Our commitment to building and maintaining positive community relationships extends across B.C. to the towns and cities where we live and work. Through our Community Investment Program, we’ve supported over 250 organizations and projects that promote safety, education, Indigenous initiatives and the environment.

Safety is important to us. It’s a core value of ours to ensure we continue to foster a safe and healthy environment. That’s why we support local organizations that value safety, accident avoidance and emergency preparedness.

Here’s three safety-oriented projects and organizations we’ve supported with community investments.

1. Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue 

Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue (CVGSAR) is a 60-person organization devoted to search and rescue operations in the Comox Valley, Northern Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

We were excited to support CVGSAR by organizing a Community Giving Day, which brought many of our employees from the Comox Valley region together with CVGSAR volunteers. Our executives also attended the Community Giving Day, and were joined by members from K'omoks First Nation, Cumberland and Courtenay fire departments and other local government officials.

The volunteers from CVGSAR provided the attendees with a training session on the importance of outdoor safety. Following curriculum from Adventure Smart, a national program aimed at preventing accidents during outdoor activities, the volunteers relayed to our team and the other participants at the Community Giving Day the importance of trip planning, training and packing the essentials.

How we’ve supported

Search and rescue work can be expensive. It requires advanced safety gear, which many CVGSAR volunteers end up paying for out of pocket. CVGSAR's volunteers already contribute tens of thousands of hours every year to keep our communities safe, and this added financial barrier can often deter those who want to participate and give back to their community.

To support those who selflessly volunteer to protect our people and the environment, we've proudly donated toward the purchase of new safety equipment for CVGSAR volunteers. The new equipment includes mountain rescue packs and rope equipment, as well as upgraded first aid gear.

Raisa Frenette, community and Indigenous relations liaison at the CVGSAR Community Giving Day.

Raisa Frenette, the community and Indigenous relations liaison who organized the Community Giving Day, let us know why supporting this safety initiative is so important. “This organization is 100 per cent volunteer-based,” Raisa told us. “They provide a critical service to their community, but because not everyone can afford to purchase mountain safety equipment, there is big barrier for potential volunteers. Now that the team has the equipment they need, they’ll be able to expand their search and rescue operations.”

Darren Boss, president of CVGSAR, echoed Raisa’s thoughts on the importance of having reliable safety gear available for volunteers. “Without the support of FortisBC, we would be able to continue to operate, only at a much-reduced capacity,” Darren said. “Having team gear that is inventoried and regularly inspected is paramount to the continued safety, development and professionalism of the mountain rescue team.”

2. The Shuswap River Ambassador Program 

The Shuswap River Ambassador Program, managed by Enderby and District Recreations Services, educates residents about the risks of participating in recreational activities along the Shuswap River. The program pays special attention to informing visitors about the importance of safety and planning while enjoying activities in and around the river.

People planning to visit the Shuswap River are encouraged to visit the Shuswap River Ambassador Program’s website for relevant information, including safety and environmental notices, regulations, guidelines and parking tips.

How we’ve supported

We were happy to help strengthen safety initiatives on the Shuswap River with a donation that will support the educational services provided by Enderby and District Recreations Services, which includes expanding the operations and safety initiatives of the Shuswap River Ambassador Program.

3. The FortisBC Trauma Pup Program 

Since 2002, we’ve supported the Fire Chiefs’ Association of British Columbia, an organization dedicated to the prevention of fire and the reduction of its impacts, with the Trauma Pup Program—a project that supplies local fire departments with plush toys to give to children after their family has experienced an emergency. The Fire Chiefs’ Association of British Columbia advocates safety and fire prevention practices on behalf of over 125 fire departments. Their mission is to collaborate with the public, local businesses and government to support fire safety and prevention initiatives.

How we’ve supported

First responders deal with stressful situations every day. Not only do firefighters look after people’s physical well-being, but they’re often responsible for comforting individual’s going through traumatic experiences. Sometimes, a small gesture can make a big impact.

For over 20 years, we’ve supplied local fire departments across B.C. with toys to give to children in times of distress. Mental health is a big part of safety, and in stressful situations, a small gesture like a toy can provide a lot of emotional support to children and their families. Typically, the Trauma Pup Program provides over 1,000 fire pups to participating fire departments each year. It’s one of our efforts to help keep our communities safe, secure and healthy.

Apply for community investment funding

Do you have a project or know of an organization that focuses on safety, education, Indigenous initiatives or the environment? We allocate a range of community investment funds across our service area and consider any relevant existing sponsorship activities.

Visit our Community Investment Program webpage to find out more about where we invest and who we’ve supported.