CCB BC - Yukon Division
“The voice of the Blind”
Division Call In
Division Call Ins…. Calling All Members
Our Division Call Ins are on Zoom the first and third Thursday each month at 10:00am.
(updated, December 21, 2025)
December 4th Division Call In
Guest speaker Dianne Stoesz from Service Canada shared information about Programmes and Benefits for people with disabilities. The drop box recording link and additional information is below.
25 12 04 Division Call In with Dianne Stoesz from Service Canada
Links and resources:
- Canada Pension Disability Benefit Canada Pension Plan disability benefits – Canada.ca
- Disability Tax Credit: Disability tax credit (DTC) – Canada.ca
- Disability Tax Credit Form: T2201 Disability Tax Credit Certificate – Canada.ca
- Disability Tax Credit for Child: Child disability benefit – Canada.ca
- Benefits and Credits from CRA: Persons with disabilities, their caregivers, and the CRA – Canada.ca
- Canada Caregiver Credit: Canada caregiver credit – Canada.ca
- Disability Supports Deduction: Line 21500 – Disability supports deduction – Canada.ca
- Home Acessibility Tax Credit: Home Accessibility Tax Credit (HATC) – Canada.ca
- Renovation Tax Credit: Line 45355 – Multigenerational home renovation tax credit (MHRTC) – Canada.ca
- RDSP Registered Disability Savings Plan: What is a registered disability savings plan (RDSP) – Canada.ca
- The new Canada Disability Benefit: Canada Disability Benefit – Canada.ca
- Employment Insurance Caregiving Benefits and Compassionate Care Benefits: EI caregiving benefits – Canada.ca
- Education Funding for People with Disabilities: Education funding for people with disabilities – Canada.ca
- Canada Student Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities – Canada.ca
- Canada Student Grant for services and equipment for students with permanent disabilities – Canada.ca
- Severe and Permanent Disability Benefit – What this benefit offers – Canada.ca
- Disability Programs and Benefits for Veterans: Financial programs and services | Veterans Affairs Canada
- Compensation for illness or injury | Veterans Affairs Canada
- Income support | Veterans Affairs Canada
- Medical costs | Veterans Affairs Canada
- Emergency funds | Veterans Affairs Canada
- Help at home | Veterans Affairs Canada
- Death and bereavement | Veterans Affairs Canada
- Prisoner of War benefits | Veterans Affairs Canada
- Province of BC: Persons with Disability Designation and other provincial services: Services for people with disabilities – Province of British Columbia
- 211 is a helpline that connects people to social services and community programs in each province in Canada and also the Yukon.
- Disability assistance – Province of British Columbia
- Health services and supports for people with disabilities – Province of British Columbia
- Financial services and supports for people with disabilities – Province of British Columbia
- Education services and supports for people with disabilities – Province of British Columbia
- Benefits Finder Benefits Finder | Find benefits and financial help – Canada.ca
(update, December 21, 2025)
November 20th Division Call In
Guest speaker Debra Erickson, executive chef and founder of The Blind Kitchen. , shared with us adaptive strategies and tools for people with vision loss to cook safely and independently. The drop box recording link is below.
(update, November 18, 2025)
November 2nd Division Call In
Guest Speaker, Amy Amantea, spoke to us about the VocalEye Descriptive Arts Society. The drop box recording link is below followed by contact info.
VocalEye Descriptive Arts Society
Phone: 604-315-3488
Email: info@vocaleye.ca
Website: www.vocaleye.ca
Follow us on:
A nonprofit society with a mission to provide greater access to theatre, arts and cultural events for people of all ages who are blind and low vision. Providing live and audio description. VocalEye has described over 300 live events including theatre, dance, galleries , parades, fireworks and public art tours; and almost 200 online “Almost Live” events via Zoom.
(update, October 26, 2025)
October 16th Division Call In
Guest Speaker Lisa Bentz, Director of the Ski for Light events committee, spoke to us. Recording link below where one of our members also shares about their experience at this event.
(update, October 20, 2025)
October 2nd Division Call In
Guest Speaker Faline Bobier, Training & Outreach Coordinator, Member Services for CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access) spoke to us. Listen to recording here. Presentation notes are below.
