Report urges funding for N.L. search and rescue, highlights issues with police
A final report released Wednesday from an inquiry into ground search and rescue in Newfoundland and Labrador recommended the provincial government provide better funding for those services.
In the report, Commissioner James Igloliorte said ground search and rescue services are underfunded and staffed by volunteers who put in many hours and risk burnout. The former provincial court judge said the Newfoundland and Labrador Search and Rescue Association is also over-reliant on a few key volunteers, most notably its president, Harry Blackmore.
"This over-reliance and absence of professional staff threatens the long-term viability of this essential organization," Igloliorte wrote in the report.
In his recommendation for funding, Igloliorte pointed to a submission from Blackmore that said the search and rescue association needed a commitment of $2 million a year for two years, followed by $1 million each year thereafter.
The Public Inquiry Respecting Ground Search and Rescue's community consultations began in September in the coastal Labrador community of Makkovik, and they ended later that month in St. John's.
The inquiry was triggered by the unsuccessful 2012 search for 14-year-old Burton Winters in Makkovik. On Jan. 29, 2012, Winters set out on the sea ice on his snowmobile and didn't return home. His body was found three days later, "some 15 kilometres from where his snowmobile was stuck in the jumbled ice," Igloliorte wrote.
The final report from the inquiry released Wednesday was dedicated to Winters's memory, Igloliorte said. The 159-page document included 17 recommendations, such as more mental health support, more training for search and rescue volunteers, and a review of the province's 911 services.
The search and rescue association has more than 750 volunteers organized into 25 teams across the province, but their services, the report said, are not yet established in Indigenous communities, such as the Innu Nation towns of Sheshatshiu and Natuashish and in other communities along Labrador's south coast. Igloliorte recommended the government identify which communities are in need and that it find solutions.
In most cases, ground search and rescue services in the province are tasked by police, but this may not work in some Indigenous communities where relationships with police may not be as "harmonious," he wrote.
"Cultural differences and, especially, language differences also might impact interoperability within Indigenous communities," Igloliorte said. "Police officers, generally not being of the culture of the community and with limited local knowledge, might thus be a poor choice for incident commanders and a policing presence on searches might be counterproductive."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.