The Canadian Shield, a Kitchener-Waterloo-based personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturer that was spun out of EdTech startup InkSmith, has made its face shield available to the public. The shields are available through the company’s newly-launched consumer sales portal.
“We are currently producing double what we need to be producing to fulfill our Health Canada order.”
The Canadian Shield’s reusable face shields are available for delivery across Canada and can be purchased on the company’s website in quantities of two, five, and 20. The public availability launch comes as the company has fulfilled orders for Health Canada and provincial healthcare agencies, after receiving a contract in March to produce 10 million face shields by August.
“As the federal and provincial governments take steps to reopen the economy, it is incredibly important that everyone has access to critical PPE,” said The Canadian Shield founder and CEO Jeremy Hedges. “By making our Canadian Shield available for consumer purchase, we hope to reduce the spread of COVID-19 while facilitating Canada’s economic recovery.”
Since The Canadian Shield was officially launched in March by InkSmith, the team has grown from a staff of 10 to over 250. The company also opened a 50,000 square-foot facility last month, and brought in new equipment to maximize its production capabilities. InkSmith typically develops products such as 3D printers, virtual reality kits and headsets, laser cutters, and robotics kits.
The Canadian Shield is supplying two-thirds of the 16 million total medical face shields being procured by the federal government from Canadian companies. The Government of Canada committed new funding, at the end of March, to procurement deals that fulfill PPE supply needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“We are currently producing double what we need to be producing to fulfill our Health Canada order,” Hedges said. “We are excited to be in a position where we can provide PPE to both frontline healthcare workers as well as consumers.”
Since launching its consumer sales portal, The Canadian Shield has already fulfilled over 1,000 orders. The cost of a two-pack of shields is $19.95, a five-pack is $44.95, and a 20-pack is $159.95.
Along with the launch of The Canadian Shield’s consumer sales portal, the company is also running a “buy one, give one” campaign. For each reusable shield purchased online, the company will donate a shield to healthcare facilities in need, including long-term care facilities, hospitals, clinics, and other critical services that do not have sufficient access to PPE.
Image source The Canadian Shield.