It’s been more than two months since Canadian airlines stopped bringing tourists to Cuba, and the country is struggling under the U.S. oil blockade. One Quebec man says it’s time Canadians start doing their part to help. Christian Lemire is from Terrebonne, northeast of Montreal, and went to Cuba in December to spend time with his girlfriend from the country. He’s worried about her and the larger community he’s grown attached to. “They need to find something to eat every day, to find some water, to find some. All of the necessary for a living,” he said. He discovered Cuba as a tourist destination, but now sees the country facing constant shortages since its former ally, Venezuela, was forced to stop providing supplies. He has launched a personal online initiative to get Canadians to board a weekly charter flight from Montreal, strictly to bring money and basic supplies. “I ask for everybody on Facebook to just make sure they have enough people for one plane, but maybe four more than that, maybe once a week,” he said. It is a local initiative that isn’t backed by any government or registered humanitarian organization. He says he just wants to do something to help. “Bring money down there and buy some food down there because they have food, they really have food, but they don’t have money to buy it,” he said. “And it’s more easier bringing some money to go there.” Lemire says a network of locals will make sure that the aid money goes straight to those who need it. Canada currently advises against any trips to Cuba and the United States has signalled that it could intervene militarily at any moment to topple the regime. All Lemire wants to do is make sure nobody goes hungry during these uncertain times.
