Mission Search and Rescue (MSAR) recently received a boatload of cash for a project that’s been long in the works.
The province provided MSAR with a community gaming grant worth $118,000 to match fundraising the organization already completed for a new jet boat.
The group has been fundraising for a boat to replace its current vessel since 2021. MSAR president Sean Sublett says the new boat is currently being shipped from Idaho.
“This is kind of what we’ve been what we’ve been pining for,” Sublett said.
The current boat is roughly 30 years old and was one of the first big pieces in MSAR’s repertoire. However, the boat isn’t right for the type of operations MSAR is called to. Sublett says it’s not quite fit for river operations or a flooding environment.
During the fundraising process, MSAR hosted a sponsorship lunch that allowed them to pull together $55,000 for the project. The Mission Punj-Aab Culture Club also presented MSAR with a $21,000 cheque during a Vaisakhi fundraiser at the Clarke Theatre in April 2023.
“Then just different members of the community — small businesses, individuals — throughout the course of the year, we had an accumulation of $11,000 in just donations,” he said.
The new boat comes with a price tag of $240,000, including special equipment to meet the needs of MSAR operations. The grant provides MSAR with the funding needed to get the boat up and running.
“It was looking like a long road, so we kind of put our eggs in this basket of the capital project grant and we were successful,” Sublett said.
Roughly 40 per cent of MSAR’s calls involve some sort of water, Sublett says. The frequent calls include people who jump from the Mission Bridge, boats that break free from moorings and issues on Stave Lake.
“The reliability is going to be a piece that we’re that we’re really looking forward to,” Sublett said. “The design of the boat is drastically different. It’s going to have a better working platform for us [and] it’s wider than the current boat is, so we’re going to be able to transport people with a little bit more ease.”
MSAR is still considering what to do with the old boat. Sublett hopes to keep it in the search and rescue family and find a location that could use the boat.
Sublett hopes the new boat will be operational by April or May of this year.
READ MORE: Vaisakhi Fundraiser at Clarke Theatre raises $21,000 for Mission Search and Rescue