Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station #106 - Shuswap

08/28/2026

🏴‍☠️ Ahoy, Shuswap! Get ready for a night of food, music and pirate-themed fun.

Sicamous Houseboats is hosting a Pirate Costume Party on Saturday, September 19, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Sicamous Houseboats Marina.

Your $50 ticket includes:
🌮 Pirate’s Bounty Taco Bar
🍹 Rum punch welcome cocktail
🎶 Live music by the Angie Heinze Band
⚓ An awesome evening supporting our volunteer marine rescue station!

A cash bar will also be available, and pirate costumes are definitely encouraged. All proceeds from the event will go directly to RCMSAR Station 106 Shuswap, helping us continue Saving Lives on the Water.

Gather your crew, dress in your pirate best and join us for an incredible night!

A huge thank you to Sicamous Houseboats for putting on this fantastic fundraiser and supporting our station. We can’t wait to see you there! 🏴‍☠️

Purchase your tickets here - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ahoy-sicamousget-ready-to-party-like-a-pirate-tickets-1998600460779?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=wsa&aff=ebdsshwebmobile

08/24/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to support our BBQ at Askew's Foods on Saturday!

We are incredibly grateful to Askews Sicamous for generously donating the hotdogs and hamburgers, and to our crew who spent the day on site helping make the event a success.

Most importantly, thank you to our community for the amazing support. Together, we raised over $1,600 on Saturday!

Every donation, big or small, helped us reach this incredible total. Whether you stopped by for a burger, made a donation, volunteered your time, or simply helped spread the word, you were part of making this possible.

The support of our community allows us to continue our work and helps us save lives on the water. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who continues to support our mission.

Thank you, Sicamous and surrounding communities. We couldn’t do it without you.

08/22/2026

08/21/2026

BBQ FOR A GREAT CAUSE! 🔥

Tomorrow, Saturday, August 22, our RCMSAR volunteers will be outside Askew’s Sicamous firing up the BBQ! 🌭🍔

Come grab a hamburger or hotdog, generously donated by Askew's Foods and help support your local marine rescue crew. We’ll be serving up the good stuff from 11 AM until the food runs out!
Every donation, big or small, helps us keep our boats ready, our volunteers equipped, and our crew prepared to save lives on the water.

So swing by, say hello, grab some lunch, and support a great cause!

Good food. Great community. Saving lives on the water. 🌊

08/16/2026

A day to celebrate our crew 🏅

Saturday afternoon, our members and families gathered for lunch and some time together. Summer is our busy season at Station 106, when our focus shifts from regular training and station activities to being ready to respond whenever someone needs help on the water. With everyone balancing their volunteer commitments, work, family, and everything else that comes with summer, we don’t always get as many chances to see each other as we’d like.

So it was a great opportunity to slow down for an afternoon, reconnect as a crew, and celebrate some of the people who give so much to Station 106 and RCMSAR.

Our gathering was actually delayed when our crew was called out on a mission to assist someone on Shuswap Lake just before we were set to begin. It was a fitting reminder of what our members do, even when we’re gathered together to celebrate, when the call comes, they go.

This afternoon was also an opportunity to recognize four members of Station 106 who have gone above and beyond in their service to our station and to RCMSAR. We were honoured to have John Johnson from RCMSAR Headquarters join us to present these awards.

🏅 Dave Witt | Administrative Excellence Award
Dave is one of those people who works quietly behind the scenes, but his impact on our station is anything but quiet. As our star grant writer, Dave has helped secure funding that keeps our station moving forward and allows us to continue training our members, maintaining our equipment, and being ready when the call comes.

🏅 Rob Waldie | Leadership Award
Rob has an incredible drive to learn, improve, and share his knowledge with the rest of our station. As our Training Officer, he puts a huge amount of time and energy into developing our members and making sure our crews are prepared for whatever we may encounter on the water.
His leadership doesn't stop at training either. Rob brings that same commitment to our operations, our station, and the people around him.

🏅 Doug “Wasy” Wasylenki | CEO Commendation
Wasy received a CEO Commendation for his incredible work with our CISM team. He is always there when he’s needed, and when a question comes up, he is quick to jump in, find an answer, and get things moving toward a resolution.
As one of our Deputy Station Leaders, Wasy’s impact is felt at Station 106, but his dedication extends throughout the RCMSAR community.

