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

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Initiatives

CareMongering Kingston

General: Online communities and networks

Kingston-based Facebook Group for fostering community, offering support and resources, sharing opportunities/events that may be helpful to support community members, and organizing and staying connected to ensure vulnerable community members have access to food, housing, healthcare, and other necessities. The space is also for the redistribution of resources, and for people to post about any needs for support (emotional or physical or otherwise).

Uber Eats supports restaurant industry during COVID-19

Income support | Local businesses

The company has created a support package to promote “contact-less” delivery from local restaurants, which includes waiving delivery fees, and a daily payout option to assist restaurants with cash flow.

CareMongering Hamilton

General: Crowdsourced tools and resources | General: Online communities and networks

Hamilton-based Facebook Group for fostering community, offering support and resources, sharing opportunities/events that may be helpful to support community members, and organizing and staying connected to ensure vulnerable community members have access to food, housing, healthcare, and other necessities. The space is also for the redistribution of resources, and for people to post about any needs for support (emotional or physical or otherwise).

Five Guelph social service agencies combine efforts to respond to COVID-19

Frontline services

Royal City Mission, Drop In Centre, Hope House, Wyndham House and the Guelph Community Health Centre announced they will be joining forces to best serve the vulnerable people of Guelph.

City of Guelph offers free public transit to slow spread of COVID-19

Mobility and transportation | Policy leadership

Service changes to Guelph Transit include:

  • cancelling late night bus service for University of Guelph students
  • offering free transit service through April 15, 2020; removing the need for people to come to City Hall to buy/renew bus pass/OnYourWay fare card
  • asking all customers to board and exit the bus using the back doors (rear boarding only). People with accessibility needs can continue to board and exit using the front doors.
  • operating on a Saturday schedule (every 30 minutes) Monday to Saturday, until further notice. No impacts to Sunday service/frequency.

CBC journalist creates list of supports for artists and freelancers during COVID-19

Arts and Culture | General: Sector resources | Income support

The continuously updated list directs artists and freelancers to emergency funding, advocacy groups, online training resources, health and mental health resources, and temporary/remote job opportunities.

Distilleries across Canada retool to supply free hand sanitizer for those in need

Local businesses

Canadian distillers across Canada have retooled to produce hand sanitizer–either for free for people working in essential services or for purchase to regular consumers.

Canadian utilities suspend disconnections during COVID-19

Income support | Policy leadership

Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners (CUSP) is tracking Canadian utilities offering relief to customers during the coronavirus pandemic, including suspending disconnections, offering payment plans, grants and other assistance.

Webinar on initiatives to help businesses mitigate impacts of COVID-19

General: Sector resources | Local businesses

Webinar outlining 12 initiatives to help businesses mitigate the effects of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: for the travel and tourism industry, destination marketing organizations, downtown associations, downtown retail shops and restaurants throughout the United States and Canada.

Imagine Canada’s information and resources for nonprofits dealing with COVID-19

Frontline services | General: Sector resources

Imagine Canada is supporting Canadian charities and nonprofits on the front lines of dealing with the current COVID-19 pandemic in Canada with updated information and resources.

Canadian Muslim Response Network (CMRN) launches campaign to support those most vulnerable to COVID-19 virus and to the effects of self-isolation.

Food | Social isolation

Canadian Muslim Response Network (CMRN) is launching a campaign to support those who may be more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus and to the effects of self-isolation. Various kits containing essential groceries as well as hygiene and sanitation products to the elderly and families in dire needs will be distributed to hundreds of homes across the country in the coming weeks.

Distillers across Canada are producing disinfectant and hand sanitizer.

Local businesses | Public health

Artisan and small batch distilleries across Canada are stepping up and offering their alcohol to their customers or local organizations. Artisan Distillers Canada has put together a list of those distillers by province.

Tools and resources to manage your business through the impacts of COVID-19

General: Crowdsourced tools and resources | General: Sector resources | Local businesses

The Upside Foundation has compiled a Google Doc of tools and resources to help early-stage, high-growth companies manage the impacts of COVID-19.

List of financial relief efforts offered by governments around the world to support small businesses

General: Sector resources | Local businesses

A regularly updated resource on government financial relief measures and programs from around the world to support small businesses impacted by the COVID-19.

COVID-19 resources for Indigenous peoples

Indigenous

COVID19 Resources for Indigenous Peoples, put together by Indigenous Climate Action.

Quarantunes: Free concerts to watch at home during COVID-19

Arts and Culture

Quarantunes: Free Concerts to Watch at Home During COVID-19 Distancing, Canadian and other artists

Volunteer matchmaking platform for food and supplies

Fundraising and volunteering | General: Online communities and networks

Two local Vancouver women set up a free matchmaking platform to help people who can’t afford food and supplies get matched to volunteers based on their location, family size, and donation amount.

List of community response networks across Canada

General: Online communities and networks

Many grassroots groups have come together with the shared goal of organizing to ensure vulnerable community members have access to food, housing, healthcare, and other necessities. They’re also redistributing resources in case stockpiling prevents people from accessing basics. Amara Possian, community organizer and professor, started a Google Doc that lists those community response networks across Canada by province.

Resource with Indigenous-friendly NFB movies and documentaries to watch while in self-isolation

Arts and Culture | Indigenous

List of free indigenous-friendly movies and documentaries on National Film Board website.

$100,000 Fund launched by Facebook and the National Arts Centre provides artist fees for online performances

Arts and Culture | General: Sector resources | Income support

The Facebook-National Arts Centre Fund for Performing Artists will provide $100,000 in artists fees to support online performances between now and March 31, 2020 to help ease financial strain for those impacted by the closure of performance venues across Canada related to COVID

United Way and City of Calgary release COVID-19 Community Response Fund

Frontline services | Fundraising and volunteering

The COVID-19 Community Response Fund is a collaboration with The City of Calgary (including the Calgary Emergency Management Agency), and United Way of Calgary and Area, to support community agencies who are working diligently to keep Calgarians safe and well.

Energy company buys up $10,000-worth of gift cards to keep coffee shop afloat

Food | Local businesses

Serafina Energy committed to buying up $10,000 worth of gift cards from the locally based coffee company, Lau’s Deville Coffee shop, to be spent when better times return.

Pet Food Bank for those affected by COVID-19

Food | Local businesses

Alberta’s Lost and Found Pet Listing opened a pet food bank for people to donate and apply for pet food (the bank includes litter, cat food, dog food, pet beds, leashes, bowls, etc.)

Calgary grocery store prepares care package to those quarantined

Food | Local businesses

Calgary Co-op chain is offering a Calgary Co-op Care Package containing food essentials, free of charge, to anyone required to be quarantined as directed by a public health agency. These Calgary Co-op Care Packages will contain non-perishable food items such as canned meat, pasta

Small Business BC creates digital meetups for small businesses to come together

General: Online communities and networks | General: Tools for engagement | Local businesses

Small Business BC launches Digital Meetups, a community video call for the small businesses community during COVID-19. Every working day, daily Digital Meetups focus on one pressing issue regarding COVID-19: from how to generate revenue, to employment law, all specific to small businesses.

Alberta Nonprofit Network provides resources for nonprofits

General: Sector resources

Alberta Nonprofit Network has partnered with the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (ECVO) and FuseSocial to be resource hubs for COVID-19 information. Check out their website for: resources for workplaces; community/sub-sector specific resources; and Alberta-specific FAQs.

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