Statement By The Prime Minister Of Canada

January 16, 2010

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement on the death of RCMP Superintendent Douglas Coates in Haiti:
 
“All Canadians are deeply saddened by the confirmation of the death of RCMP Superintendent Douglas Coates, who died in the line of duty at the now-ruined UN Headquarters.
 
“Superintendent Coates devoted much of his career to peacekeeping and bringing stability to Haiti.  He first served in Haiti in 1993, returning to the country in 1994 and 1995 as part of the civilian police mission.  In 2009, he was proud to return to the UN’s stabilization mission in Haiti as its acting Commissioner.  He was doing the job that he loved at UN Headquarters when the massive earthquake struck.
                                              
“Laureen and I send our deepest sympathies to Doug’s wife Lise, their children Luc, Mathieu and Julie, and to his extended family and friends.  And we wish to thank the brave Canadians who remain in Haiti, as well as those in the international community who have worked tirelessly to locate Superintendent Coates’s remains in the most chaotic and difficult of circumstances.”