Help Save BC's First Responder Resiliency Program at Loon Lake

Programs
Written By Blueprint Staff

In partnership with the BC Police Association (BCPA) and BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Association (BCPFFA), Blueprint is raising money to support our Resiliency Program for British Columbia’s first responders, or 'Loon Lake'.

Why We Need Your Help

“We may delegate care and protection of the vulnerable to first responders, but we mustn’t abdicate our responsibility to care for them. Their work has an impact on their families and our communities. We have a duty of care towards those from whom we ask so much."

—Dr. Duncan Shields

Over the past decade, small groups of fire fighters and police officers from across BC—eight people at a time—have been gathering at Loon Lake, a rustic facility in Maple Ridge. To talk…and to feel better. 

Since 2017, in partnership with the BCPA and BCPFFA, Blueprint has run the BC First Responder Resiliency Program, ultimately helping over 500 first responders recover from psychological impacts related to their work, such as trauma, depression, and anxiety. 

After so many years of the Loon Lake program, the perceived stigma of mental health challenges is no longer much of an issue for first responders, nor are there any doubts about the program’s effectiveness. The biggest issue for Blueprint, BCPA and BCPFFA is lack of funding to pay for it.

As a result of the funding shortfall, the program is now at risk of coming to an end.

About Loon Lake

The BC First Responder Resiliency Program is a residential retreat that brings together front-line public safety workers and their support teams for three days in a group setting, to learn about connection, relationships, and repair.

At Loon Lake, participants talk about the mental, emotional and physical wear and tear of life's challenges, both on-the-job and at home. Feedback about the program has been overwhelmingly positive through the years; in 2024, results from an independent review of the program yielded evidence of its impact—the Loon Lake program helps participants get better.

In 2017, WorkSafeBC provided seed funding to the BC First Responders Mental Health Committee for the initial pilots of the BC First Responder Resiliency Program. Since then, Blueprint has operated Loon Lake with financial support from Vancouver General Hospital, donations from the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund, Movember Canada, and private donations. 

Each Loon Lake retreat costs between $4,000-$5,000 per participant; while union groups, professional associations, and front-line employers like municipalities often contribute, the majority of the program’s cost is typically billed directly to the individual participant.

"Fire fighters and police have to pay thousands of dollars from their own pockets, and not everyone can do that," said Dr. David Kuhl, co-founder of Blueprint. "We're relying on private sources, sometimes individual donors, to get first responders the help they need to perform on the job, and to be good partners, fathers and mothers when they get home. We're trying to bring this to the entire public service, and without help from the government, it's no longer sustainable."

Asking for Public Support

For the past two years, Blueprint has worked with its fire and police partners to make the case to the provincial government that first responders deserve education and tools to prevent on-the-job psychological harm. 

"Although the public recognizes the training and tools that police rely on to manage safety risks, the need for professional and personal development is often overlooked," said Sgt Lorna Berndsen of the Employee Wellness Unit, which recruits Loon Lake participants for the Vancouver Police Department. "It's essential that we provide comprehensive care and support for police officers within ranks so they can cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the skills to handle the significant pressures and challenges they encounter every day."

“Any workplace where its workforce is frequently either exposed to often traumatizing events—or working closely with those who have—should prioritize the development of a resiliency program," said Dr. Duncan Shields, co-founder of Blueprint. "We have evidence the program provides upstream protection from harm, and also provides enormous downstream benefit to families, in the workplace, and in our communities.”

Despite finance committee presentations, letters and proposals, and meetings with cabinet ministers, no funding was allocated to the BC First Responder Resiliency Program in the 2025/26 provincial budget, announced on March 4th, 2025.

What You Can Do

While we continue to seek public funding, you can help keep the Loon Lake program running by making a donation directly to Blueprint:

Every dollar donated to the First Responders Resiliency Program will offset direct costs to participants.

Blueprint, CMHF and our partners in the public safety sector will continue to work together to ask the provincial government for financial support. You can also help in the following ways:

Blueprint Staff
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