Waterloo, Ont. face shield manufacturer donates 750K shields for teachers across Canada

The following is an excerpt from CTV News article written by Chase Banger on Jul 29, 2020. 

KITCHENER -- A Waterloo face shield and mask manufacturer announced Tuesday that it would be donating three quarters of a million face shields to protect teachers and educators from COVID-19.

The Canadian Shield, which was founded by the educational technology company InkSmith, says the 750,000 reusable shields are worth about $7.5 million.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce was scheduled to be in Waterloo on Wednesday to accept the donation on behalf of Ontario, while conversations with other provincial and territorial ministries are ongoing.

During its announcement on Tuesday, the Canadian Shield launched face shields for kids, which fit smaller than the adjustable adult ones.

"While face masks can sometimes be uncomfortable for children, face shields can be a great PPE alternative, providing protection against airborne particles," a media release announcing the news in part.

The company says it has the capacity to produce some 200,000 face shields per day, and is working on its cloth and surgical mask lines to ramp up production to over 300 million per year.

"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," CEO Jeremy Hedges is quoted in a news release.

"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."