Notes for CELA presentation for Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) member group in BC/Yukon – Oct 2 2025
My name is Faline Bobier, Training & Outreach Coordinator with CELA Member Services, and I’m here with 2 of my colleagues – Cora & Andrea, who are working on developing Outreach plans for CELA over the next couple of years
About CELA:
- CELA is a non-profit organization that offers books in accessible formats like audio, braille and accessible ebooks
- Genesis of CELA – evolved out of CNIB Library – launched in 2014 as a separate organization – came out of advocating that people with print disabilities should be able to access library service via their local public library like everyone else, as well as CNIB’s difficulty as a charitable organization in actually managing and financing a national library service
- CELA still collaborates with CNIB through Vision Loss Rehab offices that refer people who are blind or visually impaired to CELA; it’s also CNIB that provides IT support and Contact Centre staff to assist us in providing the service
- Our service is available to people with a print disability living in Canada – that means people who can’t read regular print because of a disability such as sight loss, a physical disability that prevents a person from holding a print book and turning pages, or a learning disability like dyslexia that affects reading.
- We offer our service via the public library system.
Signing up:
- To sign up for CELA, you need a library card from a CELA member library. Just go to CELALibrary.ca and select register if you want to register online independently or with the help of a family member or friend. You can also contact your local public library for help, or Vision Loss Rehab staff can make a referral.
- In most provinces/territories CELA is available to all residents through agreements with territorial/provincial governments. In BC about 2/3 of the libraries are CELA members (on an individual subscription basis) – to check and see if your library is a CELA member you can go to CELA’s website (celalibrary.ca) and check out the list of CELA Member libraries – if your library is not a CELA member you can still sign up for CELA’s digital (online) resources – the only thing that wouldn’t be available to you is physical delivery of braille items and access to Bookshare titles at celalibrary.ca
About formats:
- We offer access to thousands of books and what makes our service special is the accessible formats and delivery options.
- The main formats we offer are audio, braille, and accessible etext or electronic text. But we can deliver books in these formats in a couple different ways.
- People here may know that CELA used to offer audio books on CD. Our CD service ended on July 31, 2025 but there are many other ways for people to listen to CELA’s audiobooks.
- The two delivery options that might be new or different to people are Direct to Player and ZIP.
- Direct to Player is a service we offer to make downloading very easy. To use it, you need either a DAISY Player that connects to the Internet (like a Victor Stratus 4 or 12M or a Victor Stream), the Dolphin EasyReader app on an iOS or Android device or the Envoy Connect, which is a portable audiobook player.
- If you are using one of the HumanWare players (Victor Stratus or Victor Stream) you choose books from our catalogue, or our system can choose them for you. They’re placed on your “Direct to Player bookshelf” in your CELA account and your device or app goes and gets them from this bookshelf and reads them to you. You can download without having to mess around with a computer with this option.
- If you have an Envoy Connect device and access to a computer, you can download a free software called CELA Connect which will allow you to transfer audiobooks to your Envoy Connect device. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can get a friend, family member, or perhaps a public library staff person to do this step for you. Once the books are transferred to your Envoy Connect you don’t need access to the Internet to be able to listen to the books. It’s also possible to send your Envoy Connect device post free to CELA to have us load books on your device and send it back to you.
- The ZIP option for books just means that you download a ZIP folder of files for each book and you need to place it yourself on your reading device.
- ZIP is good if you are using an SD card or USB key to put books on your DAISY player or if you’re using VoiceDream reader app or your computer to play books. If you are not able to use a computer to do this it can be done by a family member, friend or public library staff person who has been named a designate – a person who assists you in managing your library service.
- Another relatively new device that CELA has introduced to listen to CELA’s audiobooks is called the Accessible Canada Reading Skill. This is an Alexa smart speaker device. You will need an Amazon account and then you’ll be able to choose & listen to CELA audiobooks using voice commands.
Website –
- To log in to your CELA account go to celalibrary.ca You’ll be asked for your username (your six digit CELA account number) and your password.
- The website is a good place to go for various kinds of information:
-tutorials and guides on how to listen to CELA books and how to choose among the various devices to read CELA books: https://celalibrary.ca/help
–Webinars for you page – we offer regular webinars & chat sessions for CELA members. You can find the schedule for upcoming webinars, as well as recorded webinars and other videos, on Webinars for you page – our next webinar is being offered Mon Oct 6 on using the new Accessible Canada Reading Skill – the Alexa smart speaker device
Staying in touch –
- Sign up for our Open Book Newsletter if you have email – it’s a monthly electronic newsletter which will give you information on new titles at CELA, new technologies for reading and information on upcoming webinars for CELA members.
