Government of Canada creates COVID-19 supply council in support of Canada's response and recovery

GATINEAU, QC, May 3, 2020 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is working closely with partners to ensure Canadians have access to the supplies they need to stay safe and healthy in response to COVID-19.

The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, announced today the creation of the  COVID-19 Supply Council which will bring together a diverse group of leaders to provide the government with advice on the procurement of critical goods and services required as part of Canada's COVID-19 response and recovery.

The Council will provide advice on building innovative and agile supply chains for goods in wide use such as masks, gloves and disinfectants, including production, sourcing, shipping and distribution strategies as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve.

This partnership with the private and non-profit sectors complements Canada's whole-of-government response to COVID-19. As part of these efforts, Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Government of Canada's central purchaser, has finalized agreements in Canada and around the world in order to provide healthcare workers with the equipment they need to protect themselves and care for Canadians.

Quotes

"Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have engaged with provinces, territories, and the private and non-governmental sectors to respond to this crisis. This council builds on that collaborative approach, bringing together a diverse group of leaders to help us address current and future supply challenges. I look forward to the work we'll do together to ensure Canadians have access to the supplies they need to stay safe and healthy."

The Honourable Anita Anand
Minister of Public Services and Procurement

Quick facts

• As part of its Plan to Mobilize Industry to fight COVID-19, the Government of Canada introduced new measures to directly support businesses to rapidly scale up production or re-tool their manufacturing lines to develop products made in Canada that will help in the fight against COVID-19.
• The Government of Canada is taking an aggressive, proactive approach to buying, especially when it comes to personal protective equipment for front line healthcare workers. This includes:
• ordering ahead in bulk on behalf of provinces and territories
• ramping up domestic manufacturing capacity, through the Plan to Mobilize Industry to fight COVID-19, being led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
• The Minister of Public Services and Procurement will chair the new COVID-19 Supply Council which will be made up of 17 members from the private and non-profit sectors.

Associated links

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Canada's response
Backgrounder - Members of the COVID-19 Supply Council

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BACKGROUNDER

Members of the COVID-19 Supply Council

The Government of Canada has created a COVID-19 Supply Council which will bring together a diverse group of leaders to provide the government with advice on the procurement of critical goods and services required as part of Canada's COVID-19 response and recovery.

The Council will provide advice on building innovative and agile supply chains for goods in wide use such as masks, gloves and disinfectants, including production, sourcing, shipping and distribution strategies as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve.

The following is a list of the COVID-19 Supply Council members:

• Bramwell Strain, President and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba
• Cathy Bennett, Director, BDC, SheEO; Chair of the Board, Dynamic Air Shelters; Former member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly and Former Newfoundland and Labrador Finance Minister
• Dave McHattie, Vice President, Institutional Relations Tenaris Canada; Chair of the Board of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
• The Honourable Perrin Beatty, PC, OC, CEO and President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Tabatha Bull, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
• Diane J. Brisebois, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Retail Council of Canada (RCC)
• Tina Lee, CEO, T&T Supermarkets
• Christine Hrudka, Chair of the Canadian Pharmacists Association
• Jodi Hall, Chair of the Canadian Association of Long Term Care; Executive Director, New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes (NBANH)
• Sue Paish, CEO, Digital Supercluster and leads BC Supply Hub 
• Eric Edmondson, President and CEO, AirGeorgian; Chair of the Board of the Air Transport Association of Canada
• François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada
• Joyce Carter, President and CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA); Elected Chair of the Canadian Airports Council (CAC)
• Stephen Laskowski, President, Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA)
• Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Port de Montréal
• Conrad Sauvé, President and CEO of the Canadian Red Cross
• Paulette Senior, President and CEO, Canadian Women's Foundation

SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada