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
‘World’s largest Indigenous restaurant’ part of Caldwell First Nation big plans
Located in Leamington, near Windsor, Caldwell is poised to execute a series of monumental plans including housing developments, a medical cannabis operation, a rebranded marina, a winery and the world’s “largest Indigenous restaurant.” Three Fires restaurant is at the heart of the economic development efforts as a job creator, tourism destination and cultural centrepiece. It could open as early as July 2021 with room for up to 600 people.
Online collaboration company creates website to show countries around the world in lockdown
Videoconferencing company Vectera creates website showing lockdown status of countries around the world.
Le réseau de secours en cas de catastrophe publie un zine sur les pratiques de sécurité pour la distribution des aliments et de l’approvisionnement d’entraide
Mutual Aid Disaster Relief a publié une ressource basée aux États-Unis pour MUTUAL AID FOOD et SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION pendant la pandémie de Coronavirus.
Grassroots disaster relief network publishes zine on safety practices for mutual aid food and supply distribution
Mutual Aid Disaster Relief has published a US-based resource for MUTUAL AID FOOD & SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Independent US clothing retailer launches fundraiser for factory to make surgical masks
Independent US clothing retailer Princess Awesome Boy Wonder launched a campaign to fund seamstresses in their Chicago factory to produce surgical masks at home during the COVID-19 closures.
Harm reduction coalition publishes COVID-19 guidelines for people who use drugs and harm reduction programs
Resources are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
List of collective intelligence tools being used to respond to COVID-19
Collective intelligence is the enhanced capacity created when distributed groups of people work together, often with the help of technology, to mobilise more information, ideas and insights to solve a problem.
Restaurants in Minneapolis offer free lunches to children during school closures
Many children rely on school lunches to stay fed during the day, and with the announcement that schools will be closing, several restaurants have said they will give free lunches to any students who need them while they’re home from school.
US academics create remote learning platform to connect students across the US
Youth Remote Learning looks to connect students across the United States with free online courses that will help to promote intellectual curiosity in an online platform.
San Diego County schools provide free meals for students during COVID-19 closures
San Diego County schools provide free meals for students during COVID-19 closures. The meals are federally funded through a USDA program that serves low income families throughout the school year.
US Interagency Council on Homelessness creates list of resources for homelessness service systems during COVID-19
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has a list of resources that can be used by homelessness services systems in response to COVID-19.
UK digital agency helps to bring cultural content into audiences’ homes
In response to COVID-19, UK-base digital agency The Space is to helping to bring cultural content into audiences’ homes and supporting the creative teams who have made this work.
National Association of School Psychologists releases resource for talking to children about COVID-19
Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus) offers advice, guidelines, and resources for parents.
Vendors in Portland Oregon launch initiative to share COVID-19 information with people experiencing homelessness.
Vendors in Portland Oregon launch the Coronavirus Action Team, an initiative to get information about COVID-19 to people experiencing homelessness. Vendors are paid a stipend to check on each other, dispel myths about the virus & explain health dept guidance
UK’s Creative Review creates guide for creative support during COVID-19
Creatives and companies the world over are offering help and support during the Covid-19 pandemic. Creative Review has compiled a list of what’s available right now, which will be updated regularly.
La Chine crée une plate-forme nationale d’apprentissage du cloud et diffuse des classes d’école primaire à la télévision publique
La Chine a lancé une plate-forme nationale d’apprentissage du cloud pendant l’épidémie afin de fournir du matériel d’apprentissage aux élèves des écoles secondaires et secondaires. La plate-forme d’apprentissage en ligne vise à fournir des ressources aux élèves, mais pas à remplacer l’apprentissage en classe. Dans le même temps, les classes pour les élèves de l’école primaire ont été diffusées sur la chaîne publique China Education Television Channel 4.
China creates national cloud learning platform and broadcasts primary school classes on public television
China launched a national cloud learning platform during the outbreak to provide learning materials for students in junior and senior high school. The e-learning platform is meant to provide resources for students but not to replace classroom learning. At the same time, classes for primary school students were broadcast on state-broadcaster CCTV’s China Education Television Channel 4.
Norwegian prime minister holds press conference on coronavirus for children
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg told the country’s children in a televised news conference that it was OK to feel scared during the “special days” of the coronavirus outbreak.
