Canadian military advance team reaches Philippines, begins assessment

OTTAWA – A Canadian military reconnaissance team has landed in the Philippines for talks with local officials on how best to help the Asian country devastated by a vicious typhoon.

But Canada's larger Disaster Assistance Response Team, which deployed for the Philippines on Monday, is currently in Hawaii, waiting for specifics on where and how it can help.

Defence Minister Rob Nicholson says the DART will be available at a moment's notice once the Canadian advance team has provided its assessment.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced Monday that a Canadian Forces C-17 was en route to the Southeast Asian archipelago, carrying between 35 and 50 members of the team with their equipment.

Baird had emphasized the speed at which the government had taken action.

The DART has 200 Canadian Forces personnel and was last deployed following the earthquake that devastated Haiti in January 2010.