Vancouver
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Staying Informed
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update - Government of Canada website.
City of Vancouver: call 3-1-1 for non-medical information related to COVID-19. If you’re a business, the City also has a business support inquiry form
General questions: If you have questions about social distancing, travel, or assistance available from the provincial and federal governments, call 1-888-COVID19 (1-888-268-4319).
Education
Coursera offers thousands of free online courses.
Harvard University online courses (many are free)
Free Vancouver Online Resources for Children - includes colouring, online STEM classes for K-12, e-books etc.
Food
Share the Goods - Canadian-wide, the site connects people who need food, with people who want to help. You provide your contact information, and are matched with someone who wants to provide a one-time food delivery.
Food Banks
Health
BC Health Questions: If you have symptoms related to COVID-19 (or another other health issue) and want to talk to a health professional, call 8-1-1.
BC Centre for Disease Control - provides information on testing, prevention, symptoms etc.
Test results hotline: Call 1-833-707-2792 or 1-866-370-8355 (Vancouver Island only) from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, seven days a week. It may be easier to get through to someone on the line in the afternoon when the call volume is generally lower.
Mental Health
Bounce Back BC - BounceBack® is a free skill-building program designed to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry.
Canadian Mental Health Association British Columbia - offers free access to peer support and practical skill courses for coping with stress, problem solving and boosting mood. The 8-week course is led by a trained facilitator.
Bliss - Free 8-week online therapy course for depression
Headspace - provides free meditation sessions
BetterHealth - offers affordable online therapy
Physical Health
Adidas Runtastic App is providing 90 days of free premium access to their app, which gives free access to 260+ home workout videos and training plans in all 15 available languages.
A number of fitness studios are offering daily free classes on Instagram TV:
Power Yoga Canada
Youtube channels with free workout videos
Childcare
Finances
Debt Repayment
Federal Tax Deferral:
June 1, 2020 - extended deadline for filing your personal tax return with the Canada Revenue Agency or Revenu Québec
June 15, 2020 - this still remains as the deadline for filing your self-employment return
August 31, 2020 - extended payment deadline for any taxes owed to the Canada Revenue Agency or Revenu Québec
More details here
COVID-19: Mortgage Payment Deferral. Homeowners facing financial stress may be eligible for a mortgage payment deferral up to 6 months to help ease the financial burden.
Income Relief
BC Temporary Pandemic Pay - Temporary pandemic pay supports health, social services and corrections employees delivering in-person, front-line care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Climate Action Tax Credit - A one-time enhancement to the climate action tax credit will be paid in July 2020 for moderate to low-income families
Housing
Who's hiring?
Disability Benefits/Paid Sick Leave
Unemployment Benefits
Tax Assistance
Small Business Assistance
COVID-19 Business Resilience Network - their mission is to help the business community prepare, persevere and, ultimately, prosper as we collectively face the COVID-19 pandemic.
Help with Bills
Bell, Rogers, Telus, and TekkSavy are waiving extra internet usage fees
Loan Assistance
Canada suspends federal student loan payments during COVID-19 crisis. Students will be automatically enrolled into the six-month loan holiday program
Elderly (65+)
Seniors in BC can call 2-1-1 for information on support services including meal delivery, help with cooking, delivery of groceries and medications, wellness calls and visits.
Safety for Survivors of Violence
Legal Assistance
Torkin Manes Legal Resource Center - the law firm has written a number of articles to keep people informed of the legal implications related to this COVID-19 (topics include insurance, real estate, employment, and cannabis law).
Other Resources
Coronavirus Tech Handbook- a library for technologists, civic organisations, public and private institutions, researchers, educators and specialists of all kinds to collaborate on an agile and sophisticated response to the coronavirus outbreak and sequential impacts.
COVID-19 Research Resources Canada - a site for scientists & researchers, that provides access to reagents, equipment, human resources, and expertise.
Entertainment
Netflix Party is a Chrome extension that lets you have long distance movie nights
Donate Your Items or Money
Give a Hand Vancouver - looking for businesses or organizations with large quantities of medical supplies, cleaning products, food, or services that they can donate or provide at reduced cost, to support vulnerable populations.
Vancouver Foundation Community Response Fund - The Vancouver Foundation, Vancity, United Way of the Lower Mainland, and the City of Vancouver have created this fund, to help fund services to those in need.
Volunteer Opportunities/How to Help
Share the Goods - Canada-wide site that brings food to those in need; the site connects people who want to help, with people who need food.
Scientists to Crowdfight COVID-19 - If you have research/science experience, this group is looking for your help.
VancouverSupport.ca - This site connects people offering help and support to people who need it.
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