In the aftermath of the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of four people north of Terrace Jan. 22, Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach is ramping up his support for a bill that aims to increase a tax credit for fire and search and rescue volunteers from $3,000 to $10,000.
“These folks give a tremendous amount of their personal time both training and responding to calls and they do it for one reason: to protect their neighbours,” said Bachrach. “I think it’s one of the truest expressions of community there is.”
While the push for this compensation is a national one, first proposed by NDP MP Gord Johns in his private member’s bill C-310, Bachrach specifically paid tribute in the House of Commons Feb. 5 to the members of Terrace Search and Rescue, who led the recovery response for the helicopter crash victims.
“Their skilled response in difficult winter conditions was invaluable,” he said.
“We can recognize these volunteer contributions by increasing the income tax deduction for fire and search and rescue volunteers from $3,000 to $10,000,” said Bachrach. “This will also boost recruitment and ensure communities continue to benefit from their vital services.”
Dave Jephson, Terrace’s former deputy fire cheif and current vice president of Terrace Search and Rescue, responded positively to Bachrach’s support, noting the challenging nature of the recovery operation and its example of the volunteers’ commitment to training and preparedness.
“It was an extraordinary and difficult recovery that was seen around the world,” Jephson said. “To pull it off with volunteers is exceptional.
“There needs to be some sort of acknowledgment and support for the hundreds of thousands of volunteers [nationally] that provide a professional-level service to their communities and to their country,” Jephson said.
While the proposed bill addresses cost of living hardships and downward-trending recruitment and retention numbers, Jephson says the volunteers also routinely face out-of-pocket expenses that the tax deduction would greatly alleviate.
Search and rescue crews come to the table with numerous skill sets, which means their equipment preferences are too personalized to be pooled with other members.
Jephson shared an example of a member who opted out of a dry suit provided by the organization, instead spending $1,600 for a suit tailored to his needs for swift water rescue, exemplifying, Jephson said, his personal commitment to community service.
A petition to the House of Commons received more than 16,000 signatures in support of the tax credit increase, and the bill passed its first reading in December.
Across Canada, a range of programs at the municipal and provincial levels sometimes offer varying levels of modest compensation for volunteers, covering time, fuel, or equipment. However, according to Jephson, while volunteers value this recognition, when available, it falls short of addressing the financial burdens they bear without complaint.
“Would that $10,000 make a difference? Yes, for sure, it would make a huge difference,” he said. “And I think the public would agree with it 100 per cent.”