- Get in touch with CELA’s Contact Centre with any questions about your CELA service: 1-855-655-2273 / help@celalibrary.ca
- AMI radio every other week, segment with 2 CELA staff highlighting new and noteworthy titles in CELA’s collection: Fridays between 10:30 and 11am ET.MI between 10:30 and 11
(update, September 19, 2025)
September 11th Division Call In
Guest Speaker Arsi Ahmed, Benefits Outreach Officer, from Canada Revenue Agency, spoke about Persons With Disabilities benefits. Copied below are the links and contact info that Arsi shared with us.
Outreach materials to print and share – Canada.ca
Fact sheets, posters, and videos about tax-related benefits and credits. A recording of a similar webcast is also available here to view.
Resources for supporting communities – Canada.ca
In order to find the appropriate information, simply select the audience pertaining to you and filter your choice(s).
Tax-related benefits, credits, deductions and support – Canada.ca
Find information on tax-related benefits, credits, deductions, and support.
Learn about your taxes – Canada.ca
Online learning tool to help you learn about taxes and empower you to do your taxes on your own.
Information about the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, including how to get your taxes done at a free tax clinic and where to find a free tax clinic.
Contact Numbers and other links:
- CRA General Tax Enquiries: 1-800-959-8281
- CRA Questions on Benefits and Credits: 1-800-387-1193
- Reporting a scam: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or call 1-888-495-8501. *If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud, contact your local police service.
- Authorizing a representative: Authorize a representative
- Service Canada CPP/OAS: 1-800-277-9914
(update, June 30, 2025)
June 19th Division Call In
Guest Speakers were Dallas Brunette sharing information for a caregiver support group and Steven Vine talking about his Disability Diaries podcast.
You can find out more about Dallas using the following contact information…
Email: phnexcoaching@gmail.com
Phone: 250-870-7948
Website: phnexcoaching@gmail.com
Instagram: Phoenix Rising Coaching
Link below for the recording.
25 06 19 CCB Division Call In with Dallas Brunette and Steven Vine
(update, June 16, 2025)
June 5th 2025 Division Call In
Guest speaker David Brun from Gateway Navigation talked about basic navigation apps, transit schedule apps, how GPS works with these apps and remote assistance – Be My Eyes, AIRA and Be My AI. Copied below are the link and notes David shared with us.
25 06 05 CCB Getting around with gps apps with David Brun
Gateway Navigation Presentation Guide for CCB BC Yukon Division Exploring VoiceVista and Moovit Apps for Summer Fun!
Section 1: Overview
This guide explores two useful navigation apps: VoiceVista and Moovit. Both apps are free to use and designed to support people with vision loss in different ways.
Section 2: What Is GTFS?
GTFS stands for General Transit Feed Specification. It’s a type of file used to share public transit data.
Apps like Moovit use GTFS to:
- Show bus, train, and ferry routes
- Give you real-time arrival times
- Plan complete transit trips
Moovit uses GTFS VoiceVista does not
GTFS helps Moovit work in thousands of cities around the world.
Section 3: VoiceVista – What It Does
VoiceVista is a free GPS-based app for people with vision loss. It does not require registration and works almost anywhere outdoors. It helps users explore by listening to audio directions.
Key Features:
- Audio Beacons: A sound guide that always points toward your chosen location
- Breadcrumbs: GPS markers you can drop along a path to help you find your way back
- Integration with Apple or Google Maps: You can start a walking or driving route
VoiceVista is the community-built replacement for Microsoft Soundscape.
Section 4: Moovit – What It Does
Moovit is a free public transit app. It helps you plan bus or train trips in many cities.
Key Features:
- Trip planning: Enter a destination and Moovit shows which buses or trains to take
- Real-time arrival updates: Know exactly when your bus or train will arrive
- Accessibility info: See which lines or stations are accessible
Moovit uses GPS and GTFS data to show transit options and help you reach your stop.
Optional Paid Features (Moovit+):
- No ads
- Share your live trip progress
- See vehicle locations on the map
Section 5: How to Get Started
Downloading the Apps:
- VoiceVista is available on the Apple App Store only (iPhone/iPad)
- Website: VoiceVista on the App Store
- Moovit is available on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store
- Website: https://moovitapp.com
Search for the app name, select “Download” or “Get,” and install it on your device.
