About Us

Volunteers Saving Lives On The Water!

Who We Are

Station 35, a.k.a. Auxiliary 35, is a group of about 50 volunteers who dedicate their time to providing 24-hour year-round emergency search and rescue services on the Victoria waterfront and beyond.

In turn, we rely on community support to keep our crews equipped and our rescue vessel on call. Together with the Canadian Coast Guard and other local emergency service providers, we're here to make sure that help is always available to mariners in distress.

Our volunteers are hard working individuals who have come together out of a love for the sea and a desire to be of service to their community.

Our Vessel

Station 35's primary response vessel is The Tolonen, a Titan 400. This fast response craft (FRC) is the flagship of the Auxiliary and bears the name of one of Station 35's founding members, Rick Tolonen.

The Tolonen (Titan 400)

Configuration:

Length (LWL):

Overall Beam:

Draft:

Powerplant:

Speed:

Capacity:

Dry Weight:

Cabin Jet (Pilot), Search & Rescue

33' 4", 10.16m

13' 4", 4.06m

20.5"

Twin Yanmar 440hp turbo jet diesels

Max 40kts

Crew 6, Max 18

14000lbs, 6363kgs

Our Goals

To assist the boating community in marine emergencies.
To increase awareness of boating safety in the local community.
To provide our members with the appropriate training and equipment to carry out their activities in support of the Canadian Coast Guard and the local community.

Our Crew

Crew members volunteer to be on call for shifts - typically one weekend or five weekdays per month depending on what suits their lifestyle and fits their schedule. During that time they commit to remaining within 15 minutes of the rescue vessel and are ready to respond 24 hours a day.

Swiftsure Race SAR Patrol

They carry pagers which are activated by the Rescue Coordination Centre in the event of an emergency. It is common for crews to already be on the water training when they receive a call.

Our Area

Our area extends out from the Victoria shoreline to Race Rocks in the west and over to Trial Island in the east.

Race Rocks - Trial Island

The Victoria, Oak Bay and Sooke auxiliary stations work cooperatively to provide coverage around southern Vancouver Island.
During busy periods it is common for a station to respond to calls outside its area.

What We Do

The unit responds to marine distress incidents and participates in many community events throughout the year.

Here is a sample of what we do:

Tow broken down vessels to place the vessel and its occupants out of danger. This usually means we take them to the nearest safe harbour.
Search for overdue vessels and respond to visual distress signals.
Assist in the evacuation of people requiring medical services.
Act as the safety boat for harbour festivities such as Symphony Splash and the Christmas Parade of Lights.

Our Training

Pacing & Boarding

We provide all of the training needed to become a crew member on the rescue boat. Some of our members have extensive backgrounds in marine activities; however, it is not a prerequisite and we welcome everyone! Training is provided by the Canadian Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, and by the supporting fundraising societies. We also look for "train the trainer" opportunities so that our members can share their skills and broaden our training program.

Courses include:

Search and Rescue Techniques
Marine Electronics
Standard First Aid
Boat Handling
Navigation
Rescue Coordination

Our Funding

Funding for training and the reimbursement of certain operating expenses is provided by the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary but the vast majority of funding for all other expenses such as our vessels, equipment and moorage are provided through donations and specific fundraising events. Donations are tax-deductible and are used for the purchase and upgrade of equipment and training. The Victoria Marine Rescue Society is responsible for these funds.

More Info

For more information on who we are and what we do and how you can get involved, please send us an e-mail.