Governor General Michaelle Jean did not have to say a word

Update The government of Newfoundland and Labrador is giving $1 million to the Haiti relief effort. Thumbs up for that!

Governor General Madame Michaelle Jean did not have to say a word. Her heartfelt and hopelessly restrained tears told us how dismal the earthquake tragedy is for the poorest people on earth, and for her personally. The same news report yesterday said that Canadians gave $100 million to the Asian Tsunami relief effort. The scenes of carnage and anguish will also move anyone with a heart to do donate what they can to the Haiti Relief fund. There may never have been a Governor General who was more openly emotional, and empathetic as Madame Jean. Her heartbreak and tears alone were too real to this woman who grew up in the country where poverty, political corruption, and social hardships, and unrest have been part of the culture for decades. I wonder how many more people who watched Michaelle Jean fight back tears, felt like helping out after seeing her at Wednesday's press conference. This lady acts on the empathy she feels, and sense of justice. Last year she felt it was important to share a meal of seal with First Nations people. This Governor General connects with people and could move Canadians and Canada to give very generously to help Haiti. To see her own people and relatives suffer, must have felt like a personal injury, and so overwhelmingly tragic, given that people were already miserable with poverty, crime, poor sanitation, political corruption, and overcrowding. Among many nations, Haiti's horrific trauma, laid upon bleak desperation, seems to be too cruel to be real. Like other major events, it sadly is real. The rest of the world will help, and here's one place to start from here: The Red Cross offices in St. John's, Grand Falls-Windsor, Corner Brook and Wabush stayed open to 7 p.m. Wednesday to accept donations. They're also extending their hours on Thursday and Friday. You can drop your donation off in person, or do it Online.

Here are the provincial Red Cross offices and contact information Regional Office 17 Majors Path St. John's, NL A1A 4Z9 Phone: 709-758-8400 Fax: 709-758-8417 Service Centres Central Service Centre 28 Cromer Avenue Grand Falls-Windsor, NL A2A 1X2 Phone: 709-489-5522 Fax: 709-489-6602 Western Service Centre 9 Main Street, P.O. Box 172 Corner Brook, NL A2H 6C7 Phone: 709-634-4626 Fax: 709-634-1370 Labrador Service Centre Wabush Shopping Plaza Wabush, Labrador A0R 1B0 Phone: 709-944-2570 Fax: 709-944-7117