First Steps in VoiceVista:
- Open the app
- Check VoiceVista FAQ
- Website: github.io/vvt/faq.html
- Explore
First Steps in Moovit:
- Open the app
- Check Movit FAQ:
- Website: FAQ to Moovit – Help Center
- Tap the “Search” bar and enter your destination
- Choose the best route from the list
- Tap “Start Journey” to receive step-by-step transit directions
Section 6: Summary Comparison
| Feature | VoiceVista | Moovit |
| Purpose | Personal navigation outdoors | Public transit trip planning |
| GPS Based | Yes | Yes |
| Uses GTFS | No | Yes |
| Audio Beacons | Yes | No |
| Breadcrumb Trails | Yes | No |
| Registration Needed | No | No (optional) |
| Platforms | iOS only | iOS and Android |
| Free to Use | Yes | Yes (with optional paid version) |
Section 7: Final Tips
- Always make sure your device’s location settings are turned on
- Try using the apps in a familiar area first
- Practice using voice commands or screen reader gestures with each app
- For help or to download the apps, visit the official websites:
- VoiceVista: https://www.voicevista.app
- Moovit: https://moovitapp.com
(update, May 26, 2025)
Our May 15th Division Call In was a sharing session about Meta Glasses. Below you will find information shared by Albert Ruel.
For about $400 one can purchase a pair of these glasses in several styles, colours and with different sun shade and clear lenses. They were not designed for blind persons, however given the other accessibility features of the smart phones that powers the Ray Ban glasses, the blind community has found tremendous assistance from them.
Below is a list of Accessibility Features for the Meta Ray-ban Smart Glasses; If you have a pair, test these commands out; hope they work for you.
Accessibility Features:
“Hey Meta, read this text”: Reads visible text aloud using OCR (optical character recognition).
“Hey Meta, describe my surroundings”: Provides details about the environment using AI.
“Hey Meta, what’s in front of me?”: Identifies objects, people, or scenes using built-in AI.
“Hey Meta, describe the color”: Identifies and announces the color of visible objects.
Blind specific commands:
“Hey Meta, always remember I am a blind person, and give me detailed descriptions when I request them.”
“Hey Meta, Always remember that I am a blind person, and give full descriptions that will enable me to visualise my surroundings.”
“Hey Meta, remember that I am a blind person, so help me picture what is in the next captured image.”
“Hey Meta, look and tell me what you see”: Provides identification of objects or people in view.
“Hey Meta, look and give me a detailed description”: Offers a thorough analysis of visible surroundings.
“Hey Meta, look and tell me everything you see”: Gives a comprehensive overview of the environment.
Smart Assistance:
“Hey Meta, what are good prompts to find out about recipes?” Provides a range of questions to enable you to find out about recipes.
“Hey Meta, how would I cook minced pork with Chinese cabbage?” Suggests the basic method of stir-frying minced pork with Chinese cabbage.
“Hey Meta, what are useful prompts to find out about books?” Provides a range of questions to enable you to find out about books.
“Hey Meta, what titles by S J Parris are available as audio-books?”
Provides a list of audio-books by this author.
“Hey Meta, what are the names of authors similar to S J Parris?”
Provides the names of some authors who also write historical mysteries and thrillers.
“Hey Meta, what’s the weather today?” Provides the current weather report.
“Hey Meta, When is rain next expected?” Predicts any likelihood of rain in your area.
“Hey Meta, navigate to [location]”: Sends directions to your phone’s navigation app.
“Hey Meta, what’s nearby?” “: Lists nearby points of interest.
“Hey Meta, what restaurants or cafes are nearby?” Lists nearby restaurants or cafes.
“Hey Meta, set a reminder for [time/task]”: Sets a reminder using your phone’s assistant.
Technical support and control:
“Hey Meta, battery status”: Reports battery life (important for extended use with assistive tech).
“Hey Meta, pair Bluetooth”: Initiates pairing mode for Bluetooth devices.
“Hey Meta, connect to Wi-Fi”: Connects to a Wi-Fi network via the Meta app.
“Hey Meta, factory reset”: Resets the device to its default settings (requires confirmation).
“Hey Meta, power off”: Powers down the glasses. To turn the power on again, you will need to use the sliding toggle switch on the inside of the left arm, near the hinge. Using your fingernail, move the sliding switch forward toward the lens to turn the power back on. If the switch is already forward, then slide the switch back to “off”, then back to “on” again.
