August 13, 2026
The Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) is grateful to the Government of Canada for its continued confidence in SARVAC and its support of the thousands of volunteers who dedicate their time, skills, and expertise to helping Canadians when they need it most.
Today, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, the Government of Canada announced a $3 million, three-year investment in SARVAC to strengthen volunteer Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) across Canada.
The agreement will provide $1 million annually to support approximately 10,000 volunteers on hundreds of GSAR teams across the country. The investment will help strengthen the national foundation of volunteer search and rescue through:
- Developing and maintaining national GSAR standards, certification and endorsement program
- Supporting volunteer capacity building
- Advancing search and rescue prevention initiatives
- Coordinating a national volunteer insurance program
- Strengthening coordination across the GSAR community, including organizations with specialized search and rescue capabilities
Strengthening Ground Search and Rescue Across Canada
Volunteer search and rescue teams play a critical role in communities across Canada, responding when people are lost, missing, or in distress—often in remote and challenging environments.
Canada’s diverse geography and vast wilderness require a strong, coordinated, and capable search and rescue system. This investment will help SARVAC continue working with GSAR organizations and volunteers across the country to strengthen consistency, coordination, preparedness, and capacity.
Through national standards, volunteer support, and prevention initiatives, SARVAC will continue to advance a stronger and more resilient GSAR community while supporting teams in delivering effective and safe services to Canadians.
Supporting Volunteers
At the heart of Canada’s volunteer search and rescue system are the thousands of individuals who give their time to serve their communities.
This investment recognizes the importance of supporting those volunteers and the teams they serve with the resources, coordination, standards, and programs needed to respond effectively when called upon.
SARVAC extends its sincere thanks to the Yellowknife search and rescue representatives and everyone in attendance at today’s announcement. Their presence helped highlight the vital role volunteer search and rescue organizations play in communities across the North and throughout Canada.
SARVAC is grateful to the Government of Canada for this continued partnership and investment in volunteer Ground Search and Rescue.
Together, we are strengthening the foundation of volunteer search and rescue across Canada and supporting our shared mission of saving lives.
Quote from SARVAC President
“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)
Learn More
Read the Government of Canada’s full news release: Government of Canada invests in volunteer search and rescue across Canada with a three-year funding agreement and rewatch the announcement below.
[Link to Government of Canada news release]