Water purification system among cargo to leave CFB Trenton Friday

A Canadian Forces water purification system and other aid is en route to the Philippines along with more members of the Disaster Assistance Reponse Team (DART).

Ten more personnel left CFB Trenton Friday evening bringing the total number of Canadians Forces members on the ground to roughly 200.

Defence Minister Rob Nicholson was in town to see them off.

"I know a lot of work and effort has gone into this already," he told the troops before they boarded their flight. "You have responded very very quickly to this terrible tragedy that has afflicted the Philippines. This is part of what we do as a county."

Three Griffon helicopters are also being prepped to be taken over in the coming days. Many roads are still impassable.

The official death toll from the disaster stands at more than 3600, with another 1200, including 55 Canadians, listed as missing. More than half a million people have been left homeless

Third Philippines-bound flight leaves CFB Trenton

More troops were on the way to the Philippines Thursday night, bringing the total number of Canadian Forces boots on the ground in the typhoon devastated area to almost 200.

A flight carrying 70 members of the rapid response team left CFB Trenton late in the evening.

They’re bound for the region of Iloilo on Panay Island. 

Major-General Jim Ferron, commanding officer of the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters, says one of the biggest priorities is getting clean water to those who need it. 

He says more of the 287 members of the Disaster Assistance Response Team should be leaving for the Philippines in the coming days. 

DART heading to the Philippines

The Canadian government and the military are ramping up help for the people in typhoon-devastated islands in the Philippines.

An advance team of government officials is set to land in the Philippines Monday night and the Canadian Forces disaster team is on standby in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.

A C17 aircraft carrying 43 members of the Canadian Forces’s DART team, the Disaster Assistance Response Team, left CFB Trenton Monday evening.

It is on standby in Hawaii until the advance team assesses what is needed and where. Canadian Forces officials say the advance team of nine staff including military and civilian staff is expected to be on the ground for between one and three days.

The C17 is loaded with command post members and equipment, along with engineers, medical staff, a forklift and a field ambulance. When the DART team gets the green light to fly to the Philippines the initial team will set up on the ground and it’s expected that a second wave of soldiers along with more equipment and supplies will be sent.