Now called the RCMSAR, Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, used to be the CCG Auxiliary. The CLI is a similar group that has been around for a while also but tends to work the river, Fraser and area.
None of them get any support, other than some training maybe and I mean maybe, from the CCG, alias the Canadian Government.
These groups must now raise their own money, purchase the equipment from that money, and for the most part pay their own way. I can't swear to it but only a very few, if any, get paid. Upon returning home I will ask.
They are mostly volunteers who, through necessity, are retired because very few , still working people , can afford the time and loss of wages.
It's not surprising that too many of them are reaching an age that they should no longer be out there. On the other hand if they, the retirees, were not then there would be almost no one, or at least huge gaps in the coverage. They put themselves at risk and several have been seriously injured or killed in the process trying to fill that gap.
I know several people who are members of the the RCMSAR so although not highly knowledgeable , have a bit of info.
So I agree with Xsbank, our Federal government gives great lip service but little or nothing to back it up.
The CCG itself does a great job whith what it has but that keeps getting reduced every few years, whether budget cuts directly or from refusal to keep up with inflation , which low as it is, still adds up over the years to a reduction in service.
So this unfortunate event with the CLI boat is a problem, it would be worse without those volunteers.
The problem is not with the volunteers but at a much higher level for allowing this situation to develop.
Many of those retirees realize the problem to themselves and are withdrawing from active service as they get too old, to be replaced with younger retirees, maybe.
Rant enough.
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