Paul St-Onge Obituary ONTARIO — Paul St-Onge has died suddenly, leaving the Canadian Search and Rescue community in mourning and prompting heartfelt tributes from colleagues across the country who describe him as a transformative force within volunteer emergency response.
It is with heavy hearts that the Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association (OSARVA) acknowledged St-Onge’s passing, calling him a cornerstone of the organization and a man whose influence became embedded in its very foundation.
“To know Paul was to know a man who didn’t just occupy a space — he transformed it,” OSARVA said in a statement.
St-Onge joined OSARVA as a member of SAR Global 1, now known as Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais – Ottawa Volunteer SAR (SBO-OVSAR). From the outset, he was never a passive participant. Colleagues say he immersed himself fully in every initiative, contributing not only time and skill, but vision and momentum that elevated those around him.
Known for his infectious enthusiasm, St-Onge carried what friends describe as a “signature giant smile” matched only by the size of his heart. His passion had a ripple effect — the kind that inspired others to think bigger, work harder and believe more deeply in the mission of search and rescue.
His entrepreneurial and visionary spirit was most recently on display at SARScene, Canada’s national search and rescue conference. When asked “what’s new?”, St-Onge was never one to reply with “nothing much.” Instead, he shared animated stories of upcoming projects and bold ideas, each told with the excitement of a true innovator.
Among those initiatives was a new fundraising concept and the expansion of drone applications in emergency response. While casually appearing to “play with his toys,” colleagues soon realized he was rigorously testing drone technology for his latest venture, DroneSport Canada. Shortly thereafter, he announced plans for the first annual DroneSport Tournament — another example of his ability to turn vision into reality.
Within the search and rescue field, St-Onge’s impact was substantial. From his early days as a searcher with SBO-OVSAR to his recent efforts expanding Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) capabilities within the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) Humanitarian Workforce Program, his contributions helped shape the evolving landscape of Canadian SAR operations.
Peers credit him with advancing technological integration, strengthening volunteer engagement and pushing the boundaries of what community-based rescue teams could accomplish.
As the SAR community processes this profound loss, tributes continue to pour in. OSARVA extended its deepest sympathies to Scott St-Onge, who was also a member of the association for a time, as well as to Paul’s family, friends and colleagues.
“What you leave as a legacy is not what is etched in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others,” reads a quote shared in remembrance.
Those who knew Paul St-Onge say his threads are woven deeply into the fabric of Canada’s search and rescue community — in the teams he strengthened, the technology he advanced and the countless lives he influenced with passion, generosity and unwavering belief in what volunteers can achieve.