Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais - Ottawa Volunteer SAR

08/20/2026

Another shoutout for Melissa! Exceptional work, SBO is very proud of you 🎉👏

Last week, Communications Officer Melissa demonstrated exceptional professionalism and skill in supporting the successful delivery of a healthy baby boy through telephone-assisted guidance.

If Melissa looks familiar, it may be because, during the same week, she also played a key role in the resuscitation of a badminton player on Fisher Avenue, an incident that was previously recognized.

These two remarkable events highlight the critical role Communications Officers play in our emergency response system and the significant impact they have on the health and well-being of our community every day.

Congratulations, Melissa, and thank you for your outstanding service and dedication.
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La semaine dernière, l’agente aux communications Melissa a fait preuve d’un professionnalisme et d'une efficacité exceptionnels en guidant par téléphone l’accouchement d’un petit garçon en bonne santé.

Son visage vous semble familier? C’est probablement parce qu’au cours de cette même semaine, elle a également joué un rôle déterminant dans la réanimation d’un joueur de badminton sur l’avenue Fisher, un événement qui a déjà fait l’objet d’une reconnaissance.

Ces deux interventions remarquables illustrent l’importance du rôle des agents des communications au sein du système de réponse aux urgences ainsi que l’impact significatif qu’ils ont chaque jour sur la santé, la sécurité et le bien-être de notre communauté.

Félicitations, Melissa, et merci pour ton dévouement et ton service exceptionnels.

08/16/2026

While SBO is a ground search and rescue team that doesn’t mean we keep members out of the water! Swift water rescue is an important part of our training. Our own whitewater experts, with the generous support from Boreal River Expeditions | Expéditions Rivière Boréal conduct regular training sessions on local rivers and streams. Many of our searches occur along swift flowing water and knowing how to do that safely is an essential skill.

Thanks to all of those who joined our annual river rescue session, until next year!

Photo credits: Blair Crawford

08/13/2026

We are proud to have Melissa on the team! 👏 Great job to the whole crew involved.

07/28/2026

Many households affected by the July 1 extreme weather event are still facing a long road to recovery and volunteer support continues to be needed.

Volunteer opportunities remain available through community organizations supporting cleanup efforts, including the removal of damaged materials from homes.

Those wishing to provide financial support can also donate through the Canadian Red Cross.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4vXbIgW

07/19/2026

In early June members got together to celebrate 30 years of SBO-OVSAR at the Wakefield Community Centre. A day of food, laughter, awards and recognition, and celebration.

A big thank you goes out to Perry Zavitz Photography for capturing this event and to member Annick Cole for making the delicious custom SBO cake and cupcakes.

Here's to 30 years of providing volunteer search and rescue to the Ottawa and Outaouais regions (and beyond)!

07/02/2026

And that's a wrap on Canada Day at Canada Aviation & Space Museum

Members (and Oscar the bear) volunteered their time this Canada Day to share prevention education and first aid services at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum! As always it is a pleasure to be here and to meet all of the lovely people who stop by to chat. The afternoon brought a fantastic display from the SkyHawks Canada and we were pretty happy to be stationed in front of the Labrador!

Until next time 🇨🇦

06/27/2026

A big thank you to our silent auction and door prize sponsors for all of the wonderful donations for our 30th anniversary event! The team enjoyed the competitive fundraising spirit and many went home with a little goodie or more gear to add to their pack.

A special thank you to Garmin Canada Petzl Arc'teryx for your generosity. We are eternally grateful for your support.

We highly recommend checking out our sponsors when making purchases for your next outdoor adventure!

06/20/2026

30e ANNIVERSAIRE DE SAUVETAGE BÉNÉVOLE OUTAOUAIS (SBO)

"Depuis trois décennies, vous êtes un pilier discret, mais essentiel de la sécurité publique, toujours prêts à répondre, souvent dans des conditions exigeantes. Ce qui vous distingue, ce n’est pas seulement votre expertise technique, mais la force du bénévolat qui vous anime.
Merci pour ce que vous faites. Merci pour ce que vous êtes. Et surtout, merci de continuer à servir notre communauté avec autant de cœur."

