49 Indigenous communities in British Columbia's coastal regions receive $15.6M for marine search and rescue operations, improving response times and saving lives.

First Nations communities in British Columbia's coastal regions are playing a critical role in marine search and rescue operations. Launched in 2017 under the Oceans Protections Plan, the Canadian Coast Guard's Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary provided $15.6M to 49 Indigenous communities for boats and equipment. These communities often arrive first to remote trouble spots and relay critical information to command centres, improving response times and saving lives.