Image: Chilliwack Search and Rescue /

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack Search and Rescue

As fundraising tally tops $400K, Chilliwack Search and Rescue hopes to break ground on new facility this fall

Sep 19, 2023 | 10:11 AM

CHILLIWACK — Due to significant strides that have been made on its new building project and a related fundraising campaign, Chilliwack Search and Rescue hopes to break ground on a new building as early as this fall.

Earlier this year, Chilliwack Search and Rescue formally launched a fundraising campaign to replace its aging facility at 46195 Fifth Avenue and find a more suitable training, command and administrative facility for the second-busiest search and rescue agency in all of B.C.

In 1986, Chilliwack Search and Rescue (CSAR) fielded eight members, utilized three vehicles, and responded to 12 incidents requiring service Fast forward to 2021 and the times have changed considerably. CSAR now has 45 members, 14 vehicles, and responded to 121 calls for emergency assistance, according to 2021 figures.

Image: Chilliwack SAR / Chilliwack Search and Rescue volunteers.

“Our current facility is aging and too small to accommodate the training and equipment needs of the 2nd busiest SAR group in B.C.,” CSAR wrote on its website.

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According to a building update provided by Thomas Pearson from the non-profit, volunteer-based rescue organization, Chilliwack Search and Rescue says it has made significant progress on its new building project and fundraising campaign in the past few months to the point it hopes to break ground around the start of November 2023.

“Our appointed building committee has been working hard with the team at Gerry Enns Construction and the City of Chilliwack to keep the project moving on schedule and we thank all those involved for their help to date,” Chilliwack SAR wrote.

CSAR plans to move to a temporary facility in mid-October until the new building is complete and will remain fully operational throughout.

The final phase 1 budget has come in at $3.6 million, which is $600,000 more than the original estimate, but not wholly unexpected given the current economic conditions, CSAR wrote in its building plan update. It does mean, however, that the non-profit will have to acquire and attract more contributors, personal and corporate alike.

“This does however put more pressure on our fundraising efforts and we are hoping for more local businesses to step up in the coming months,” CSAR wrote in its news release.

To date, Chilliwack Search and Rescue has raised approximately $420,000 through donations and donations in-kind since March 2023.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Chilliwack business community and general public,” CSAR wrote in its news release. “The donations to date have ranged from $1,000 to $160,000, and we will be announcing and acknowledging a full list of donors in due course. This does not include the numerous smaller donations we have received from the public and various organizations. This is an incredibly exciting time for the team, but there remains a lot of work ahead to complete this project whilst maintaining regular SAR operations and training.”