'I feel so bad': Montrealers reeling, sending help after deadly earthquake rocks Turkiye
As the search continues for survivors, people in Quebec's Turkish community are doing what they can to help.
At the Mr.Tantuni Turkish restaurant, the owner's thoughts are with his home country.
"I feel [for] them because it's my people and I feel so bad," said the restaurant's owner, Miran Mirdini, who grew up in Mardin, one of the areas affected by the earthquakes.
He moved to Montreal more than a decade ago, but still has family and friends in Turkiye.
"The first thing I did, I just called my family. Everybody is okay," he said. "Maybe they are not telling us because we are far they don't want us to be sad."
Mirdini sent them money and is encouraged by the help being offered by countries around the world so far.
Help is also coming from Montrealers. When Turquebec heard about the massive earthquakes, it quickly mobilized to get emergency supplies to those affected.
"On Wednesday, there's a Turkish direct flight and it's going to Istanbul. We decided we can send some material urgently, what they need," said Gokhan Kurtoglu, president of Turquebec.
Many fled their homes with just the clothes on their backs, so survivors need things like proper boots, jackets, gloves, as well as non-perishable food, he said.
Every little bit helps, said Mirdini.
"In this bad news, we will have good news that everybody will help us at least," he said.
HOW TO HELP
Donations can be dropped off at:
- McGill University: 3480 McTavish St., Room 302
- Turquebec, Montreal: 3785 Villeray St.
- Turquebec, West Island: 61 Grand Blvd., Île-Perrot
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
Canucks hold off Oilers for 4-3 win in Game 3
Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, and the Vancouver Canucks hung on for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.