Canada Goose Joins the Fight Against COVID-19

by Pahull Bains March 25, 2020

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge, fashion brands around the world are stepping up, dedicating their manufacturing capabilities and other resources to help fight the spread of COVID-19. Yesterday, Toronto-based brand Hilary MacMillan announced it would begin producing face masks for people working in grocery stores, nursing homes and other essential service industries. Today, Canada Goose announced its plans to leverage its manufacturing facilities to begin production of medical gear for frontline healthcare workers and patients across Canada.

The company will begin making scrubs and patient gowns, which are in short supply across the country, and will begin distributing them to hospitals next week as part of their Canada Goose Response Program. To help address the shortage of personal protective equipment in hospitals, the brand has committed to producing medical gear at two of its manufacturing facilities—in Toronto and Winnipeg—with plans to extend production across additional facilities as needed. Keeping in mind social distancing guidelines from the government, approximately 50 employees per facility will work to manufacture the gear, with an initial goal of producing 10,000 units.

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We’re doing our part to protect the people who protect us. Starting next week, we'll be producing urgently needed scrubs and gowns for frontline healthcare workers and patients. Find out more about the Canada Goose Response Program via link in bio.

A post shared by Canada Goose (@canadagoose) on Mar 25, 2020 at 7:00am PDT

“Across Canada, there are people risking their lives every day on the frontlines of COVID-19 in healthcare facilities, and they need help. Now is the time to put our manufacturing resources and capabilities to work for the greater good,” Dani Reiss, President and CEO of the brand, said in a statement. “Our employees are ready, willing and able to help, and that’s what we’re doing. It’s the Canadian thing to do.”

Thus far, initiatives under the Canada Goose Response Program include an Employee Support Fund, established for employees who are impacted by store and manufacturing closures but are not eligible for government assistance. In a letter to Canada Goose employees, Reiss announced that he will forego his salary for at least the next three months, which will be used for the Employee Support Fund.

Last month, the outerwear brand also launched the Wuhan Charity Donation, donating RMB 1 million (roughly CAD 190,000) to the Wuhan Charity Federation, a non-profit organization designated by the Wuhan City Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters to receive donations for relief efforts, to help fight the COVID-19 outbreak.

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