Canada invests $1.3M into Arctic search and rescue project
Canada has announced a $1.3 million investment into a new project geared towards making Arctic search and rescue missions faster and safer.
The federal cash, announced Wednesday at St. Francis Xavier University in the maritime province of Nova Scotia, will fund a three-year project aimed at tackling the toughest challenges rescue teams face in Nunavut and Nunavik, the Inuit region of northern Quebec.
Harsh weather, dangerous terrain, vast distances and limited infrastructure make Arctic rescues some of the most complex to undertake. Local Inuit volunteers are often the first responders and must do their jobs with limited resources.
Anthony Housefather, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, said the investment will benefit people and communities on the frontlines of Arctic response
“Funding for projects like this one contributes to a broader system of safety that benefits us all,” Housefather said.
The project — “Closing the Gaps: Addressing Critical Challenges in Arctic Ground Search and Rescue” — will be led by researchers at the university, and will also be worked on with Dalhousie and Memorial universities. The teams will partner directly with responders in Nunavut and Nunavik, and focus on prevention, preparedness, and response.
Harsh weather, dangerous terrain, and vast distances make Arctic rescues some of the most complex in the country. Many missions fall on local Inuit volunteers with limited resources.
“This project builds on years of collaboration among researchers, Inuit responders and government partners,” said Peter Kikkert of St. Francis Xavier University. “It will improve Arctic SAR by strengthening its governance, testing technology, and co-developing new tools rooted in Inuit Knowledge.”
The $1.36 million comes from Ottawa’s Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund, which hands out $7.6 million a year to improve training, technology, and coordination across Canada.
Related stories from around the poles:
Canada: Sachs Harbour, N.W.T., forming local search and rescue committee, CBC News