Note: The glasses use maximum power when turned on and in “listening” mode; i.e. awaiting your meta commands. In this mode, they should function normally for about seven hours without recharging, depending on how often, and in which way, the glasses are used. Recording and storing a video, or reading a page of text, for example, uses more power than simply asking meta the time or answering a phone-call. The glasses charging case also stores power after the charging cable has been disconnected. This means you can take your charging case with you when out and about, and recharge your glasses by putting them back in the case, say while travelling in a car or plane etc or while taking a rest break. Remember to recharge your glasses and the case when you return home or have access to another power source by connecting it via the usb-c cable to the charging-case.
Reading and Translation:
“Hey Meta, look and read this”: Reads aloud visible text such as signs, menus, or documents.
“Hey Meta, translate this”: Translates text into your preferred language.
“Hey Meta, look, and give me a summary of the document I’m holding.”
Provides a general idea of the printed item before you.
“Hey Meta, look, and give me a detailed description of anything on this envelope.”
“Hey Meta, look and give me a detailed description and summary of what is on this envelope.”
“Hey Meta, look and give me a very detailed description and summary of the brochure I am holding.”
“Hey Meta, read and give me a detailed description from top to bottom of the document I am holding.”
“Hey Meta, look, and read with a detailed description, the document I am holding.”
Remember if you do not receive enough details, phrase your prompts differently during follow-up question sequences. Don’t use the phrase, “Who is this addressed to?” And, don’t say, “What is the person’s name on the envelope?” This will stall the Meta software.
Reading menus:
“Hey Meta, look and summarize, and describe in detail the items on this menu.”
“Hey Meta, look and give me detailed pricing information on this menu for the beverages, appetizers, main courses, and desserts.”
“Remember that you can be much more specific with what you are looking for on the menu to get better results.”
“Hey Meta, look and summarize the beverages and pricing on this menu.”
“Hey Meta, look and give me a detailed description of the appetizers on this menu with pricing for each item.”
“Hey Meta, look and give me a detailed summary of the main courses on this menu with pricing for each item.
“Hey Meta, look and give me a detailed description of the desserts on this menu with pricing for each item.”
Photo and Video:
“Hey Meta, take a photo”: Captures an image of what’s in front of you.
“Hey Meta, start recording”: Begins video recording with spatial audio.
Communication:
“Hey Meta, message [contact]”: Sends a dictated message via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or SMS.
“Hey Meta, call [contact]”: Initiates a call hands-free.
“Hey Meta, answer the call”: Accepts incoming calls.
Remember and store commands:
Since the glasses are not capable of facial recognition, if you’re standing in front of someone that you know personally and you ask the Meta AI chat assistant what you are looking at, when it tells you its response that there is a person standing in front of you for example, you could say the following:
“Hey Meta, remember this person as my mother, as my father, as my brother, as my sister, as my cousin, as my aunt or as my uncle, as my grandmother or as my grandfather.” You could potentially use this as well and indicate that this is a friend and also give that friends name.
It could also be a neighbor of yours and you could give that neighbours name as well to be stored in the database. When the Meta assistant comes back with the fact that it will remember that person as the person you are requesting it to remember the person as such as family or friends or possibly coworkers, in the follow up you would indicate “hey Meta, remember this person as one of the examples above that I’ve listed and store this in your database for future reference.”
“Hey Meta, my name is John Smith, remember this as my name and store it in your database for future reference.”
“Hey Meta, remember this address 123 Smith Court, Melbourne, Victoria
3000 as my home address or street address and store it in your database for future reference.”
As you get better with your commands, they will become second nature to you.
Experiment to your hearts content, and make the glasses work for you.
Just use common sense.
Also remember these are a mainstream product designed for people that can see. They are not a blindness designed product so they are not meant to be used as a navigational tool. Always use proper orientation and mobility skills when using your Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.
Calling and messaging:
“Call [contact name].”
“Call [contact name] on Messenger/WhatsApp.”
“Send a message to [contact name].”
“Send a message to [contact name] on Messenger/WhatsApp.”
Media and volume control:
“Pause.”
“Next.”
“Play.”
“Volume up.”
“Volume down.”
Sharing from glasses:
“Send a picture to [contact name].”
“Send a picture to [contact name] on Messenger/WhatsApp/my phone.”
“Send my last picture to [contact name].”
Time and date:
“What time is it?”
“What’s the date?”
Be informed:
“Who sang the song ‘Hey Brother’? Tell me more about the artist.”
“What’s the population of Singapore?”
“When was the Washington Monument built? How tall is it?”
