With the economy nearing a month of lockdown, the economic impacts of the coronavirus have been staggering. No sector has been spared, but small Canadian businesses have been hit particularly hard.
While governments at all levels are rushing to help, we wanted to highlight the agile companies that have shifted what they do and how they do it to survive this time. We applaud those businesses that can directly contribute supplies to frontline workers — but we also want to shout out the companies big, small, and tiny that have figured out innovative ways to stay afloat.
These Canadian businesses are showing how we’ll get through this, and that’s how we’ll come out stronger.
1️⃣ Canada Goose has reopened all eight of its Canadian factories with a total of 900 workers to make personal protective equipment at cost for healthcare professionals.
2️⃣ All of Spinco‘s 15 locations across Canada are renting out their bikes. They’ve also put all their spin classes online.
3️⃣ The children’s art studio 4Cats have posted a full calendar of online classes and offer free shipping on their oven-bake clay kits.
4️⃣ The Sewing Army, an initiative of Toronto fashion designer Diana Coatsworth, has united more than 2,500 artists and tradespeople to make masks and caps for healthcare professionals. Some members are selling the masks to support themselves, and CAA is offering free delivery.
5️⃣ Independent bookstores across Canada are offering free curbside delivery. Here’s a complete list.
6️⃣ Breweries are offering home delivery from their online bottle shops across Canada.
7️⃣ Grocery stores like Toronto’s Fiesta Farms have begun local delivery — and they’ve prioritized their elderly, disabled immunocompromised, and pregnant neighbours.
