11/13/2025
Congratulations to Valley Search and Rescue on this amazing opportunity.
🚙🧡 Farewell to Big Orange & Hello to Our New Ride!
Earlier this year, we got some sad news — our beloved bright orange 2002 logistics vehicle (yes, that one you’ve seen at our fundraising events) finally failed its safety inspection. After years of faithful service, Big Orange had reached the end of the road. Cue the tiny violin. 🎻
But just when we thought we’d be hauling gear in shopping carts, the family of a former VSAR member stepped up with an incredibly generous $4,000 donation from their estate to support a future project. We didn’t know it yet, but that project turned out to be the perfect send-off for Big Orange — and the perfect welcome for what came next.
Around the same time, RCMP in Nova Scotia heard about our situation and said, “Hey, we’ve got a vehicle that’s retiring too — want to give it a second life?” That kicked off a nine-month adventure full of paperwork, planning, maybe a couple of crossed fingers and more excitement than you’d expect from a logistics truck.
Thanks to the Nova Scotia RCMP’s donation and that $4,000 gift, we were able to cover the transport, repairs, and upgrades to bring our new-to-us logistics vehicle up to VSAR standards. It’s almost fully operational and ready for action — though we have to admit, it’s a bit less orange and a lot more quiet.
We owe a massive thank-you to Nova Scotia RCMP and the family of our former member for making this happen. Without them, we’d probably be trying to haul equipment in a hatchback.
And of course, big thanks to the folks who helped along the way:
Hon. Kody Blois and Office Staff - MP Kings/Hants
Mike Duheme - Commissioner of RCMP l
Hon.Gary Anandasangaree - Canada's Minister of Public Safety.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Nova Scotia
Winchesters
Kelly’s Towing
Your support turned what could’ve been a major headache into a happy ending — with better brakes, fewer oil leaks, and way more cupholders.
From all of us (and the ghost of Big Orange) at Valley Search and Rescue:
thank you for keeping us rolling and rescue-ready! 🚨🧡