News

Cultural Awareness Strengthens Search and Rescue Response

Cultural Awareness Strengthens Search and Rescue Response November 2–8 marks Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario— an opportunity for Ontarians, and Canadians more broadly, to deepen understanding and engagement with Indigenous peoples as part of the ongoing process...

Can you guess who’s who?

We’re proud to welcome back our re-elected SARVAC Executive! 🙌 Janelle Coultes – SARVAC President Guy Lapointe – SARVAC Vice President Bobbi Buchanan – SARVAC Secretary Jason Hudson – SARVAC Treasurer Although not everyone could be present for a photo opportunity...

2025 SARVAC Humanitarian Workforce Wildfire Operations Recap 

July 15 – August 29, 2025 More than 179 trained Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) volunteers from across Canada answered the call to support wildfire response. Deployment Highlights Manitoba 107 responders 783 person-days Newfoundland & Labrador 88 responders 656...

Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) Deployment Update

This week, our final rotations remained fully engaged with operational tasks while preparing for demobilization. Some SARVAC HWF responders from Nova Scotia returned home on short notice to support their own communities facing active wildfire emergencies. Meanwhile,...

SARVAC Humanitarian Workforce Program (HWF) Update – NL and MB Deployments

📍 Newfoundland & Labrador: Since the start of this week, the National Incident Support Team (NIST) has been activated, and SARVAC HWF response planning is ongoing. Mission Ready Group NL Rotation 1 has been selected. Travel is arranged, a Base of Operations has...

Nova Scotia Ground SAR

Search and Rescue in Nova Scotia started officially in November of 1969 after a 5 day search in the Cape Breton Highlands for a father of 5, who was found alive. While he was in the hospital recovering, Cape Breton Search and Rescue was created. Since then another 23...

Newfoundland and Labrador SAR

  Newfoundland and Labrador is Canada’s most easterly province, with Cape Spear recognized as the most easterly point in North America. The island portion of the province is the tenth largest island in the world. At 111,390 square kilometres, it rivals, in area,...

Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association

Ontario is Canada's most populous province, with roughly 40% of the country's population at approximately 13,550,900 and has a total area of 1,076,395 square kilometers. Established in 1992, the Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association (OSARVA), is the...

Search and Rescue Manitoba

Search and Rescue Manitoba The Province of Manitoba has an area of 649,947 square kilometers, with an amazing 101,591 square kilometers of water surface with a population of 1,265,015 with 789,000 living in the Capital City of Winnipeg. The Search and Rescue Manitoba...

Nunavut SAR

Nunavut is Canada's newest Territory, having been officially separated from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999.  With a population of approximately 32,000, it is the largest of the Province or Territory in Canada. Major communities in the Territory include the...

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