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Province announces $18.6 million for BC Search and Rescue

Squamish SAR’s BJ Chute looks forward to long-term funding
BJ Chute Squamish SAR

Less than two weeks before the last injection of funding for BC Search and Rescue Association was coming to an end, the province announced another three-year injection — of $18.6 million.

The funding, announced March 23, will allow local Search and Rescue teams to provide training and replace equipment without relying so much on their volunteers fundraising on top of responding to calls.

In Squamish, local SAR president BJ Chute said, “It is exciting. We’re happy to continue to work toward the ultimate goal, which is the ability to plan long-term.”

In 2016, a similar injection of $15 million was given to the BC SAR Association, which includes 80 local units across the province. When the BC Budget was announced in February, SAR members were concerned a new injection wasn’t included.

The record high $18.6 million will be distributed among the different teams based on need, skill and topography.

Beyond the three-year funding, Chute said, BCSARA would like to see long-term funds. At the March 23 announcement at the SAR Chilliwack base, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said two more staff will join Emergency Management BC  as the province plans for a sustainable long-term funding model.

An alternative funding model “is really what we were hoping for because that would be long-term, stable funding for Search and Rescue in the province,” Chute said after the announcement.  “I think it’s a good stopgap. It’s good news, it’s going to give us funding for the next three years, but we’re still hopeful that the long-term sustainable funding model is going to go through.

“I think anything that frees up the volunteers’ time to allow us to do what it is that we do best — which is to go out and help those in need — the better." 

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