Parksville councillor and Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) director Sean Wood wants volunteer firefighters, as well as search and rescue volunteers, to get higher tax breaks.
Wood made this pitch during the RDN’s board meeting on May 23, where he presented two motions to be submitted to the Union of BC Municipalities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities calling for the provincial and federal governments to increase the existing tax credit for firefighters and search and rescue volunteers from $3,000 t0 $10,000.
“Municipalities, small ones, deal with, they use volunteer firefighters and volunteer search and rescue extensively,” Wood commented. “And to go full-time, such as Nanaimo has, is great for the firefighters but it comes as great cost to the municipality. I just think it’ll be a really nice thank you to give to the men and women who serve in these roles.”
Wood, who is a former volunteer firefighter for the City of Parksville, wants the UBCM and the FCM to lobby the provincial and federal governments to increase the tax credits as he feels the volunteers deserve it based on the amount of time they spend in training and also in risking their own lives in dangerous and unpredictable conditions to keep the community safe.
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Around 100,000 volunteer firefighters account for 83 per cent of Canada’s total firefighting essential first responders, while approximately 9,000 essential search and rescue volunteers respond to thousands of incidents every year.
“Firefighters that qualify for a tax credit receive a maximum of $2.25 per volunteer hour and increasing this tax credit would allow these essential volunteers to keep more of their hard-earned income from their main employment, likely benefiting the communities in which they live,” Wood’s motion stated.
Electoral Area A (Cedar, South Wellington, Yellowpoint, Cassidy) director Jessica Stanley called Wood’s motion important.
“These people put their lives at risk currently, their future at risk due to exposure potentials,” said Stanley. “They save us a ton of money regardless of tax dollars and given inflation, this is really the least we can do to thank them. They deserve a lot more.”
The RDN board unanimously passed both motions.