- Paul Charbonneau, directeur du Service de la sécurité publique de la MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais

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30th ANNIVERSARY OF OTTAWA VOLUNTEER SEARCH AND RESCUE (OVSAR)

“For three decades, you have been a discreet but essential pillar of public safety, always ready to respond, often in demanding conditions. What sets you apart is not only your technical expertise, but also the strength of volunteerism that drives you. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for who you are. And above all, thank you for continuing to serve our community with such dedication.”

- Paul Charbonneau, Director of the Public Security Department of the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais

Merci Thank You Paul & Sécurité Publique MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais

30e ANNIVERSAIRE DE SAUVETAGE BÉNÉVOLE OUTAOUAIS (SBO)

Le 7 juin dernier, à La Pêche, monsieur Paul Charbonneau, directeur du Service de la sécurité publique de la MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais, a eu le privilège de participer à la cérémonie soulignant le 30e anniversaire de l’organisme Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais (SBO).

Pour l’occasion, une plaque commémorative soulignant à la fois le 30e anniversaire et le partenariat entre les deux organisations a été remise à monsieur Steve Nason, président et directeur des opérations de SBO. Il est également à noter que l’organisme a aussi pris le temps de souligner cette relation privilégiée en remettant à son tour une plaque à notre directeur.

Lors de la cérémonie, monsieur Charbonneau a déclaré ceci au sujet de Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais :

« Depuis trois décennies, vous êtes un pilier discret, mais essentiel de la sécurité publique, toujours prêts à répondre, souvent dans des conditions exigeantes. Ce qui vous distingue, ce n’est pas seulement votre expertise technique, mais la force du bénévolat qui vous anime.
Merci pour ce que vous faites. Merci pour ce que vous êtes. Et surtout, merci de continuer à servir notre communauté avec autant de cœur. »

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30th ANNIVERSARY OF OTTAWA VOLUNTEER SEARCH AND RESCUE (OVSAR)

On June 7 in La Pêche, Mr. Paul Charbonneau, Director of the Public Security Department of the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais, had the privilege of participating in a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue organization.

On this occasion, a commemorative plaque highlighting both the 30th anniversary and the partnership between the two organizations was presented to Mr. Steve Nason, President and Director of Operations of OVSAR. It is important to mention that the organization took the time to recognize this special relationship by presenting, also, a plaque to our director.

During the ceremony, Mr. Charbonneau made the following statement regarding the Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue organization.:

“For three decades, you have been a discreet but essential pillar of public safety, always ready to respond, often in demanding conditions. What sets you apart is not only your technical expertise, but also the strength of volunteerism that drives you. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for who you are. And above all, thank you for continuing to serve our community with such dedication.”

Municipalité de Chelsea / Municipality of Chelsea
Municipalité de L'Ange-Gardien
Municipalité de La Pêche
Municipalité de Val-des-Monts
Municipalité de Cantley
Municipalité de Pontiac / Municipality of Pontiac
Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais - Ottawa Volunteer SAR

06/20/2026

30 years of SBO-OVSAR!

On June 7th we celebrated 30 years of Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue at the Wakefield Community Centre with current members, past members, community partners and special guests.

But before we share more about how the event unfolded we would first like to acknowledge our local food and beverage sponsors for the day.

A big thank you to Ottawa Valley Meats for donating delicious burgers and hotdogs for our afternoon BBQ which fed over 100 guests... And then some! The leftovers were donated to the Wakefield community centre after-school program for children of the community.

And because of KLIMAT Klimat Café donation of perfectly brewed coffee, our members were kept awake for the remainder of the afternoon.

It is because of generous community members such as yourselves that we are able to make events like this possible and elevated.

05/10/2026