Canooligans regularly has charities on tap, and most recently served up $3,500 to the local station of the Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue (RCMSAR) with the Shuswap Lifeboat Society.
On Aug. 30, the pub in Canoe presented the organization with a cheque that represented 10 per cent of staff tips received over the past few months. A media release from RCMSAR volunteers president Bruce Weicker and treasurer Marie Gray, who were on hand to accept the donation, said the funding will go towards the new boathouse currently being built.
"The Society is in the final stages of construction of a two-bay boathouse. The boathouse is designed to protect our two rescue vessels, valued over $1 million," the release explains. "Canooligan's donation will greatly assist with the finishing touches of the boathouse interior."
Pub co-owner and cheque presenter Matthias Zieglmueller jokingly said they could now "get the last few screws" for the structure.
The boathouse will include a training classroom, storage facilities and a ready room where crews are briefed on a mission and the emergency safety gear is readily available.
Started in 2012, Shuswap #106 is the newest RCMSAR station of the 32 throughout B.C., and is the only one located inland, made necessary by the many boat-access only areas on the lakes. It currently has 32 members 鈥� 28 active crew and four support 鈥� and on average responds to 30 calls a year.
In 2023, however, crews were kept busy by the Bush Creek East Wildfire and helped provide support for evacuations, and water, grocery and medication deliveries to those without road access. Between May and September, they conducted 35 missions, spent 122.23 hours on the water, saved 45 lives and assisted another 38 people.
