North Vancouver mountain peak named for search and rescue volunteer
Posted January 20, 2017 7:09 pm.
Last Updated January 20, 2017 11:27 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A peak on the North Shore is being named in honour of a long-time leader who died three years ago on the mountain that will bear his name.
Tim Jones Peak is located on Mount Seymour and previously was known locally as Second Pump Peak.
Tim Jones was an advanced life support paramedic and unit chief with the BC Ambulance Service, as well as a team leader with North Shore Rescue.
Jones died in January 2014 at the age of 57 years while hiking on Mount Seymour with his daughter and his beloved husky.
In making the announcement Premier Christy Clark points out he made 1,400 rescue missions during his tenure on the team.
“He helped more than 1,600 people. He risked his neck every time to make sure those 1,600 people got home safe.”
Current leader Mike Danks recalls to the contributions Jones made.
“Tim took us from a two-car garage stacked to the rafters with equipment to the state-of-the-art rescue base that you see today.”
BC’s rescue teams are all volunteer based and rely on donations to pay for life-saving equipment. In the past, North Shore Rescue has argued the current funding model isn’t working.
Minister of Emergency Preparedness Naomi Yamamoto stresses the government does provide funding.
“We heard loud and clear from search and rescue teams that they needed additional funding. We provided them $10 million and that’s on top of the money we already provide them.”
The province kicks in $6.3 million each year to cover ground search and rescue operational costs for deployment, as well as training and equipment costs.
Yamamoto says she is working with rescue units to establish a more stable funding model.
