Nearly two days since a deadly earthquake killed more than 2,100 people in Morocco, Montreal鈥檚 Caf茅 Amistad has become a gathering place for people seeking answers, or at least support.
When news of the deadly quake trickled in on Friday, Chorfi Zouhir kept his shop open late into the night, as customers stayed glued to news channels and tried frantically to call home.
鈥淓verything was upside down,鈥� he said in an interview Sunday. 鈥淲e were looking for information at any price.鈥�
Zouhir said many people spent the early hours trying to get through on the phone to relatives, desperate to know if they were OK. He said initially, the death toll was reported to be in the dozens, then the hundreds. By the time he woke up Saturday morning, 鈥渋t was multiplying,鈥� he said.
His own family in Casablanca are safe, but he鈥檚 shocked by the tragedy that struck his country.
He said he鈥檚 also been deeply touched by how many people of all backgrounds have stopped by his caf茅 to ask their Moroccan neighbours if their families are safe.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences to the people of Morocco in a social media post, and said Canada is ready to help however it can.
鈥淢y heart breaks for the people of Morocco, following yesterday鈥檚 devastating earthquake,鈥� he wrote Saturday on X, formerly known as Twitter. 鈥淭o those who lost loved ones: Canadians are sending you our deepest condolences.鈥�
At least one mosque in Montreal said it was collecting donations to send to Morocco, while multiple people on a Facebook page dedicated to Moroccan Montrealers posted online, asking how they could help.
There are roughly 100,000 Canadians of Moroccan decent, according to the latest census. About 81,000 Moroccan Canadians live in Quebec, and nearly half of that population is in Montreal.
More than 2,400 were also confirmed injured after Morocco was shaken by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that hit late Friday about 70 kilometers south of Marrakech.
On Sunday, the streets of the historic city were filled with police and army vehicles, according to a Newfoundland man who was attending a UNESCO conference in Marrakech when the quake hit.
John Norman, the mayor of Bonavista, N.L., said he was getting ready for bed on Friday when the room began to shake.
While it started slowly, he said the large jolts began within seconds.
鈥淭he ceiling began to move, and dust began to come down,鈥� he said in an interview. 鈥淭he ceiling light fixtures in the bathroom fell out of the ceiling and I said, 鈥榳e鈥檙e leaving.鈥欌��
Norman said he was lucky that neither he nor other Canadian delegation members were hurt, and that their hotel is well-built and sustained only minor damage. However, he said it鈥檚 painful to hear the stories from hotel staff whose families have lost homes, and to see priceless historic sites damaged or destroyed.
He鈥檚 also aware that his own story could have ended in a different way. Originally, he was scheduled to conclude the conference with a field mission to the Atlas Mountains 鈥� near the epicentre of the tragedy 鈥� and to stay in a hotel that is now 鈥渘o more,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all very lucky and we all realize it,鈥� he said.
He said the money for that expedition has been donated to earthquake relief, and that a donation centre has been set up outside the hotel where he鈥檚 staying. Conference attendees and others staying in the less-damaged areas have also donated blood as well as bottled water, he said.
Global Affairs Canada said in a statement on Sunday it was not aware of any Canadians injured or killed in the earthquake but the agency is providing assistance to 50 Canadian citizens in the area.
The agency also said Morocco has not requested international assistance. However, Canada 鈥渋s in contact with key humanitarian partners to assess needs, should the Government of Morocco welcome assistance,鈥� the statement said.
鈥淭he death toll is expected to rise, with authorities expressing difficulty accessing the hardest-hit areas and villages in the High Atlas mountains,鈥� the agency added.
鈥淎ftershocks continue to be felt in the area and threaten to further destabilize already weakened infrastructure鈥ur hearts are with the families and friends of the people who lost their lives in the earthquake, as well as with all people affected.鈥�
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