Temporarily delayed by Tropical Storm Ophelia, a Canadian taskforce carrying relief supplies for Hurricane Katrina victims steamed into a U.S. Navy base in Pensacola, Fla. Monday morning.
The convoy of three Canadian warships arrived in the Gulf of Mexico after a six-day journey from Halifax. HMCS Athabaskan, Toronto and Ville de Quebec will be in port for at least a day before heading further into the disaster zone.
A fourth vessel, the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Sir William Alexander, is still to come. When it arrives, the Alexander's crew will work on restoring navigational buoys destroyed by the Aug. 29 storm.
The Canadian team on Monday quickly began the task of unloading thousands of tonnes of relief supplies -- everything from lumber, blankets and chainsaws, to diapers and cots.
American sailors marveled at the speed and size of the Canadian aid mission.
"The Canadians were so quick to respond and they actually responded before they got the call," said Petty Officer Russell Tafuri.
"They're brothers. I mean they show up. I don't even think we had to ask," added Capt. Pete Frano, the base's commander.
""When a disaster strikes I don't think it. Matters how powerful a nation you are, nature is always going to be a lot more powerful," said Maj. Paul Charlebois of the Canadian medical team. "And we need to be there because I'm sure the Americans would be there for us too."
Once the ships unload all their cargo, they go back out to see and then drop anchor off the Gulf Coast disaster zone.
From there, construction teams and engineers will commute to shore to help the Americans rebuild.
Military medics will support the Canadian teams and supply badly-needed counselling to some survivors in the hurricane zone.
"What we need to do is get the community infrastructure in place so that people can get back and get some normalcy in their lives," said Commodore Dean McFadden, who is leading the mission.
A Canadian taskforce carrying relief supplies for Hurricane Katrina victims steamed into a U.S. Navy base in Pensacola, Fla. Monday morning
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