The Premier of Ontario has declared a province-wide state of emergency and issued a stay-at-home order in response to rising COVID-19 variant infection rates.
Mon, 27 Apr 2020
Mayor Rob Burton’s Oakville Economic Task Force announces the launch of Distantly.ca in Oakville; an online crowd-funding platform to connect small business with community donations.
“The Oakville Economic Task Force recognized early in the COVID-19 pandemic the need to support local businesses to help them get through this difficult time and be part of the eventual recovery. As many residents have come forward asking how they can support local businesses, the Distantly.ca app is a way they can help. By donating to local businesses through the app, you’ll help ensure your favourite businesses survive the pandemic and will be able to open their doors for recovery. We encourage all those who are able to donate to help reduce the impact of COVID-19 on Oakville’s main street businesses,” said Mayor Rob Burton.
Distantly.ca is an online application designed to help patrons support their favourite local business from a distance. The platform is easy to use and secure, and allows the community to provide financial support to the business of their choice through direct donations. As main street businesses are faced with unprecedented financial challenges, Distantly provides a creative solution to help businesses survive the pandemic.
Initially piloted in the City of Toronto, Distantly.ca is now open to all small businesses. Business owners can visit the website to create an online donation page through a secure verification process. Money donated will go directly to the business, with the intent to lessen the financial impact facing the small business community.
The Economic Task Force has worked in partnership to connect local businesses with the platform for onboarding. Distantly provides Oakville’s small businesses with an opportunity to access immediate financial relief through community support.
Oakville’s Economic Task Force is also concentrating efforts on long term recovery planning. Local businesses are invited to participate in a short online survey to help inform Town priorities and initiatives in support of Oakville’s economic recovery.
Oakville’s Economic Task Force is a partnership initiative with the Oakville Economic Development department, Oakville Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement Areas and Visit Oakville. The Task Force is working to provide immediate short-term relief to the business community, and to look at options to support the recovery of Oakville’s economy in the long term.
Distantly.ca was founded by Susan McArthur, a former partner at a venture capital fund, and Daniel Spataro and Moe Katib, co-founders of Buildable Technologies. The app was originally launched by the City of Toronto, in partnership with the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas, and Digital Main Street.