Canadian outerwear brand Canada Goose is making headlines for all the right reasons.
In response to COVID-19, Canada Goose has stepped up to the plate to ramp up domestic production of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers across Canada.
For two weeks, Canada Goose reopened all of its eight Canadian facilities and brought in 900 employees to (safely and by practicing social distancing) support the efforts. The result is the production of at least 60,000 gowns per week, with plans to deliver up to 1.5 million at cost. Any unintentional profits, potentially derived from efficiencies, will be donated to national COVID-19 relief funds.
This isn’t Canada Goose’s first proactive response to the global pandemic; the announcement builds on the company’s commitment to manufacture and donate 14,000 units of gowns and scrubs at no charge. Produced in two of its Toronto and Winnipeg facilities, product shipments to hospitals and healthcare facilities across Canada began earlier this month.
“These unprecedented times call for decisive, collective action and now is the time for Canada to invest in made-in-Canada solutions,” said Dani Reiss, President and CEO, Canada Goose. “With one of the largest Canadian apparel manufacturing infrastructures in the country, we are uniquely positioned to re-tool our facilities and refocus our teams to produce a variety of personal protective equipment – and we are prepared to leverage all of our resources to do what’s right for our country.”
Weeks after the COVID-19 initiative was launched, on Earth Day (April 22), Canada Goose made a major announcement on the sustainability front with the unveiling of its new Sustainable Impact Strategy outlined in the company’s first ever sustainability report. The strategy includes commitments to reclaimed fur, a Responsible Down Standard, and the elimination of single-use plastics in all Canada Goose owned or controlled facilities.
It’s no secret that Canada Goose has come under fire by animal rights organizations like PETA over the use of fur on their parkas. In 2022, however, Canada Goose plans to introduce reclaimed fur into its supply chain, which includes beginning to manufacture parkas using reclaimed fur and ending the purchasing of new fur. The company also plans to launch a consumer buy-back program for fur in the months ahead.
Canada Goose also revealed a plan for net zero direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, thanks to aggressive and tangible action plans that aim to reduce emissions by more than 80 per cent from current levels.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a solid spring jacket for breaks from social isolation, check out their spring/summer collection online.
