CSL public works chief to help in Haiti

By Joel Goldenberg
 
Tordjman will be going down to Port au Prince, and is doing so on his own time — using two weeks of his vacation available to him. He told The Suburban last week that he is motivated by the Jewish principles of tikkun olam — repairing the world — and pikuach nefesh, helping other people in a time of need. Tordjman said his family will remain here, as conditions in Haiti are dangerous.

“I was chosen as part of a group to go down,” he explained. “Our first step will be to establish clean water systems and a safe environment for any refugee camp in the city of Port au Prince. Following that will be information collection for when I return, to do a reconstruction plans for specific areas.

“There is definitely going to be a lot of work done [from Montreal],” he added. “It’s all volunteer for now, so I don’t know if I’ll have the opportunity to go down there again soon, but we’ll be doing a lot of planning and coordination for reconstruction. A lot of the coordination can be done from a distance. I did a lot of that in my previous job, when I was in project management at SNC Lavalin. Those are the tools I’ll be using when I’m back here. While on site, I’ll be evaluating whether some areas can be saved and which can’t be, possible relocation sites for some of the schools and if their rebuilding cities, to make sure they build them properly with the future in mind.”

Tordjman said that from what he has seen on television and read, coupled with his engineering expertise, he believes reconstruction will take a decade, “easily.

“There’s a possibility of relocation of major parts of Port au Prince — 10 years is probably an optimistic view.”

As to where he will sleep and how he will eat in his two weeks there, “those arrangements will be difficult,” he said last Thursday. “Specifically in the case of eating because I eat only Kosher, I will be bringing a lot of my own food down and, as for sleeping, we will be in a sort of camp. The location hasn’t been disclosed to me just yet.

“It’s going to be less than comfortable accommodations for sure.”

But nevertheless, “we all have to get involved in some way to help out — I can give of my time, and that’s what I’m going to do.”