A large humanitarian cargo is about to sail to Haiti. Composed of 12 fire trucks, 10 ambulances, a used truck, a new tractor and several used equipment, this donation is the work of the Canadian Peace and Security Officers Training Association (CPSOTA), a Haitian-Canadian organization founded in 1964 and chaired by Harold Turnier since 2015.
At a brief ceremony on the wharf, Harold Turnier expressed his deep emotion: « Haiti is in my heart and in my blood. I am inhabited by the legacy of the heroes of 1804. » He stressed that the recent tragedy, including the tragic explosion in Cap-Haitien on 14 December 2021 (75 dead, more than 100 injured) and the fire of 14 September 2024 (24 dead), were the triggers of this vast project.
Estimated at US$3 million, this donation was fully mobilized by private means without public funding. « It is probably the largest material contribution ever sent to Haiti by an independent diaspora organization. », said journalist Valerio Saint Louis.
According to Harold Turnier, the idea dates back to 2021 when CPSOTA proposed a first donation of 10 trucks to Dr Ariel Henry's government. Despite an officially expressed interest, the project had not been implemented at the time.
Today, with perseverance and determination, the project is finally coming into being. The ship carrying relief vehicles will leave the United States in the next few days to reach Haiti, bringing a glimmer of hope in a context marked by humanitarian emergencies and dire needs for civil security equipment.
W.A.
