Lions Bay Village is perched on the side of a mountain between Vancouver and Squamish.   Stunning views, doorstep access to many hiking trails, and of course the ocean as our watery playground, make the Village a hidden gem along the Sea-to-Sky.  Some years ago, in 1982 to be exact, Lions Bay Village was caught unawares by Alberta Creek which flooded its banks and carried away several homes and two young residents.  The community’s response to the disaster prompted the formation of the Lions Bay Search and Rescue Society (LBSAR).  Initially the team was based in the village to respond to disasters but their mountaineering and technical rope rescue knowledge prompted the expansion of their operation to assist neighbouring search and rescue teams in Squamish and on the North Shore.  In 1992 the team moved from the basement of its founder, Marcel Andrei, to its current location in the Lions Bay Emergency Building.  It is here that you may have seen our volunteers outside training on a Monday night, honing our skills.
 

 

British Columbia is fortunate to have a world renowned search and rescue that is completely volunteer.  The draw of the local mountains with their inherent dangers has sometimes placed unsuspecting hikers in nasty situations.  Dedicated mountaineering enthusiasts came to the rescue and formed volunteer societies throughout British Columbia.  Local topography and recreational activities often dictate the level of preparedness and experience of a team; Lions Bay just so happens to require a wide range of skills from avalanche and rope rescue to swift-water rescue.  Although modest to a fault, the Lions Bay’s search and rescue contingent has just the right combination of skills to make them invaluable to local mountain enthusiasts as a last resort.  

Over the years the team has grown and attracted members from outside the boundaries of the village to include some 30 active volunteers from Burnaby, North & West Vancouver, Vancouver, and Richmond.  The operation of the team is multi-faceted and extends beyond the obvious tasks of searching for and rescuing lost outdoor adventurers.  The team maintains healthy status as a charitable society, holding fundraising events in the community to fund our ongoing operations.  We have an executive board of directors that does a host of tasks including; scheduling training, keeping our finances in order, purchasing new equipment, applying for grants, and liaising with government bodies.  This often unnoticed aspect maintains the internal health and functioning of the team and allows us to face adversity head on.  

Monday nights at 7:30 are when LBSAR meets to practice and hone our skills in search and rescue.  We can be found at various mountain locales taking advantage of the varied terrain in anticipation of the variety of callouts that we are faced with.  If you would like to learn more about the team we can be found on the web at www.lbsar.com or contacted by email at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .