MONTREAL - A wave of shock and alarm swept through Montreal's 5,000-member Japanese community Friday in reaction to the ongoing earthquake disaster that has hit their homeland.
One group of 23 exchange students attending McGill University for a month-long course included many that had difficulty reaching family members in Japan.
One of the students, Waikiko Umemiya was shocked by the images of the event.
"I couldn't believe it. There was a lot of water and buildings were broken and destroyed. I couldn't believe it," she said.
Masako Takahatake of the Canada-Japan Society of Montreal said that as of Friday afternoon, many Japanese Montreals were unsure as to what had happened to their loved ones in Japan.
"Very few of them could reach their parents and one of the students knew that her house was corrupted. She was worrying about whether anybody was injured or not. We cannot get that information yet."
Don Watanake of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal expressed the mood of the community.
"Our thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to the people in Japan directly affected by this and also to the people in our community who are waiting to hear word of what's going on."
The centre is providing support and information about the natural disaster.
At the Sakura Gardens restaurant staff worried about one of their chefs who just flew over to Japan yesterday. They have been unable to reach him all day.
"We have a bad feeling, a very bad feeling," said one.
To reach the website of the Consul General for Japan in Montreal, please click here.
Anyone wishing to make donations can call the red cross at 1-800 418-1111 or through their web site at Canadianredcross.ca
Anyone seeking information about Canadian friends of family now in Japan is asked to call DFAIT at 613-943-1055, or toll free within Canada at 1-800-387-3124.
Canadians who are in Japan and in need of assistance are asked to contact the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo at 011-81-3-5412-6200.
