This is a time when Canada must harness its community-driven resilience. We’re asking you to share examples of how Canadian communities are responding to the crisis with creativity and imagination. Collective problem-solving and collaboration will be instrumental in how Canada mitigates the local impacts of COVID-19 and creates on-the-ground solutions.
Highlighted Initiatives
The Windsor Public Library is offering their bookmobile service via a new fully electric cargo bike.
Named BETTY, or Bringing Entertainment and Technology to You, the bike moves will move around the city offering Windsorites the Windsor Public Library offering, wherever they live in the community.
Goverment of Ontario launches a free online digital clinic to provide virtual care services from home
Through Cover Health, Ontarians can start a secure conversation with an Ontario doctor (powered by Ontario Telemedicine Network) covered by OHIP.
Volunteer matchmaking platform for help, food and supplies
Manitobans Helping Manitobans: Help Next Door MB is a network of helpers coming together as a community.
If you are a volunteer ready to provide your support or someone who needs a helping hand through these difficult times, this platform can connect you.
Municipally-focused podcasts on COVID-19
Municipal World is delivering a set of podcasts around COVID-19 to help Canadian municipalities respond and deal with the pandemic
Ontario partnering with municipalities and First Nations to open 50,000 free, 24-hour, child care spaces for essential workers
Ontario is partnering with municipalities and First Nations to open as many as 50,000 child care spaces for essential workers across the province in centres that will be free and available 24-7.
Digital agency firm offers free support for more rapid deployment of essential charity services through online channels
Scotland-based digital agency firm Third Sector Lab offers free support, resources, best practice, policies, guidance, and more and more for rapid deployment of essential charity services through online channels.
Disability activists in California making anti-coronavirus kits for Oakland residents experiencing homelessness
A group of disability activists in California, calling themselves the Disability Justice Culture Club, are making large batches of hand sanitizer and distributing anti-coronavirus kits to Oakland residents experiencing homelessness.
London-based facilitator sets up Google doc with online collaboration tools
London-based facilitator Philippa Rose sets up Google doc with online collaboration tools.
Fashion designer offering use of his design team to produce face masks
NYC designer Christian Siriano is retooling his studio to produce face masks to help with reported hospital supply shortages due to the coronavirus.
Platform for purchasing gift certificates to support small businesses
Kabbage is a global platform to help local entrepreneurs. Any business can sign up to sell gift certificates online, and anyone can purchase them to support participating small businesses.
UK disability arts organization announces new commission for disabled artists
Disability Arts Online allocated £8,000 to a new commissions pot which disabled artists can apply to. Three tiers of commissions include: artist presentations, day in the life articles, and open commissions
Des professionnels de l’industrie de la restauration mettent en place une plate-forme mondiale pour mettre des fonds entre les mains de restaurants pendant COVID-19
En raison de l’impact que le coronavirus COVID-19 a eu sur la communauté de la restauration, un collectif de professionnels de l’industrie de la restauration ont mis en branle une initiative mondiale pour obtenir des fonds dans les mains des restaurants MAINTENANT, même si elles sont temporairement fermées. Un « Bond à manger » fonctionne comme une obligation d’épargne, où vous pouvez acheter une « obligation » à un taux de valeur à échanger pour une valeur nominale à une date ultérieure.
Restaurant industry professionals set up global platform for getting funds into hands of restaurants during COVID-19
Due to the impact that the coronavirus COVID-19 has had on the restaurant community, a collective of restaurant industry professionals have set a global initiative in motion to get funds into the hands of restaurants NOW, even if they are temporarily closed. A “Dining Bond” works like a savings bond, where you can purchase a “bond” at a value rate to be redeemed for face value at a future date.
International Association of Public Transport issues factsheet for transit operators on management of outbreak
Link to the International Association of Public Transport -prepared factsheet to help operators prepare during COVID-19
Istanbul déploie une flotte d’hygiène pour assainir les installations publiques
Istanbul a déployé une flotte d’hygiène de 40 véhicules et des centaines de personnel pour assainir et réinfecter les installations publiques et municipales. La flotte est également responsable du nettoyage des espaces publics appartenant à la municipalité, comme les bibliothèques, les espaces de co-working, les centres culturels, les installations pour les personnes handicapées et les lieux de culte.
