Here are 11 Canadian businesses stepping up during the coronavirus outbreak

There have been shortages of almost every material necessary to continue the fight against COVID-19. Ottawa has asked Canadian manufacturers and business owners to ramp up their efforts to help fight the spread of coronavirus and to bolster Canada's medical infrastructure and Canada’s private sector is rising to the challenge.

1. Labatt Breweries

Labatt Breweries has declared their intent to provide 50,000 bottles of hand sanitizer for Food Banks Canada.

2. Smash + Tess

Ashley Freeborn, founder of the Vancouver-based fashion brand Smash + Tess, heard about their customer’s disappointment in feeling powerless at a time when everyone has effectively been forced indoors. “People were sending us a lot of notes, saying they were feeling alone, wanting to help,” Freeborn said, according to the Vancouver Sun.

In response, the fashion company decided to answer the call of their customers. “Using Instagram Live, Smash + Tess—@smashtess on Instagram—hosted a three-hour romper party on Saturday evening.” The initial goal was to raise $15,000, but Freeborn managed to raise $20,000.

Freeborn said the party had elements of an “old-school telethon.”

3. Canada Goose

Canada Goose issued this statement, mentioning that they are contributing “RMB1 million to the Wuhan Charity Federation to help fight the 2019-nCoV outbreak.”

4. Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons restaurants are serving “free coffee to those doing their part to serve communities across Canada.”

5. Knix

Knix, a Canada-based lingerie and shapewear company, has started a GoFundMe to provide personal protective equipment to those working on the frontlines against the virus. They have, at the time of this writing, raised just shy of $35,000, with a goal of $50,000.

According to their GoFundMe page, “We know that hospitals and frontline workers are running low on key PPE items (masks, gowns and gloves) that are crucial to ensure their safety and ability to continue working and help us fight COVID-19.”

6. & 7. Metro and Loblaws

Metro and Loblaws have moved to increase wages for all their grocery store and distribution centre workers by $2. Grocery store employees are among those who are still required to report to work, despite the national call for social distancing.

The raise is set to last until May 2nd, according to The Star.

8. Annex Ale Project

Distillers across the country have banded together to produce tens of thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer, as supplies have run short.

In Calgary, Annex Ale Project be producing hand sanitizer. In making beer, ethanol, glycerol, and hydrogen peroxide are all produces. These are three necessary components of hand sanitizer.

9. Crosscut Distillery

Crosscut Distillery is turning their distillery into a hand sanitizer manufacturing facility fulfill needs in Sudbury, Ontario.

10. Top Shelf Distillery

In Perth, Top Shelf Distillery is pivoting quickly to meet the needs of Canadians. They've launched an indiegogo campaign to help fund their efforts. Their normal fare is vodka and London style gin, as well as bitters and moonshine.

11. Dairy Distillery

In Almonte, the Dairy Distillery, which usually makes liquor from dairy from milk, is stepping up to provide their locality with this much needed tool to fight COVID-19.

Canada has 1,331 confirmed cases of the contagion and 21 deaths at the time of this writing.