Be inspired:
“What’s a fun summer drink to make with mint that isn’t too sweet?”
“What are some good gift ideas for my children, aged 6 and 8? They’re into arts and crafts.”
Be creative:
“Write an old school rap about cats.”
“I can’t attend a dinner tonight. Can you help me write a polite one line message?”
Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses can not only give you lots of practical assistance, but can entertain, motivate, and inspire you with your favorite music, via the Spotify app.
If you’ve enabled Spotify in Meta View:
you can use your voice to control playback and search Spotify by saying the following phrases.
“Hey Meta, play Spotify”.
“Hey Meta, pause”.
“Hey Meta, skip“.
“Hey Meta, go to track one?.
“Hey Meta, go forward two tracks?.
“Hey Meta, go back two tracks?.
“Hey Meta, volume up”, “Hey Meta, volume down”.
“Hey Meta, play… (name any song, album, artist, playlist or station)“.
Meta music can also be controlled by touching and swiping the touch pad on the righthand arm of your glasses, and details about how to do this is given on a separate fact sheet. Enquire with whoever sent you this.
Calling a Be My Eyes volunteer audio guide:
How to start a call
Once you’ve connected Be My Eyes to the Meta View app, and have voice controls or Meta AI turned on, you can call a sighted volunteer by saying any of the following:
“Hey Meta, Be My Eyes”
“Hey Meta, call Be My Eyes”
“Hey Meta, call a volunteer with Be My Eyes”
“Hey Meta, call a volunteer using Be My Eyes”
“Hey Meta, open Be My Eyes and call a volunteer”
The sighted volunteer will see what is within the field of view of your Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The camera is on the left side, so bear that in mind when showing objects to a volunteer.
During a call, you can double-tap the capture button on your glasses to toggle the camera, microphone and speakers from your glasses to your phone and back again. Volunteers are also not able to initiate the toggle between the phone and glasses cameras. Volunteers are also not able to zoom on the video, but they can take a picture through the Be My Eyes app to enable zooming.
How to end a call:
To end the call, you can either double-tap the touchpad on the right arm of your Ray-Ban Meta glasses or use the Be My Eyes interface on your phone. You will hear an end-of-call notification which indicates that you are no longer using the feature.
(update, June 16, 2025)
Our May 1st Division Call In was an open sharing session.
(update, April 29, 2025)
April 3rd Division Call In
Guest speaker Outreach Office Arsi from the Canada Revenue Agency discussed tax credits for persons with disabilities. Follow up links below.
Outreach materials to print and share – Canada.ca
Fact sheets, posters, and videos about tax-related benefits and credits. A recording of a similar webcast is also available here to view.
- Video – Persons with Disabilities and their caregiver
Resources for supporting communities – Canada.ca
In order to find the appropriate information, simply select the audience pertaining to you and filter your choice(s).
Tax-related benefits, credits, deductions and support – Canada.ca
Find information on tax-related benefits, credits, deductions, and support.
- Medical expense
- Services animals
Learn about your taxes – Canada.ca
Online learning tool to help you learn about taxes and empower you to do your taxes on your own.
Information about the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, including how to get your taxes done at a free tax clinic and where to find a free tax clinic.
Benefits Finder | Find benefits and financial help – Canada.ca
Contact Numbers and other links:
- CRA General Tax Enquiries: 1-800-959-8281
- CRA Questions on Benefits and Credits: 1-800-387-1193
- Reporting a scam: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or call 1-888-495-8501. *If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud, contact your local police service.
- Authorizing a representative: Authorize a representative
(update, May 1, 2025)
Our March 20th Division Call In was a discussion among members about how to buy Canadian in the world of Tariffs. Below is a recap of what was discussed.
What is meant by “Canadian product”?
Product of Canada means the processing and labour are Canadian and a significant amount of the ingredients are Canadian. Look for the words “Product of Canada” on food products. There is no official logo. The maple leaf can be included but is not required.
What is considered a product of Canada?
Under the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, a “Product of Canada” label means at least 98 per cent of the total direct costs of producing the item were incurred in Canada.
What is the difference between made in Canada and Canadian Product?
“Product of Canada” claims are subject to a higher threshold of Canadian content (98%), while “Made in Canada” signifies at least 51% of product is Canadian or labour was done in Canada.
Look at the label!