Istanbul deploys hygiene fleet to sanitize public facilities
Istanbul has deployed a hygiene fleet of 40 vehicles and hundreds of personnel to sanitize and re-sanitize public and municipal facilities. The fleet is responsible for cleaning municipally owned public spaces too, like libraries, co-working spaces, cultural centers, facilities for disabled people and places of worship.
Observatory for Public Sector Innovation crowdsourcing examples of innovative government solutions
OPSI has put together a crowsourced spreadsheet of innovative solutions and inspiration on how individuals and organisations across the globe are responding to COVID-19, to help governments make use
Global mobility group shares COVID-19 guidelines for urban mobility
The Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative–a global initiative on sustainable mobility shares observations on the COVID-19 outbreak, and implications and solutions for sustainable urban mobility.
Nonprofit freeCodeCamp compiles list of Ivy League courses offered online for free
The resource compiles free online courses from Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia universities, and the University of Pennsylvania.
JSTOR expands open-access materials available to the public
Online academic resource JSTOR expands materials available to the public due to the widespread closure of universities across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Retail Council of Ontario publishes checklist for retailers’ planning for COVID-19
The Retail Council of Ontario provides a checklists for retailers’ planning for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) both for prevention and widespread outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
American teenager creates website tracking coronavirus, becoming vital resource on accurate and updated pandemic numbers
A teenager’s website tracking coronavirus has become one of the most vital resources for people seeking accurate and updated numbers on the pandemic. The URL is nCoV2019.live.
Nunavut’s Hunters and Trappers Organizations and daycares allocated money to help community members
Nunavut’s Hunters and Trappers Organizations (HTO) and daycares will be allocated money to help community members. $25,000 will be given to each HTO to buy country food. The idea is to distribute the food within the community to help with food insecurity issues. $531,000 has been allocated to licensed daycares.
La clinique pour enfants de Portland crée un « guide sans panique » pour les parents avec enfants
La clinique Brave Care de Portland, oregan US, fournit un vérificateur des symptômes COVID-19 pour les enfants, des scénarios pour les enfants de tous âges et des conseils exploitables pour demander des soins en fonction des symptômes enregistrés.
Portland children’s clinic creates ‘panic free guide’ for parents with children
Brave Care clinic in Portland, Oregan US provides COVID-19 Symptom Checker for children, scenarios for kids of all ages, and actionable advice for seeking care based on symptoms recorded.
City of Montreal announces support measures for small businesses
The supports include postponement of municipal taxes; emergency financial assistance; a moratorium on capital and interest; and the establishment of other city programs
University of Michigan releases resource for adjusting study habits during COVID-19
University of Michigan’s Center for Academic Innovation releases guide to help students adjust to studying during COVID-19.
Solution Journalism Network shares resources for reporting about what’s working
The Solution Journalism Network is:
- Sharing stories about what’s working
- Setting up a Slack channel for journalists to ask questions and discuss ideas with each other.
- Planning a webinar on how to cover the coronavirus pandemic through a solutions lens.
- Soliciting ideas for solutions stories tied to the pandemic. If they meet the criteria of solutions journalism, we’ll share them with our network of journalists.
- Collecting solutions stories on the coronavirus, which you can find in our Solutions Story Tracker.
Montreal group creates weekly online space for conversation about grief and loss related to COVID-19
ORA Loss and Living Program is hosting a weekly online space for conversation about the grief and loss associated with coronavirus/COVID-19, including the impacts of social distancing, self-isolation and quarantine.
Design company launches Live Stream Local initiative to connect people to virtual performances and support local artists
With the cancellation of many live music concerts, Action! By Design’s new Live Stream Local initiative virtually connects people to musicians and other creatives, and offers ways to tip them.
Illustrators create virtual resources and free classes
Illustrators have stepped up to create virtual resources and free classes for kids, parents, and anyone else who needs a creative break in the midst of the pandemic.