In Yellowknife, feds announce $3M for volunteer search and rescue across Canada

Ottawa says $1 million per year will support about 10,000 volunteers on search and rescue teams across country

In an effort to support search and rescue volunteers on teams throughout Canada, the federal government announced millions of dollars aimed at better supporting the thousands who step up when others are lost, missing, or in distress.

Eleanor Olszewski, minister of emergency management and community resilience made the announcement in Yellowknife on Thursday. She said the federal government had reached a $3 million three-year funding agreement with the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC).

Under the agreement, $1 million will be provided annually to the hundreds of ground search and rescue teams in Canada, in a press release, the federal government said these organizations represent about 10,000 volunteers.

The federal government said the funding will go towards developing and maintaining national ground search and rescue standards, safety initiatives and coordinating a national volunteer insurance program.

Julia Parrish is a digital associate producer at CBC North in Yellowknife. You can reach her at julia.parrish@cbc.ca