Government of Canada funds improvements to Arctic ground search and rescue

ANTIGONISH, NS, Aug. 27, 2025 /CNW/ - The diversity and vastness of Canada's landscapes offer a unique challenge when it comes to search and rescue (SAR) operations, and regular improvements are key to saving people when they are in distress.

Today, Anthony Housefather, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience announced $1,361,900 in funding to St. Francis Xavier University for their three-year project entitled Closing the Gaps: Addressing Critical Challenges in Arctic Ground Search and Rescue.

Public Safety Canada will fund the initiative through the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF), which annually provides funding for projects that will improve Canada's search and rescue system.

Ground search and rescue (GSAR) operations on the land, ice and inland waters of the Arctic are often difficult and complex given the region's vast size and cold climate. The difficulties are compounded by systemic challenges faced by SAR responders.

With this new funding, St. Francis Xavier University, along with other researchers from Dalhousie and Memorial Universities will work with government and community search and rescue responders from Nunavut and the Nunavik region to improve ground search and rescue prevention, preparedness and response by addressing some of the core challenges identified through previous research.

Quotes

"Our new Canadian government works with people on the forefront of search and rescue. We invest in the communities, the professionals and the volunteers who put their lives on the line to get people home safely when they are in distress. The funding for projects like this one contributes to a broader system of safety that benefits us all."

- Anthony Housefather, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience

I thank Parliamentary Secretary Anthony Housefather for visiting our campus for today's important announcement. This is another example of the federal government's support for research and researchers at StFX University. This funding will support exceptional research experiences for undergraduate students who will assist Dr. Kikkert in organizing and facilitating SAR roundtables in Nunavut and Nunavik.

- Andy Hakin, PhD, President and Vice-Chancellor of St. Francis Xavier University

"Arctic SAR volunteers face harsh conditions, a changing environment, and vast search areas, often with limited assistance. This project builds on years of collaboration among researchers, Inuit responders and government partners, and will improve Arctic SAR by strengthening its governance, testing technology, and co-developing new capabilities, planning, and training tools rooted in Inuit Knowledge."

- Peter Kikkert, PhD, Associate Professor, Public Policy and Governance, and Research Fellow, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, St. Francis Xavier University

Quick Facts

• The search and rescue system draws on the resources and expertise of partners at all orders of government, Indigenous communities, volunteers, and the private sector to respond to people who are lost, missing or in distress.
• Public Safety Canada manages the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF) in partnership with other federal, provincial and territorial SAR organizations, who together determine its annual priorities.
• SAR NIF is designed to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and innovation of SAR activities in Canada, and provides $7.6M annually in funding for projects that are selected through an objective merit-based process.
• The Government of Canada is committed to advancing SAR in Canada by funding projects with eligible organizations that share a commitment to minimize the risk of injury and loss of life while maintaining timely and effective search and rescue response.

Associated Links

• Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund

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SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Contacts: Mathis Denis, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, 613-991-0657, [email protected]; Cindy MacKenzie, Manager, Media Relations, St. Francis Xavier University, 902-867-2401 Cell:902-872-0612, [email protected]