Government of Canada invests in volunteer search and rescue across Canada with a three-year funding agreement

YELLOWKNIFE, NT, Aug. 13, 2026 /CNW/ -- Across Canada, thousands of search and rescue volunteers answer the call when people are lost, missing or in distress – often in remote and challenging conditions. Canada's diverse geography and vast wilderness areas require a strong and coordinated search and rescue system, and volunteers play a critical role in helping people when they need it most. Effective search and rescue depends on consistent national standards, strong coordination, and collaboration among governments, volunteers, and community organizations.

Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, announced a $3 million three-year investment in the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC), supporting the national network of Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) volunteers who help keep Canadians safe.

The agreement will provide $1 million annually to support approximately 10,000 volunteers on hundreds of ground search and rescue teams across Canada. Activities supported through the agreement include the development and maintenance of national GSAR standards, search and rescue prevention initiatives, and coordination of a national volunteer insurance program. The agreement also supports SARVAC's efforts to strengthen the GSAR community across Canada, including its work with organizations with specialized search and rescue capabilities.

Through this investment, the Government of Canada is strengthening the foundation of volunteer search and rescue across the country. By enhancing national standards, volunteer capacity building, and search and rescue prevention initiatives, SARVAC will continue to play a key role in helping search and rescue organizations deliver effective and safe services to Canadians.

Quotes

"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. It's local community members who step up and make personal sacrifices to help others, and they deserve our support to be well trained and equipped to do the job. Through this three-year investment in the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada, our government is strengthening the volunteer search and rescue network and supporting the dedicated ground search and rescue teams that play a vital role in keeping Canadians safe."

- The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada

"In the Northwest Territories, we know firsthand just how essential search and rescue volunteers are. Whether responding on the land, on the water, or in some of the most remote and challenging conditions in Canada, these dedicated volunteers help keep Northerners safe when it matters most. This investment in the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada will help strengthen the coordination, training, and support that volunteer teams rely on, so they can continue to serve communities across the North and across Canada. I am proud to see our government supporting the people who answer the call and are there for others when they are in need."

-The Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs of Canada

"This investment will help SARVAC to build a stronger and more resilient volunteer Ground Search and Rescue community for years to come. It allows us to advance our national standards, strengthens our coordination and response for emergencies and searches, and supports prevention initiatives that help Canadians to Get Informed and Go Outdoors. We are grateful to the Government of Canada for its continued confidence in SARVAC, and its support of our thousands of volunteers who dedicate their time and expertise to assisting their communities. This partnership allows us to reinforce and strengthen the important core mission of our association: saving lives across Canada."

- Janelle Coultes, President, Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC)

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.
• The SARVAC Contribution Program administered by Public Safety provides sustainability funding directly to SARVAC to improve volunteer ground SAR capabilities in Canada.
• The SARVAC Contribution Program provides funding to SARVAC which represents approximately 10,000 ground search and rescue (GSAR) volunteers on roughly 300 teams across all 13 provinces and territories through the SARVAC Board of Directors.
• To date, the Government of Canada has provided more than $9 million to the SARVAC through the Humanitarian Workforce program.

Associated Links

• Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada Contribution Program
• Search and Rescue Volunteers
• Government of Canada marks Emergency Preparedness Week and strengthens federal emergency management
• Government of Canada supports inclusive volunteer recruitment and strengthens water and shoreline search and rescue response in Saskatchewan

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SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC)

Contacts: Soraya Lemur, Press Secretary, 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]