Apps for your Smart Phone to Help you Buy Canadian
*Maple Scan is a free iOS app designed to help consumers identify and support Canadian-made products. By simply scanning a product with your iPhone’s camera, Maple Scan analyzes the brand’s ownership and history to determine its Canadian affiliations. If the product isn’t fully Canadian, the app suggests local alternatives, empowering users to make informed purchasing decisions that bolster the Canadian economy. To download the app search the app store for maple scan. The app is accessible.
*Is this Canadian? (works with screen readers)
Snap a photo to verify if a product is Canadian-made.
https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/is-this-canadian-scan-check/id6741718092?platform=iphone
*Buy Beavers app created in Montreal
*Shop Canadian app created in Alberta
These apps read the barcode and give Canadian content.
Products to look for:
Produce (fruits and vegetables):
*BC Hot House and Delta green house
Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, squash
*Oranges from Spain, Mexico and Asia; and lemons from Turkey
*Oasis orange juice bottled in Canada
*Minute Maid juices produced in Canada
Meats:
*Grims in Langley, Maple Leaf Foods, Sunrise Poultry, fish, pork, seafood products of BC
*Use ground turkey in place of ground beef
Snacks:
*Hard Bite, Old Dutch, Miss Vickie’s, Hawkins Cheezies and Ruffles are Canadian
*Lays chips owned by PepsiCo worlds largest food producers, but these are packed and made in Cambridge Ontario with Canadian potatoes
*Doritos, Cheetos, Tostitos are made in Canada by Frito-Lay Canada, which is a subsidiary of PepsiCo
*Breton Crackers made by Dare Foods is Canadian
*Laura Secord and Purdy’s Chocolates are Canadian
Condiments:
* Frenchs and Heinz are bottled in Ontario (ketchup, mustard, relish)
*Hellmann’s Mayonnaise is Canadian
* Miracle Whip is made in Montreal with Canadian ingredients by Canadian Workers by the Canadian division of Heinz-Kraft
Coffee and Tea:
*Popular options include Tim Hortons, Kicking Horse Coffee, and 49th Parallel. Some other notable brands include Muskoka Roastery, Pilot Coffee Roasters, and Phil & Sebastian
*Tetley’s and Lipton are Canadian
Cereal:
*Quaker Oats has a factory in Peterborough Ontario
*Cheerios, Harvest Crunch are manufactured in Canada.
*Kellogg’s is an American company, although it also has a significant presence in Canada
*Frosted Flakes are manufactured in Canada
Dairy:
*For milk, butter, Cheese look on the label for prepared and/or canned in Canada
*Chapmans Ice Cream is Canadian
Pop:
*Check out labels but Canada Dry is still Canadian along with private labels such as Western Family products
*Dr Pepper is manufactured in Canada by Keurig Dr Pepper Canada
*PepsiCo Beverages Canada is a subsidiary that manufactures and distributes Pepsi and other beverages within Canada; Pepsi originated in the United States, and it’s considered a product of Canada as well due to its local manufacturing and distribution
*Coke Zero Sugar free (formerly Coke Zero) is made in Canada
*Crush soda is a popular brand in Canada and is often considered a Canadian favorite. It’s produced and distributed by a subsidiary of Canada Dry Mott’s
Maple syrup is purely Canadian
Toilet Paper
*Royal, Purex are made in Canada
* Kirkland toilet paper and paper towels at Costco Wholesale are made in Canada
*Manufacturing of Charmin toilet paper occurs in the United States, primarily in Pennsylvania, but a significant portion of the raw materials, including wood pulp, is sourced from Canada, particularly from the boreal forest; Therefore, Charmin is not made in Canada, but it relies heavily on Canadian resources for its production
Other notes:
*Ivory is Procter & Gamble manufactured in the States
*Kraft peanut butter and Kraft dinner is made in Canada
*Costco peanut butter is Canadian
*Cadbury is made in Canada and is British
*Nestle is Swiss with manufactures around the world including Canada
*Tim Hortons is now Brazilian
*Campbell’ brands are American
*Western Family or President’s Choice are made in Canada
*Jamison and Webber Natural vitamins are Canadian
*Environmental friendly products from All thigs being eco and true Earth are Canadian
*Dove is British
*Kraft and Swanson are American, but products are manufactured in Canada
*Garnier is French
*Mr. Noodle is Canadian
Remember American companies in Canada employ Canadians!
