A Waterloo Region company says it is donating 750,000 of its reusable face shields to provincial and territorial governments across Canada so they can be distributed to educators.
The company, The Canadian Shield, pegs the value of the donation at $7.5 million.
When the pandemic began in earnest in March, The Canadian Shield’s parent company, InkSmith, pivoted from creating education technology to creating the reusable face shields and is now producing 20,000 shields per day.
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“We would not be where we are today if it weren’t for the help of school boards across Ontario and organizations across Canada, who helped us 3D print face shield components in our early days,” said Jeremy Hedges, president of The Canadian Shield, in a release. “This is our way of giving back to the community and supporting Canadian educators.”
The Canadian Shield says it has also developed a smaller version of its product, which is meant for kids aged 5-12, after getting requests. It is also now producing cloth and surgical masks.
“We have invested heavily in PPE manufacturing and established reliable supply chains across Canada to ensure our nation is self-sustaining and in a position to combat any future global health crisis,” Hedges said.
“Our days of relying on global supply chains are over. We are proud to be part of what we see as a ‘Made in Canada’ movement.”
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