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The Canadian Government has published a mobile app designed to serve as a comprehensive guide to help business survive during the COVID-19 crisis.

Download the Canada Business App: HERE to see how easy it is to navigate government services, get recommendations tailored to your business, set up personalized notifications and find the answers you need to start up, scale-up and access new markets.

As Canadians grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 virus, there are unsung heroes that have helped keep supply chains open and flowing. Canada’s long-distance truckers have been on the front lines, putting their own lives at risk to keep grocery store shelves stocked for shoppers. These people are vital to economic growth – about 70% of Canadian goods are transported by truck.

It has not been easy. While truck drivers are considered essential workers, which provides them with the ability to travel between Canada and the US, they face significant challenges to their normal work routines.

While some progress has been made in negotiations with various orders of government, the drivers are unable to access washrooms and showers at some truck stops and are being refused access to facilities at more and more distribution centres. This barrier makes them unable to follow government-mandated hygiene requirements.

Drivers also need adequate support from shippers and receivers.  As Maryscott Greenwood, CEO of the Canadian American Business Council and Stephen Laskowski, President of the Canadian Trucking Alliance noted in a piece yesterday morning, some shippers and receivers are not letting drivers use their bathroom facilities and insisting they stay in their trucks.  Surely, given that these drivers are keeping our economy moving, shippers and receivers can develop practices and protocols to keep drivers and their employees safe while providing driver access to these facilities.

“If we can work together to get the product to the people it needs to get to, why can’t we work together to ensure we look after each other’s basic human rights and needs?” asked Mike Millian, President, Private Motor Truck Council of Canada.

We should all be inspired by recent acts of generosity and good spirit towards truck drivers. There are stories around the country of family-run businesses that are taking measures to truck drivers to give them at least a bit of a break. For instance, one business in Quebec is permitting truckers a free 30-minute stay at certain hotels. Another in Nova Scotia offers them free meals. These are just some of the ways Canadians are stepping up to help one another.

To the Canadian trucking industry, we thank you. Canada is grateful for the work you do to keep Canadians fed and watered through this difficult time.

A number of resources designed to help employers, including members of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce, are now available across various government agencies, and elsewhere.

Thanks to our relationship with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the local Chamber is passing the following resources on for your benefit. We hope you make good use of these to benefit your employees:

We start with a comprehensive list of resources from the Government of Canada, which can be found HERE.

Another resource, again from the Government of Canada, focuses on Mental Health @ Work. This can be found HERE.

The Canadian Red Cross is offering a pocket guide for mental health issues. “First aid for the mind and our social networks is just as important as first aid for the body. Learning psychological first aid skills for mental health crisis could save a life.”—say officials with the Candian Red Cross.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has published a guide to help with mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is available HERE.

The Canadian Psychological Association has produced a series of Fact Sheets, available HERE.

The Canadian Mental Health Association has put together some resources and suggestions to help support your mental health at this time of uncertainty. Those resources are available HERE.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based in the U.S. has recognized that fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger. Their resources on managing anxiety and stress can be found HERE.

The Conference Board of Canada includes a conversation with Dr. Bill Howatt, Chief of Research, Workplace Productivity. That resource is available HERE.

A parting comment: If you have additional resources you’d like to share with your fellow Chamber members, please don’t hesitate to send a note to us at info@slchamber.ca

We’ll do our best to pass them along!