Station 36 of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary has a new boathouse to call home.

The shelter, at Canoe Cove Marina, was donated to the longserving search-and-rescue group by marina customer Larry Clarke. After renovations, the boathouse will provide much-needed indoor space for volunteers to go with a berth for the 27-foot Jack Simpson, the unit's rigid-hulled inflatable.

Auxiliary member Vern Totten, a real estate agent, said everyone involved in the 26-person group wants to give something back to the community.

"There are retired school teachers, there are paramedics, there are regular coast guard people. People are signing up to do what we do just out of sheer pride."

One member who signed on in his late teens has been able to parlay his experience as an auxiliary volunteer into a full-fledged coast guard job, Totten said. The youth's commitment and dedication are typical of others in the unit, he said.

"Volunteering is about showing up," said Totten, who is also acting president of the Saanich Marine Rescue Society, the unit's fundraising arm.

For an auxiliary member, that means answering calls at all times of the day and in all manner of weather conditions. Totten said the types of calls that come in range widely. "It's varies, everything from suicide to assisted towing," Totten said.

People come to the auxiliary with different levels of experience, but specialized training puts them on equal footing.

"There are 78 skills they're going to have to know backwards," Totten said. "After that, you get your crew status."

Station 36, which covers the Saanich Peninsula, the Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands, is one of a number of auxiliary units affiliated with the coast guard on the south Island. Sooke, Victoria, Oak Bay, Saanich Inlet, Mill Bay, Saltspring and North Pender are among the others. All are non-profit and volunteer-run, and rely on community support to augment their funding.

The main task for auxiliary crews is to provide a quickresponse search-and-rescue service in local waters. For Station 36, that means working not only with the coast guard, but also the RCMP, the ambulance service, the North Saanich and Sidney fire departments and the Peninsula Emergency Measures Association.

The donated boathouse at Canoe Cove will replace a smaller facility at Van Isle Marina.

"The new boathouse is everything that we need," Totten said. "It's a great opportunity and we certainly appreciate it."

Some basic repairs and modifications are needed to get it ready.

"We've got to replace the flotation in it, and we've got some repair to do on the roof and some repair to do on the siding."

An operations room for coordinating activities is also part of the plans. Individual lockers for members may be added.

The necessary improvements to the boathouse will cost $40,000, so auxiliary members have started a fundraising drive. They are also looking for community and corporate sponsorship to help with things such as building materials and storage equipment.

Totten said Canoe Cove Marina has been a consistent supporter.

"We're very pleased to have them here," marina general manager Don Prittie said.

Station 36 is coming off a year in which it was sent on 38 missions by Victoria Coast Guard Radio. Members saved six lives, helped 26 other people deal with various situations and preserved property worth $860,500. In 2010, the Jack Simpson went on 46 calls and crew members saved 17 lives, helped 46 others and preserved property valued at $1.5 million.

The unit also promotes boating safety at local events and does safety checks for boaters.

To support the fundraising effort, send a donation to the Saanich Marine Rescue Society, P.O. Box 2364, Sidney, V8L 3Y3 or go to marinerescue.org.

THIRD HOLOCAUST MUSEUM SET UP

Students at North Saanich Middle School are creating a Holocaust and Human Rights Museum for a third straight year.

The museum is an extension of their classroom studies, and is meant to raise awareness of the Holocaust and its horrors. Students are making exhibits based on their research.

The purpose of the museum is to show how hope and understanding can emerge from such a terrible period in history.

The museum will be open at the school (10475 McDonald Park Rd.) from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 13, 15, 16 and Feb. 20 to 23. Book a 10-minute tour online at northsaanich.sd63.bc.ca. Admission is by donation.

FORCES SUPPORT BLOOD DONATIONS

CFB Esquimalt has been rallying the troops to help ensure that B.C. maintains a good supply of donated blood.

The base is part of the Canadian Blood Services' group-giving program, known as Partners for Life, which led to its personnel donating more than 400 units of blood in 2011. The base also supports Canadian Blood Services by sponsoring mobile blood-donor clinics and sponsoring recognition events for donors.

Support from large groups is important to the blood-donation system, Canadian Blood Services spokeswoman Angela Poon said.

"Especially with an organization like CFB Esquimalt, there's a ripple effect to how they can support us," said Poon. "Not only are they donating themselves, but they're also encouraging their friends and families to donate."

The Partners For Life program has proved effective in encouraging both regular and first-time donors. It generated 25,178 units of blood in B.C. in 2011, including 3,774 donations from people making their initial contribution.

CFB Esquimalt is part of a larger Department of National Defence blood-donation effort in place across the country.

"Partners for life is all about donating blood as a team," Poon said. "You don't necessarily need to go as a team all the time, you can sign up to be part of a larger group and then go as an individual and know that your donation is counting toward that group's total."

To inquire about giving blood, call 1-888-2DONATE, or book a donation time online at blood.ca.

jwbell@timescolonist.com