Last updated January 20, 2020
The continued spread of the COVID-19 virus has understandably generated many concerns and questions. CWCF encourages its members to follow the information provided by the following sources, while keeping in mind that the situation is fluid and subject to rapid change. We will be updating this page as more resources become available.
Please note: Information on the CWCF Emergency Relief / Survival Planning Funding (SPF) is available here. Information on the Tenacity Works emergency fund is available here.
Webinar: Worker Co-ops and COVID-19 (audio recording of CWCF’s webinar on this topic).
Health Resources
Government of Canada: Updates on the number and location of infections in Canada, information on symptoms, travel advice, awareness and prevention resources.
Centers for Disease Control: Resources for businesses and employers and families, with the opportunity to subscribe to email updates.
World Health Organization: Global updates, travel advice, information on ongoing research.
Business and Employment Resources
Co-operators Development Program
Co-operatives Eligible for Government Support: Message from CMC outlining government support measures.
Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses: Links to information on keeping employees safe, business continuity plans, and support for entrepreneurs during the pandemic.
World Health Organization: Eight-page guide for workplaces during the pandemic.
Guidance for Managing Employees Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A tip sheet containing advice for both managers and employees.
COVID-19 & Workplace Government Updates: A Cross-Canada Review: Province-by-province list of change to relevant employment legislation.
Breaking Down the Emergency Funds for COVID-19: Individuals & Families A guide from Conexus Credit Union
Plain Language Guide to COVID-19 Government Supports – Information compiled by a professor at Carleton University
Resources compiled by The Co-operators
Guidance on Essential Services and Functions in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Government of Canada: Support for Businesses (List of available resources)
Government of Canada: Support for Industries
Canada Emergency Response Benefit
Post-Covid Facility Re-entry Guide – a guide for businesses compiled by experts at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Meeting resources from the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
Co-op Resources/Resources for Staying Connected
Webinar: COVID-19 and the Co-operative Business Community
The Response: a Podcast on how communities respond to Disaster, here.
The National Cooperative Business Association in the US has assembled resources, on its website.
The US Federation of Worker Co-ops is tracking available resources as they emerge and posting them on its website.
Webinar: Preparing for the COVID-19 Virus as a Worker Coop
Editable spreadsheet of community and government support measures
Information from the BCCA on hosting a virtual AGM
Resources for Co-operatives in Western Canada
Resources from the Ohio Employee Ownership Centre
Lateral Aid Opportunities – A list compiled by Nathan Schneider of opportunities to self-organize during the pandemic in non-hierarchical ways.
Resources from the Canadian Credit Union Association
Resources by Province/Region
Resources compiled by the Alberta Community & Co-operative Association
Resources compiled by the Saskatchewan Co-operative Association
Western Diversification Regional Relief and Recovery Fund aims to help western Canadian businesses cope with the financial hardship resulting from COVID-19.
Social Justice Resources
The Foundation for Intentional Community Resources has compiled a series of response guides.
Mutual Aid Disaster Relief: Information on and calls to action for a just Coronavirus response
The Community Bail and Bond Fund can be reached here.
Here are some “Transformative Spaces,” demands from organizers, on creating liberation spaces and lifting up voices for change.
Social Justice in a Time of Social Distancing; see website here.
Mutual Aid Networks: a software program developed for mutual aid networks that could help a lot in these times. You access it here.
The folks at Newspeak House in London have started a crowdsourced handbook, aimed at techies but with lots of useful resources for everyone. A great model for rapidly building a shared resource using Google Docs (even if some of us wish it weren’t on Google Docs!)
Some resources from Springboard for the Arts:
- Ideas and principles to help support artists and other freelancers dealing with cancelled jobs and income, here.
- A resource page for arts-relevant resources; see this website.
- We expanded our Emergency Relief Fund to help artists with loss of income from cancellations, more info here.
- And a fundraising page for people who want to help support this fund, website here.
We will add further resources to our website as they become available.
For a lighter take on what this all means, see this comic.
Stay safe and healthy!,
The staff of the Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation.
PS By way of actions, we are sharing petitions and other asks to governments.
- Canada and the rest of the world have never experienced an outbreak to spread so quickly, causing an international pandemic and mass hysteria. A similar petition is in the works for the US and by the time this petition is being written, it has already garnered more than 21,000 signatures out of the 25,000 it seeks to receive. The author, Isaac Rothwell of Digerati Productions said it best “The purpose of this petition is to sound the alarm on a massive economic catastrophe that is transpiring in our nation.” See and sign petition here.