Cowichan Valley Search and Rescue is working together with the Duncan Daybreak Rotary Club to raise as much as $2.5 million to build a new facility for equipment and training.
Search Manager and Training Officer Mitch Wright says the current building is no longer adequate.
He says they operate out of a two bay facility at the CVRD’s Bings Creek Recycling Centre and where they park four large vehicles inside, another vehicle that sits outside, off-road vehicles, that are stored separately and have to be loaded onto a trailer before each search gets underway, a boat for rescues on rivers.
Wright says they need a larger building with three to four pull-through bays to hold all of the equipment and be ready to roll immediately to get where they are needed as quickly as possible.
He says they also need a larger classroom space for training and a room for drying wet equipment after a rescue.
Cowichan SAR responds to 50-60 callouts annually and experienced its busiest year in 2024 with 79 calls.
It says the push for the new facility was years in the making, but is moving forward following a recent Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Cowichan Valley Regional District to provide land for a new home
We’ve been working toward this moment for a long time and it’s exciting to finally be here,” says CSAR past-president Jamie Tudway-Cains, adding they now plan to build public awareness and ramp up fundraising.
“We know this project is sorely needed for our group, but also know we have to raise a lot of money to complete it – that is where we’ll lean on Rotary for its support and expertise.”
Rotary Club of Duncan Daybreak members began meeting informally with CSAR more than a year ago, and are gathering support from other Rotary clubs around the valley and beyond.
Arnie May, Duncan Daybreak president, says there’s a lot of excitement and energy for this project.
“Our neighbouring clubs are on board, and we had the Rotary District governor up recently for a tour as well, so we’re getting the word out far and wide to build support.”
Cowichan SAR has a $280,000 fund ear-marked for the project and will seek matching grants from upper levels of government. The Rotary club also has the ability to apply for matching grants from Rotary International.
