Alberta missionaries among the Canadians heading home from riot-stricken Haiti

MONTREAL – A group of Canadian missionaries who were trapped in Haiti due to violent street protests are on their way home to Canada.

Michelle Guenther of Alberta-based Haiti Arise says the 24 group members were flown out of Port-au-Prince yesterday and most of them will arrive in Calgary this afternoon.

Missionaries Wade and Marilyn Fitzpatrick say the group had to be taken to the airport by helicopter because the roads are blocked by burning tires and protesters armed with rocks and guns.

They say they're happy to be home but are worried about the Haitians who risk running out of food and water if the roads don't reopen soon.

Some 113 Quebec tourists who had been trapped at a Haitian resort by the protests were also evacuated to the airport by helicopter and were flown to Montreal last night on a chartered commercial flight.

Protests have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of President Jovenel Moise, spurred by anger about about skyrocketing inflation and the government’s failure to prosecute embezzlement from a multi-billion Venezuelan program that sent discounted oil to Haiti.