Alberta Garment is now sewing hospital gowns, a hand soap company has been certified to make hand sanitizer, and ATCO is deploying hundreds of trailers for medical testing, quarantining and treatment.
These are just a few examples of the outpouring of offers of support from Alberta businesses and non-profit organizations to help with the COVID-19 crisis.
The Government of Alberta launched the Bits and Pieces program last week and the province has already received more than 1,100 offers.
The offers include passenger and commercial vehicles, hotel rooms and mobile trailers, food and water services, hospital gowns, face masks, ventilators and other personal protective equipment.
They also highlight innovation in local manufacturing, with several Alberta distilleries offering sanitizer they produced and a drapery manufacturer offering medical garments and bedding it produced.
The program is named after the 鈥渂its and pieces program鈥� established by Canada鈥檚 Minister of Munitions and Supply during the Second World War, C. D. Howe. The program coordinated innovative production and procurement efforts from across the Canadian economy to support the war effort.
Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta, said: 鈥淚鈥檓 deeply touched by the outpouring of support we鈥檙e seeing from private and non-profit organizations, both foreign and domestic.
"When times are tough, Alberta鈥檚 spirit of ingenuity and generosity always answers the call.鈥�
In addition to many local companies offering and innovating to provide products, Alberta鈥檚 post-secondary institutions are leading in areas of research, with one researcher at the University of Alberta working to develop a virus-killing medical mask.
Kaycee Madu, Minister of Municipal Affairs, said: 鈥淎lbertans are leaders, and I鈥檓 humbled to see our province leading and giving back in so many ways.
"The offers and innovation we鈥檙e seeing take place across our province right now will help our government meet the demands and challenges we face today, and the ones we鈥檒l face in the future.鈥�
Individuals, private companies and non-profit organizations can offer products and services, including personal protective equipment at or by clicking .
Examples of Alberta companies filling the need
- ATCO has confirmed their ability to deploy hundreds of trailers for medical testing, quarantining and treatment, especially in rural andremote areas.
- Calgary-based Fluid Energy Group has signed a letter of intent with the federal government to produce hand sanitizer.
- The Rocky Mountain Soap Company in Canmore received certification from Health Canada to create a naturally derived hand sanitizer that is available online.
- Alberta Garment is transitioning to produce hospital gowns.
- Alberta鈥檚 manufacturing sector is working to tackle the spread of COVID-19 by exploring new solutions for personal protective equipment.
