Ontario Together: Province launches online tool for businesses to help combat COVID-19
Published March 21, 2020 at 10:35 pm
Fitting with the Ford government’s “open for business” approach, the province has launched a new online tool that will allow Ontario’s businesses to easily assist in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ontario Together, which launched on Saturday, March 21, will be used to identify the province’s supply challenges and get assistance from Ontario’s business and manufacturing communities in order to meet current needs.
For example, the tool aims to streamline the process of having Ontario’s manufacturing sector redeploy capacity towards the production of essential equipment such as ventilators, masks, and swabs.
The announcement was made earlier this afternoon by Premier Doug Ford, Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance and Flavio Volpe, President, Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA).
“We’re ready to mobilize our manufacturing might to help the entire country and we want Ontario to become the workshop of Canada,” said Ford.
“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary efforts and we are already seeing people stepping up and offering to help out as we deal with this unprecedented situation. This is a true demonstration of Ontario Spirit.”
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Through the online portal, companies are able to submit proposals for the government to procure required goods and services, as well as quickly share creative solutions to help Ontarians during this pandemic.
These include virtual mental health services for vulnerable residents, supply chain resiliency monitoring, and affordable financial planning/advising for small businesses.
“We’re looking forward to leveraging Ontario’s world class manufacturing and IT sectors to provide the necessary assistance to combat COVID-19,” said Fedeli. “Ontario’s businesses have shown they are ready and willing to work with us, and we urge them to join our government in finding made-in-Ontario solutions to ensure we continue to stay well supplied.”
Ontario Together can be accessed at the province’s website here.
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