Mary W. Rowe is a leading urban advocate and civil society leader who has worked in cities across Canada and the United States – and she is certainly no stranger to working with communities in crisis. She is currently the CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute, and joined this podcast to talk about important new resources available for municipalities.

The University of Laval’s Faculty of Business Administration is hosting a three-part webinar series with advice on how individuals and organizations can adapt to the crisis.

Edmonton’s Downtown BIA has compiled a list of resources for businesses impacted by the pandemic, as well as one for employees.

Health Association of African Canadians, NS Health Professionals and the Black Cultural Centre is providing interactive updates on COVID-19 and people of African descent

The B.C. Association of Farmers’ Markets is helping its 145 members set up digital shop. As part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Buy BC program, the province is providing funds to cover fees for individual farmers markets to join. Each participating farmers market will create its own virtual store to best serve its communities.

Social distancing is devastating local small businesses and there’s not much time to save them. And the answer is not more debt.

National Geographic Society is launching an emergency fund for journalists all over the world who wish to cover COVID-19 within their own communities. This fund will place particular emphasis on delivering news to underserved populations, particularly where there is a dearth of evidence-based information getting to those who need it. They are interested in local and even hyper-local distribution models. This fund is designed to quickly deliver support so that both individual stories and longer series of content may be created.

Kahnawake is located south of Montreal and has positive cases of the virus. They launched an emergency food service that is providing hot meals twice a day for elders and those with limited mobility or dietary restrictions. An expansion of an existing food bank service also started delivering a food box to those struggling financially but who are able to cook for themselves.

The website now provides information and maps on open restaurants offering takeout/delivery across Vancouver

The website includes a map and directory of businesses that have gift cards for sale or are delivering during the COVID-19 pandemic, to give people a way to support them during this time. Supported by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and the BBB of Southern Alberta.

Offerings include online resources — from learning new languages and computer skills, to learning new hobbies, gardening, health, business, ebooks and audiobooks, emagazines, and a poetry contest!

The Toronto Public Library just announced that they’re temporarily donating 10 of their Ultimaker 2+ 3D printers to a team at Toronto General Hospital making personal protective equipment (PPE) for front-line healthcare workers. Other Ontario libraries, such as those in Kitchener and Stratford, have also agreed to loan their 3D printers to PPE production efforts.

The Halifax public library site contains information on public health, links to e-books/audiobooks; resources for small business; tips on how to talk to children about COVID-19; and mental health tips and support

Since the COVID-19 outbreak took hold of Toronto there’s been 20 percent growth in the number of clients making use of Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank over a span of the last two weeks. The pressure to provide food to new clients coupled with required social distancing has forced the food bank to change its operations in a dramatic way. They’ve partnered with GlobalMedic and set up a medical hospital mobile field tent in the food bank’s parking lot. Now the food comes out on a conveyor belt from inside the tent.

Members of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) and Edmonton Symphony have combined to create one of their most viewed performances.After 66 Calgary musicians and an 18 staff members were temporary laid off, the group decided to reconnect for a virtual performance while in self-isolation.

Looking to build a community of people who are looking to support local businesses during the COVID-19 Pandemic (@loveforlocal)

Smart buildings will play an increasingly important role to help detect and control their spread, facilitate the remote operation of buildings in lock down situations and interact with the grid to increase energy resiliency. Advanced applications, smart buildings and smart grids that offer trans active modes of generation and usage have the potential to increase safety and resiliency and increase the sustainable production and consumption of electricity.

The crisis generated by COVID-19 also affects the city’s cultural network. In Barcelona, ten city measures are being implemented to mitigate the effects and keep culture alive, with the Catalan and Spanish governments also being urged to implement others.

Health Association of African Canadians, NS Health Professionals and the Black Cultural Centre will lead a 2nd interactive update on COVID-19 and people of African descent.

COVID-19 Racial Equity & Social Justice has put together information to help communities and activists as they work to understand and respond to the moment and for the long term.

Calling for increased resources for First Nations on a “needs and equity basis,” with specific consideration for northern, remote and isolated communities.

A campaign by the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice is calling attention to the spike in racism that Asian businesses and individuals have faced since the outbreak.

The Toronto Bike Brigade calls for volunteer bicycle riders in Toronto to help deliver goods to people unable to leave their homes

Emergency bike networks are proving integral for getting essential staff to get to their workplace safely, creating additional space on strained or non-existent networks for people maintain physical distancing. They also present an opportunity to trial future bike lane roll-out. Under normal conditions, it can take several months – and sometimes years – to develop a bike network, but these times call for quick measures.

Funding is prioritized to people of colour, Indigenous people, transgender individuals, and members of other marginalized communities.

Indigenous communities have a shared history of colonialism and inter-generational trauma that can make COVID-19 more stressful.

Highlighting how veterans are connecting to socialize, provide for those in need and support service needs

The initiative gives Veterans a chance to meet for coffee in a supportive setting, to socialize. With the new restrictions in place across the country, locations have moved their meetings online. Recently an online “Buddy Check Coffee” involved veterans serving from all over the globe calling in

Prepared by Dale Mugford, who works at Yeeboo Digital in Prince Edward County, the website is updated daily, directly from the business community and with partnership between local organizations

Urban Innovative Actions and URBACT are hosting an interactive web event on alternative community-led housing models and governance structures. While these organizations focus on fostering sustainable, integrated urban development in cities across Europe, the event will showcase collaborative approaches that could potentially apply in a Canadian context. The event promises to provide practical insights to inspire urban leaders and practitioners in taking action to meet residents’ rights to safe, adequate, and affordable housing.