🏅 Cliff Doherty | Exemplary Service Medal & RCMSAR Life Member
And then there is Cliff.
Cliff's contribution to Station 106 and to marine search and rescue on Shuswap Lake is difficult to put into a few paragraphs.
Long before Station 106 formally existed, Cliff was helping build the partnerships and groundwork that would eventually bring organized marine search and rescue to Shuswap Lake. Since then, he has contributed countless hours to RCMSAR, helping with everything from emergency response and funding to public outreach, accident prevention, agency partnerships, infrastructure, and the long-term development of our station.
He was instrumental in helping build the station we have today.

Cliff passed away before we had the opportunity to present these awards to him, so his wife, Jo-Ann, accepted them on his behalf. We miss Cliff tremendously. His impact on our station, our members, and our community will continue to be felt for many years to come.

Congratulations to Dave, Rob, Wasy, and Cliff, and thank you to all of our members and families who give so much to Station 106.

We are incredibly proud of this crew.

08/14/2026

DID YOU KNOW? 🌊

There’s a common assumption that our station is funded by the government. The reality is, we’re not.

We are a volunteer organization, and while we do have partnerships with emergency agencies that provide some funding when we are called to assist, that funding does not cover the costs of keeping our station ready to respond.

Our members volunteer their time, but keeping a rescue station running comes with a lot of expenses. Training our members, maintaining and operating our boats and equipment, fuel, safety gear, communications equipment, and everything else it takes to be ready to respond when someone needs help on the water.

A big part of making all of that possible comes from grants, fundraising, and donations from our community.

That’s why support from local businesses and our community means so much to us.
Throughout July, Chances Salmon Arm supported us through their Double the Play, Double the Fun promotion. Thanks to everyone who participated, we were presented with an incredible $3,340 donation!

This kind of support helps us continue training our volunteers, maintaining our equipment, and most importantly, being ready to respond when lives are on the line.

Thank you to Chances Casino Salmon Arm and everyone who supported the promotion. We truly appreciate it. ❤️

07/22/2026

Recent drowning incidents in British Columbia have been a sobering reminder of how quickly things can go wrong on the water.

As RCMSAR volunteers, we want people to enjoy BC’s waters—and return home safely afterward.

Most people know they should wear a lifejacket or PFD when they're on the water. Many even bring one with them. Yet it can still end up under a seat, inside a locker or somewhere else on the boat instead of being worn.

That's why we're asking one simple question: Why aren’t you wearing it?

It's a question for all of us to consider before leaving the dock or the shore. Put on your lifejacket or PFD before you head out, and keep it on for the entire trip.

Wear a lifejacket or PFD. Every time.

07/16/2026

SHUSWAP SAR CONFIRM TRAGIC OUTCOME TO SEARCH

Last Friday evening July 10th the Shuswap Volunteer SAR team turned out in force to assist the RCMP search for a missing boater on Mara Lake. Overnight, Shuswap SAR searched the rail trail and shorelines on foot, E-bikes and UTV. Team members also deployed on the water, with the lifeboats and teams of RCMSAR Station 106 (Sicamous) providing mutual aid.

Saturday morning, Shuswap SAR’s flatwater rescue team and their Thunderjet boat worked search patterns on the Lake, including help from Central Okanagan (Kelowna) SAR’s detector dog and handler team. RCMSAR’s boats and crews again provided much-appreciated mutual aid.

The surface search was suspended Saturday night but the RCMP persisted with specialized underwater sonar in the following days. On Tuesday July 14th, the RCMP advised that officers with their provincial Dive Team had located and recovered the missing man.

Tara Stanley, longtime search manger with Shuswap SAR, stated that the team had wished for a happier outcome, but her team members hope the body recovery brings at least some peace for the late boater’s family and friends. Shuswap SAR urges all boaters to remember to wear their personal flotation devices.

06/22/2026

Another great year at the Fathers Day Fishing Derby in Salmon Arm. Thanks for all that came out and practiced water safety while on the wharf 🎣

06/06/2026

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Cliff Doherty.

Cliff was instrumental in the creation of RCMSAR Station 106 Shuswap and in establishing marine search and rescue on Shuswap Lake. His vision, leadership, and dedication helped build the foundation of the station we know today.

Because of what Cliff helped create, countless people have been assisted on Shuswap and Mara Lakes, and lives have been saved.

His legacy will continue through every member who serves and every mission we respond to.
Cliff will be deeply missed.

Our sincere condolences to Jo-Ann and the Doherty family.

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 106 remembers Cliff...