MILOT, Haiti - We are strolling down a rural road heading toward this small town an hour from the oceanside city of Cap-Haïtien. There are mango and banana trees, people sorting beans, and once in a while a dilapidated truck teeming with passengers. But there are no tourists, no hotels, no restaurants, not even a store.

Canada has forgiven 2.3 million Canadian dollars ($2 million) in debt owed by Haiti as part of the federal government's plan to relieve impoverished and heavily indebted countries.

Canada has forgiven C$2.3 million in debt owed by Haiti as part of a plan that aims to relieve the world's poorest countries of C$1.3 billion in debt, the Department of Finance said on Thursday.