A Haiti missions team from southern Alberta, including the two founders from Airdrie, were evacuated from their compound yesterday by helicopter bound for the Port Au Prince Airport as civil unrest has taken over the Caribbean country.  

The 24-member team from the missions organization Haiti ARISE that was founded by Airdrie couple Marc and Lisa Honorat, is to be airlifted from their compound in Grand Goave, Haiti and flown to the airport in the capital city of Port Au Prince to wait for a flight back to Calgary.

Haiti has been the scene of civil unrest and massive protests that have taken over the island nation. Schools and businesses are closed and roadblocks are preventing anyone from being able to travel.  Food water and diesel fuel are in short supply and the situation there is dire.  The protests came about because of serious price hikes, inflation, and a plummeting Haitian currency.  The Haitian people are calling for the resignation of the country's President Jovenel Moise.

According to Communications manager Tammy Love of Haiti ARISE, the team has been in the country for about two weeks to do a women's conference and tiling of a floor in a new home at a children's village that their group started.  They tried to get out of the country on Tuesday but were turned back by the roadblocks.   The group has been staying in a secure compound in Grand Goave which is a few hours from Port Au Prince.

"Marc and Lisa Honorat are the founders of Haiti ARISE," says Love, "and they actually reside in Airdrie.  I know a few of their kids are still back home and one of their children is down there with them right now so Lisa and Miesha are going to be making their way back with this team, hopefully, today, on the helicopter."

Marc intends to stay in Haiti at the Haiti ARISE compound.  Love says the rest of the team is also from the immediate area, Carstairs, Didsbury, and Olds.  She says the group has been reasonably calm for the most part and believes it's harder on the families waiting in Canada.

"The biggest concern is when can we get out and how.  Now that they've got a method to get out, I know they're going to breathe a lot easier when they're on North American ground."

Three helicopters are to arrive sometime today to take them to the airport which remains open.  Airlines are waiting there to ferry people out of the country.  "Once they get to the airport, they're just going to go through the process of trying to get on one of those flights out.," explains Love.  "That could be tonight, that could be tomorrow, we're just not sure."

The Honorats established Haiti ARISE in 2000 and have been on the ground in Haiti for the past 15 years.