Ottawa expands search-and-rescue funding with new 2026–2027 project call
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتسابThe federal government announced on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, that it is expanding support for Canada’s search-and-rescue system by opening the 2026–2027 intake for the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund, while also providing a one-time $2.86 million investment for seven projects aimed at strengthening rescue capacity across the country. Ottawa said the program provides up to $6.5 million annually for new and ongoing projects that improve prevention and response to calls for assistance.
Emergency Management and Community Resilience Minister Eleanor Olszewski said Canada’s vast geography and the growing frequency of climate-related emergencies make sustained investment in search and rescue increasingly important. The government said the new funding is meant to improve coordination, build local capacity, and ensure responders have the tools needed to reach people in distress more effectively.
According to the backgrounder, the seven funded projects span a wide range of priorities, including training, leadership and governance support, volunteer recruitment and retention, stronger community response capacity, and better tools for coordination and prevention. The funded work includes initiatives in Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia, as well as projects focused on cold-water safety and stronger data-sharing between search-and-rescue and fire services.
Applications for the new funding round must be submitted by May 15, 2026, at noon Pacific time. The federal government also said that since the National Search and Rescue Secretariat was transferred to Public Safety Canada in 2015, the fund has provided $61 million to support search-and-rescue activities nationwide.
