Vancouver Information and Newspaper

MONTREAL – A man who once oversaw a stable of budding Olympians – including new national hero Joannie Rochette – now feels ignored by the Canadian government in his own darkest hour.

Ralph Bitton says he’s being snubbed in his almost daily request for details about the search for his son’s body in Haiti.

Alexandre Bitton is believed to be among the last two Canadians whose bodies have yet to be recovered from the Hotel Montana, a Port-au-Prince destination that was popular with foreigners.

His father wonders if the glamour of the Olympics is distracting the government from its more dour duties.

He watched with pride the courageous bronze-medal skating performance of Rochette, which earned her a celebratory written statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

But he wonders why he has to struggle to get a simple email from the Canadian government about the recovery of his son.

“It’s almost pitiful to treat people like this,” he said. “We have no news about our son, and we don’t know what’s happening at the site apart from what we hear from strangers.”

Ralph Bitton has still managed to watch the Olympics, and still finds solace in seeing his former students on the international stage.

He headed a successful sports-study program at a Montreal high school, where students who excelled in the classroom and in athletics were able to train during the school day.

He was responsible for balancing the school and training schedules for some of Canada’s best athletes. They include champion diver Alexandre Despatie, short-track speed skater Olivier Jean, and Rochette, who overcame her own tragedy to deliver an inspiring performance in figure skating.

That same program at Antoine-de-St-Exupery high school also included Canada’s Olympic hockey goalie, Roberto Luongo, although Bitton wasn’t running the program back then.

The Bitton family is now seeking out information about the Haiti search wherever it can find it.

The detailed briefings by the U.S. State Department on efforts to locate American citizens are a source of envy.

The Bittons have sent letters to several Canadian politicians, including the prime minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, but they’re still waiting for something beyond a routine reply.

“When I find information elsewhere and say, ‘Can you confirm it?’ they say, ‘Yes we can,”‘ said Jocelyne Bitton.

“They supposedly do that to protect me. But I don’t need protection, I need information.”

The Bittons have been liaising with other families anxiously awaiting information about loved ones lost within the rubble of the hotel.

They also follow a Facebook group that provides running commentary about the recovery operations.

The Bittons are not the first family to complain about the Hotel Montana recovery effort. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, several others criticized search efforts they said were disorganized.

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Department has a policy of not commenting on individual cases, for privacy reasons.

But government officials say they remain in regular contact with families as recovery teams and forensic experts continue the painstaking task of identifying victims.

“With the end of search-and-rescue efforts, emphasis has shifted to recovery and identification of the deceased,” said Dana Cryderman, a spokesperson for the department.

“This is a complex process which can require some time.”

Alexandre Bitton was only in Haiti reluctantly, fretting that his business trip would cause him to miss a family vacation.

His parents have come to terms with the likelihood that he won’t be found alive. They’re now focused on the hope of one day burying their son.

In the meantime, Ralph Bitton has cast an eye on Vancouver, where another family is suffering. He’s proud of the way Joannie Rochette handled her own personal pain.

“The death of her mother was difficult for her but she nevertheless succeeded in overcoming that to win a medal,” he said.

“It was remarkable, but it doesn’t surprise me at all because she was really a determined girl.”

Bitton just hopes someone in Ottawa might think of his family, too.

“If no one pushes them, they don’t do anything,” he said. “That’s what I find unfortunate about our political leaders.”