L-R: Milena Holmes and Duey Vlajic. Photo by Katie Mutton
By Will McGuirk
Frere Du Nord, the clothing manufacturing centre located in Downtown Oshawa, have repurposed their team and equipment in part to produce non-medical personal protection equipment. Woven cotton face masks are now available for purchase and for every one sold, Frere Du Nord will donate one to charities working with vulnerable people in Durham Region. This initiative will kick off Wednesday April 1 wth a donation of 500 masks to both Feed the Need Durham and the Welcoming Streets Program.
“We can help mitigate the spread of the virus by providing simple masks to the most vulnerable people in our community? These are also the people most likely to be impacted, since many do not have the luxury of being able to safely self-isolate,” says Milena Holmes says in a blog post on the Frere Du Nord website.
The masks are non-medical grade but are washable and reusable. They are designed as a safety measure and are not intended to be used as a fully preventative barrier against COVID-19 or other viruses. Milena says she has been in contact with local medical suppliers, local clinics, Lakeridge Health, and Government of Canada procurement representatives, should the need for medical grade masks be required. Currently the medical grade material and the manufacturing, is only available overseas. With the global demand rising, alternative sources made be needed sooner rather than later.
“I am doing everything I can to make them aware of our capabilities, and the capabilities of other GTA sewing businesses in my network. I know they will reach out if there is a need. We will always prioritize our front line workers, if that call ever came. Until it does, we will be doing whatever we can, every single day, to try to lessen their work load by keeping ourselves safe,” she says.
Those who choose to buy masks for their own use can have them delivered to their home in accordance with social distancing recommendations. There is also the option of purchasing masks solely for the use of the local charities.