✈️ Aéro Montréal Newsletter - 10,000 made-in-Québec masks for manufacturing SMEs in the aerospace sector

Dear members, dear collaborators,

May 11th will mark another important milestone for our industry. After several weeks of "hibernation" due to COVID-19, the manufacturing sector will be able to gradually resume its activities while respecting strict sanitary measures. Once again, I would like to salute this decision by the government, but I would also like to reiterate my thanks to Ministers Pierre Fitzgibbon and Jean Boulet, who have shown great leadership and attentiveness with regard to our activities over the past few weeks.

The Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity, Jean Boulet, made himself available for an exclusive virtual meeting with our members on Thursday, April 30. This was an opportunity for him and our members to discuss the measures put in place to facilitate the recovery.

Many questions regarding the implementation of sanitary measures have recently emerged and this webinar was also an opportunity to share the best practices of Bell Textron Canada Ltd and FDC Aero Composites on the subject. If you did not have the opportunity to attend this webinar, I invite you to view the online recording available in Industry News (see below). You can also find out more about the tools created to rethink work spaces and methods that meet the new health standards designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus: the COVID-19 kit of the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), which offers a manufacturing guide and a check-list, as well as the best practices guide of Bell Textron Canada Ltd.

To accompany the implementation of these protective measures and in support of the wide range of solutions deployed by companies, Aéro Montréal announced last week the launch of its new initiative to offer aerospace manufacturing SMEs 10,000 reusable masks. This project was implemented with the support of the mmode Metropolitan Fashion Cluster and relies on one of its members, Montréal-based coat supplier Quartz Co., which has modified its production line to manufacture protective textile equipment.

Other initiatives, such as the Alliance for the aerospace recovery, complement these projects and underscore the determination of industry players to work together to get through this difficult period. The global aerospace industry has faced many challenges in the past. Epidemics such as SARS, H1N1, the 2001 attacks and the 2008 economic crisis have demonstrated its resilience. This time, we will have to face a crisis of a different magnitude, more intense for our industry and probably more long-lasting. However, I am convinced that all the examples of collective commitment that we are witnessing signal that a new beginning is on the horizon for our industry and that, together, we will succeed in rebuilding a stronger and more powerful industry.

We invite you to watch our webinar Coronavirus (COVID-19): How to plan for the resumption of activities?, hosted by Suzanne Benoit. Featuring Jean Boulet, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity, as well as Bell Textron Canada Ltd, FDC Aéro Composites and the Commission des Partenaires du Marché du Travail.

Airbus delivers its hygiene plan to slow down/reduce COVID-19 contamination risks.

As Canadian business leaders continue to face exceptional and wide-ranging challenges in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Government and each of the provincial governments have introduced various subsidy, tax and other relief to help businesses cope with the crisis. Norton Rose Fulbright have summarized these measures in a handy chart.

The Québec government has announced the gradual reopening of several sectors of activity in Québec for the month of May. However, during this resumption, it will measure the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic. If the spread increases significantly, there is a possibility of a step backwards in "hot regions" or in Québec as a whole.

The Québec Government is proposing a program designed for companies that want to host interns by enabling them to be better equipped to monitor interns' success in acquiring and developing skills in the workplace. Eligible employers will receive a subsidy for the person supervising internships in their company to participate in training. The new subsidy application form for the year 2020-2021 will be available shortly.

Through the Student Work Placement Program, the Government of Canada is also proposing to give post-secondary students across Canada paid work experience related to their field of study.

With the current pandemic, its consequences and the new challenges facing companies in the industry, it is even more important to think about improving employee training. Whether this training is online, in-company or in one of our educational settings, ÉMAM is ready to support you and ensure the best possible development of your employees' skills.

These documents, produced by the employment policies and strategies department of the Emploi-Québec sector of MTESS, are intended to be a compendium of best practices or impacts of the pandemic observed around the world with regard to the health crisis and post-crisis management.

The global aerospace industry is experiencing a new crisis and, according to several airlines, a return to normal will not occur before 2022. To discuss the situation, the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations (CORIM) will host Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), by videoconference on May 7, at 12:00 p.m. He will hold a discussion with Philippe Guertin, Vice-President, Strategy, Air Transport News.

In addition to helping support Canadian National Defence and first responders around the world during the current pandemic, Bell in Mirabel is using its expertise to support the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l'Estrie - Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CIUSSS de l'Estrie - CHUS) in its efforts to ensure the safety of medical personnel providing care to people infected with COVID-19.

APWorks, a small unit of the Airbus Group in Munich that specializes in 3D printing, can manufacture up to 10,000 visors per day. The PAG-MED Face Shield is a mask that can be produced on a large scale, at an attractive price, and delivered in Canada.

Promark Electronics Inc., a member of Aéro Montréal and CMP Solutions, have joined forces to create a new technology to help your employees stay alert and keep a safe distance. The Social Distancer ™ is a wearable product designed to provide workers with a means to easily maintain a safe two-meter distance between one another.