A member of the Kelowna-based Marijuana Party is hoping to drum up support for the volunteer-run Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia.
Brynn Jones posted a message on Facebook, saying “I spent about an hour today speaking to the director of search and rescue of British Columbia about how we as the party… can assist.”
The B.C. Marijuana Party is led by cannabis-advocate Marc Emery.
Search and rescue operations were not included in the 2019 B.C. budget, leaving the provincial organization scrambling as funding runs out in March, a move Jones called “unacceptable.”
“This is something that’s very important, regardless of whether it’s a political issue or social issue,” he said. Jones has now launched a Facebook fundraiser.
READ MORE: Busy year for Central Okanagan Search and Rescue
In 2016 and 2017, the provincial government announced two one-time grants of $10 million and $5 million for the BC Search and Rescue Association to be shared between 80 groups.
There were hopes this year’s budget would include a long-term funding model for search and rescue, as proposed by BCSARA in 2015.
The Central Okanagan search and rescue team, as well as most chapters, are funded through grants and their own fundraising efforts.
Edward Henczel, communications officer with Central Okanagan Search and Rescue, told Black Press Media he is aware of the fundraising efforts by Jones.
READ MORE: Concerns rise as B.C. search and rescue funding set to expire
The uncertainty comes amid increasing demand for search and rescue services in B.C.
The 80 SAR groups across the province are now responding to upward of 1,700 incidents every year, which is more ground SAR callouts than anywhere else across Canada.
edit@kelownacapnews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
