Platoon of Canadian soldiers deploys with Brazilians for Haiti peacekeeping

OTTAWA – A handful of Canadian troops are about to take part in peacekeeping operations in Haiti under the command of Brazilian forces.

According to internal defence department documents, the deployment of an infantry platoon was approved by the Harper government in October 2012.

Three-dozen soldiers arrived in Brazil last April to be embedded and train with that country’s 44th Motorized Infantry battalion.

The partnership and the mission will be formally announced on Wednesday, one day before boots hit the ground.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay and consular affairs minister Diane Ablonczy, who is also responsible for the Americas, are expected to announce the deployment, which will run six months.

Defence sources say the United Nations only signed off on the unusual request to become part of the contingent within the last week.