FEANTSA prescribes key priorities for addressing COVID-19 for people experiencing homelessness
FEANTSA (European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless) prescribes key priorities for addressing COVID-19 for people experiencing homelessness.
Playwrights Guild of Canada is livestreaming 10-minute readings across Canada
The Playwrights Guild of Canada is doing a Play Reading Relay, where 29 playwrights will livestream 10 minute readings from their plays over a 7-hour day.
Crowdsourced resource for technologists
The Coronavirus Tech Handbook provides a space for technologists, civic organisations, public & private institutions, researchers and specialists of all kinds to collaborate on a rapid and sophisticated response to the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent impacts. It is a quickly evolving resource with thousands of active expert contributors.
Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation release handbook on COVID-19 prevention and treatment based on clinical experience in China
Experts at the Zhejiang University School of Medicine treated 104 patients with confirmed COVID-19 in 50 days, and recorded their real treatment experience in a Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment, offering practical advice and references with medical staff around the world. The handbook provides comprehensive guidelines and best practices by China’s top experts for coping with COVID-19.
Seattle business owners form Facebook group to offer each other support and resources
A Faceook Group for Seattle business owners offers place to share tips, promote services, and encourage the support of local businesses in the Puget Sound region.
Facebook group formed to evaluate, design, validate, and fabricate open source medical supplies around the world and creates open source medical supply guide
Open source medical supply guide, crowdsourced via Facebook (https://m.facebook.com/groups/670932227050506). Group formed to evaluate, design, validate & source fabrication of open source emergency medical supplies around the world but specific to locales
Georgetown University think tank creates evaluation tool for assessing local public health and response capacities
The Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University has created an evaluation tool – the Rapid Urban Health Security Assessment (RUHSA) – as a resource for assessing local-level public health preparedness and response capacities. The RUHSA draws from multiple guidance and evaluation tools. It was designed to support city decision-makers prioritize, strengthen and deploy strategies that promote urban health security.
La Commission européenne lance un appel « ascendant » aux startups et aux PME ayant des innovations liées au COVID-19 pour demander un fonds de 164 millions d’euros
La Commission européenne demande que les startups et les PME ayant des technologies et des innovations qui pourraient aider à traiter, tester, surveiller ou d’autres aspects de l’épidémie de coronavirus s’appliquent à la prochaine série de financements du Conseil européen de l’innovation (date limite du 18 mars). Avec un budget de 164 millions d’euros, cet appel est « de bas en haut », ce qui signifie qu’il n’y a pas de priorités thématiques prédéfinies et que les candidats aux innovations pertinentes du Coronavirus seront évalués de la même manière que les autres candidats. La Commission cherchera à accélérer l’octroi de subventions et de financement mixtes (combinant subventions et investissements en actions) à Coronavirus, ainsi qu’à faciliter l’accès à d’autres sources de financement et d’investissement.
European Commission releases ‘bottom-up’ call for startups and SMEs with innovations related to COVID-19 to apply for €164m fund
The European Commission calls for startups and SMEs with technologies and innovations that could help in treating, testing, monitoring or other aspects of the Coronavirus outbreak to apply to the next round of funding from the European Innovation Council (Mar 18 deadline). With a budget of €164m, this call is “bottom up”, meaning there are no predefined thematic priorities and applicants with Coronavirus relevant innovations will be evaluated in the same way as other applicants. The Commission will look to fast track the awarding of EIC grants and blended finance (combining grant and equity investment) to Coronavirus relevant innovations, as well as to facilitate access to other funding and investment sources.
Ressource : Comment mettre en place l’entraide
Une ressource de comment faire pour la mise en place de nacelles de voisinage d’entraide.
Resource: How to set up mutual aid
A how-to resource for setting up neighbourhood pods of mutual aid.
Resource: pod mapping for mutual aid
Pod mapping is a tool specifically for accountability and dealing with harm in communities. However, it can also be adapted to help you assess who you can rely on in a pinch—who you’d turn to for support and who would turn to you. This simple resource was written by an activist as COVID-19 took hold in her region. (includes worksheet and additional resources)
Free Ebook on building collective resilience after a disaster
“The Response: Building Collective Resilience in the Wake of Disasters”, contains interviews, articles, guides, and personal stories to deepen your understanding of community led disaster response and support deeper engagement with your neighbors, family, and friends as you prepare for the future together.