TWO local units of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue will be among those benefiting from a $1 million charitable donation from owners of North Vancouver's Seaspan.
The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation announced Wednesday it is making the donation to three charitable marine organizations over a five-year period.
The U.S.-based Washington family owns the Washington Marine Group, which is the corporate owner of Seaspan and Vancouver Shipyards. The donations announced this week are the first ones the family's foundation have made in Canada.
Among the donations, the volunteer marine search and rescue organization, formerly known as the Coast Guard auxiliary, will receive $100,000 a year until the end of 2015.
Jonathan Whitworth, head of Seaspan, called the donations "fabulous," adding the marine search and rescue group does not receive a lot of financial support from government.
Whitworth said half of the donation to the Royal Marine Search and Rescue will go to the group's training centre in Sooke and the other half will be split between six local stations, including the two stations located on the North Shore.
"We chose six that work closely with where our employees work and live," he said.
The marine search and rescue group has stations both in Horseshoe Bay and Lynnwood
Marina. Each will be getting about $7,000 per year, said Jim Lee, president of Royal Marine Search and Rescue.
Lee said the stations would probably put the money towards new equipment. "It could be towards buying back-up boats and it will definitely go towards buying personal safety equipment for the crew, and search and rescue equipment for the vessels," he said.
Since the federal government closed its Kitsilano Coast Guard station this spring, the volunteer groups have taken on an even bigger role in rescues on the water.
"To be able to make sure there's a functioning search and rescue operation, we certainly would benefit from that because we are so much a part of that shipping industry," said Mike Halligan, the foundation's executive director.
Two other groups will also receive money from the foundation. The Sail and Life Training Society, which provides young people with the experience of living aboard a tall ship, will get $100,000 a year until 2017. The Vancouver Maritime Museum will get $100,000 a year until 2015.
