Vancouver Island firefighters holding fundraiser for Tumbler Ridge families<\/p>\n
Published 3:20 pm Wednesday, February 18, 2026<\/p>\n
Vancouver Island and Salt Spring Island firefighters will be coming together for a region-wide fundraising effort to support the families and first responders of Tumbler Ridge after a mass shooting left nine dead in the small Northern town.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Feb. 21, members of the Victoria Firefighters Charitable Association, along with firefighters from Saanich, Colwood, Central Saanich, CFB Esquimalt, Esquimalt, Langford, Nanaimo, North Saanich, Oak Bay, Salt Spring Island, Sidney, Sooke, and View Royal, will host fundraising stations from noon to 4 p.m. in high-traffic locations across Vancouver Island.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an opportunity for firefighters across our region to stand together and support families and first responders who need it,\u201d noted Derek Atherton of the Victoria Firefighters Charitable Association in a news release \u201cWe\u2019re incredibly proud of how quickly our locals came together to make this happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
They will accept both cash and electronic donations at all locations. Those unable to visit a physical location are encouraged to donate at www.victoriafirefighters.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n Locations will be shared through local media and social media channels in advance of the event at the victoriafire730 Instagram page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Several local sports teams, including the Victoria Shamrocks, Victoria Royals, Victoria HarbourCats, and UVic Vikes Hockey will also be participating.<\/p>\n Donations collected across all communities will be combined and presented as a single contribution on behalf of participating Vancouver Island International Association of Fire Fighters locals, and all proceeds will be directed to the Tumbler Ridge Parent Advisory Council, with a portion of funds set aside to support local first responders in the community.<\/p>\n