The federal government is committing $3 million over three years to support volunteer ground search and rescue organizations across Canada.
Emergency Management and Community Resilience Minister Eleanor Olszewski announced the funding Aug. 13 in Yellowknife.
The agreement with the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada will provide $1 million annually to support a national network representing about 10,000 ground search and rescue volunteers on roughly 300 teams across all 13 provinces and territories.
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Funding to support standards, training and prevention
The federal government says the money will support the development and maintenance of national ground search and rescue standards, search and rescue prevention initiatives and coordination of a national volunteer insurance program.
Funding will also support efforts to strengthen co-ordination across the ground search and rescue community, including work with organizations that provide specialized search and rescue capabilities.
Volunteer teams are often called to help locate people who are lost, missing or in distress, including in remote areas where difficult terrain and weather can complicate operations.
Olszewski said volunteers make personal sacrifices to respond when people need help.
“Canada’s search and rescue volunteers are there when Canadians need them most, responding to emergencies in some of the country’s most challenging and remote environments,” she said.
She said the three-year agreement is intended to strengthen the volunteer network and help ensure teams are trained and equipped to respond safely.
About 10,000 volunteers represented
The Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada represents approximately 10,000 ground search and rescue volunteers across the country.
Association president Janelle Coultes said the funding will help improve national standards, emergency co-ordination and prevention programs.
“This investment will help SARVAC to build a stronger and more resilient volunteer Ground Search and Rescue community for years to come,” Coultes said.
She said the agreement will also support initiatives aimed at helping Canadians prepare before heading outdoors and reinforce the association’s work to support volunteer teams across the country.
Canada’s search and rescue system includes federal, provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities, volunteers and private-sector organizations.
The federal government says it has previously provided more than $9 million to SARVAC through its Humanitarian Workforce program.