Virtual conference for search and rescue workers held in Saskatoon
Hundreds of people gathered virtually to take part in SARscene 2021, an event all about learning and sharing information for search and rescue workers.
“This is an international level conference in search and rescue. These have been going on for many, many years now,” Scott Wright, president of Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) said.
“This is a really exciting one in that, despite COVID, despite the challenges in front of us, we’ve been able to put together a virtual conference led by Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers.”
Wright said the event has a large draw from those in search and rescue workers across the globe.
“We’re representing easily 12 to 13 countries right now. There’s over 1,200 people on each one of these sessions, so it’s an opportunity for people to share knowledge.”
The virtual event features more than 30 live interactive sessions, and more than 1,000 search and rescue professionals, speakers, and exhibitors from across Canada.
The event coincides with the 25th anniversary of SARSAV.
Shelley Ballard-Mckinley, project manager for SARscene said the planning for this year's event has been in the works a while, and all those involved are thrilled with the early reception.
“It’s been very stressful in the few days lead up, but we just finished the opening ceremony and it looks amazing,” Ballard-Mckinley told CTV.
RCMP constable Dylan Custaloe, a speaker at the conference, remembers back to 1994 when the search for missing Ashley Krestianson prompted the need for search and rescue services in the province.
“Ashley decided to take a shortcut into the bush. Her sister and friend were not properly dressed for the weather so they stayed on the road and Ashley went into the bush, and she went missing.”
“It was the biggest case of search and rescue for the RCMP and as a result of that search, SARSAV was established.”
In addition to all the information being shared amongst industry professionals, the conference also featured a big announcement from the search and rescue company AdventureSmart.
“What the marketplace is for AdventureSmart, it’s a virtual store where you can go buy AdventureSmart branded apparel and things like whistles, emergency blankets,” Linda Mushanski, regional coordinator for Saskatchewan for AdventureSmart told CTV.
“It will be available not only to the public but also to our presenters for when they go out and do their presentations.”
The event began on Saturday, September 25 and runs until October 3rd.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
Ontario man loses $1,500 applying for Nexus cards on social media
The trusted traveller program between Canada and the United States is extremely popular and almost two million Canadians have a Nexus card.
NEW Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
NEW Companies letting customers opt out of Mother's Day ads
In an effort to balance the profitability of Mother's Day with the pain it causes some people, some brands are offering customers the choice to opt out of Mother's Day email advertising.
NEW A mother's hopes to free her son from a Syrian prison is revitalized by a new human rights report
Just days before the seventh anniversary of the day Jack Letts was thrown in prison with thousands of suspected ISIS fighters, his mother, Sally Lane, delivered a small stack of envelopes to the headquarters of Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa.