Prince Rupert Port Authority helps out in securing new Fast Response SAR vessel for Haida Gwaii

There's a new vessel on standby for marine responses, with the
Masset RCM SAR station 45 taking possession of their new craft
(photo from Port of PR)

The Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue station at Masset has a shiny new fast response vessel to assist in their duties in responding to calls for assistance off of Haida Gwaii.

The celebration of the acquisition of the new vessel brings to an end a four year effort to upgrade the response options for the Masset station and to allow for the expansion of the range of service that they can provide to the region.

The new fully equipped Titan Falkins Class Type 2 vessel was identified early as an appropriate fit for the needs of RCM_SAR Station 45 needs and fundraising began in earnest in 2015.

The Search and Rescue Society has successfully raised over $850,000 toward this initiative, with funding of 116,121 towards the project secured though  Prince Rupert Port Authority's Community Investment Fund, as well as a BC Community Gaming Grant in the amount of $645,000, and $100,000 from Gwaii Trust.

The assist from across Hecate Strait was appreciated by the Masset Society with Chris Ashurst, the President of the Masset Marine Search and Rescue Society noting how the new fully equipped vessel will also make for a welcome recruiting tool for the community.

“We appreciate the support that we’ve received from the Prince Rupert Port Authority. Massett Marine Search and Rescue is entirely volunteer driven and it is our hope that the acquisition of this new vessel will not only improve emergency response capabilities and response times, but also grow our volunteer base and expand employment opportunities for volunteers with training and experience gained in marine rescues.”

This is not the first time that the Prince Rupert Port authority has offered up financial assistance through its Community Investment Fund towards marine safety initiatives.

In previous years, the Port through its Community Investment Fund, PRPA has contributed over $250,000 to upgrading response vessel capacities for the Prince Rupert Marine Rescue Society and the Lax Kw’alaams Rescue Society.

In addition, PRPA has also provided $52,500 in funding to establish the Prince Rupert Ground Search and Rescue Association.

“Improving the safety of our region by investing in local emergency response capacity is of fundamental importance to our organization and the value we place on safety. The Port of Prince Rupert has an international reputation as one of the safest ports of call for large vessels due to our deep, wide, and protected approaches that offer short, direct access to and from Pacific shipping lanes, and the world-class policies and procedures that govern their transit. Grassroots community-led organizations like Massett Search and Rescue make significant contributions to ensuring our region’s emergency response capacity for local mariners and smaller craft incidents is also world-class. Our appreciation goes out to them.” -- Shaun Stevenson, Prince Rupert Port Authority President and CEO

More background on the celebration of the introduction of the vessel into service at Station 45 can be reviewed from this information update from the Port.

The New Masset SAR vessel while under construction in Sidney

The vessel was built by Titan Boats in Sidney, you can get a look at the construction process for the new Masset vessel from this item in the RCM SAR publication Compass

For more items of note related to past Port of Prince Rupert Community Funding projects see our archive page here.

A look at the work of Emergency Responders across the Northwest and on Haida Gwaii can be explored here.