Restaurants and Fast Food:
A&W, White Spot, Mary Browns Chicken, Boston Pizza, Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, Ricky’s, Keg, Cactus Club, Earl’s, Montanna’s, Spaghetti Factory, Pizza Pizza, Panago Pizza
*Remember American franchises are owned by Canadians and employ Canadians
IHOP, McDonalds, Denny’s etcetera
Gas:
*Canco, PetroCanada, Husky, Mohawk, Irving Oil,
Canadian Retailers
Clothing:
*Ardenes, Aritzia, La Vie en, Rose, La Château, Suzy Shier, Northern Reflections, Pennington’s, Reitman’s, Cleo, Ricki’s, La Senza, Fairweather, Unisex Clothing, Mark’s H&M Canada — Canadian division of Swedish-based H&M, Joe Fresh, Bluenotes, Roots Canada, Lululemon, Kit and Ace, Boathouse RW&CO Urban, Planet Dynamite Clothing Sirens, Atmosphere
*Mens Clothing – Harry Rosen, Tip Top, Moores
*International Clothiers JD Sports Canada — Canadian division of UK-based JD Sports
*Collins Clothiers
Shoe stores:
*Aldo The Shoe Company, SoftMoc, Tootsies
*Clarks Shoes Canada — Canadian division of UK-based Clarks Shoes
*Little Burgundy Browns Shoes, heel boy
Jewelry stores:
*Ben Moss Jewellers Charm Diamond Centres
*Signet Jewelers MIchael Hill Jeweller Canada, Canadian division of Australian-based Michael Hill Jeweller
*Burkes, Griffin Jewellery Designs
*Charmed Amora, Things Engraved
Garden Centres:
*Buckerfield’s
Gift and bath stores:
The Body Shop Canada — Canadian division of UK-based The Body Shop
Book stores:
*Arbeiter Ring Publishing Attic Books in London, Ontario
*Bakka-Phoenix in Toronto Bison Books in Winnipeg, Manitoba
*Bolen Books in Victoria
*Book City in Toronto
*WordsWorth Books in Waterloo
*Camas Bookstore and Infoshop in Victoria
*Glad Day Bookshop in Toronto
*Indigo Books and Music, Canada’s largest bookstore chain, based in Toronto
*Coles, Chapters
*Little Sister’s Book and Art Emporium in Vancouver
*McNally Robinson, small independently run chain of stores across Canada
*The Monkey’s Paw in Toronto
*Munro’s Books in Victoria
*Spartacus Books in Vancouver
*The Word Bookstore in Montreal Renaud-Bray the largest chain of French-language bookstores in North America, and the second largest bookstore chain in Canada, after Chapters/Indigo
Convenience stores:
*Couche-Tard, Becker’s, Buck or Two, Plus Circle K
*Dollarama, Gateway Newsstands Needs Convenience
*Quickie Convenience Stores, Great Canadian Dollar Store
*Red River Co-op, Little Short Stop Store, Shell Canada — Canadian division of UK-based Shell
Department Stores:
*The Bargain! Shop — Swapping to Red Apple Stores
*Canadian Tire, Holt Renfrew, Hart Stores, La Maison, Simons, Lens Mill Store, Giant Tiger, Red Apple Stores
*Fields
Electronics and entertainment stores:
*Henry’s, Japan Camera, Jump+ — Canadian Apple reseller, Samsung Experience Store Canada — Canadian division of Korean-based Samsung Experience Store, Sunrise Records, Freedom Mobile, Shaw Mobile,
Videotron Mobile, Telus, Koodo, Mobile Klinik, Mobile Boutique, Rogers, Fido, WirelessWave, Rogers Wireless Chatr, Mobile, Bell Canada, The Source, Virgin Plus, Lucky Mobile, GameShack
Furniture and home decor stores:
*Bouclair, Home, Babies “R” Us Canada, Hart Stores, Sleep Country Canada Showcase Stores, Worldwide Mattress Outlet, Leon’s, The Brick, The Brick Mattress Store
Surplus:
*JYSK Canada — Canadian division of Danish-based JYSK
*ROBINSON Lighting & Bath
Pet Stores:
*Buckerfield’s, Global Pet Foods, Ren’s Pets, Pet Valu, Pet Max Bone & Biscuit, TailBlazers, Zen-imal
Grocery and food stores:
*ADONIS Bulk Barn, All Co-ops in Federated Co-op Group
*COBS Bread Canada — Canadian division of Australian-based Bakers Delight
*Loblaws Companies, Dominion, Extra Foods, FreshMart, No Frills, Provigo Real Atlantic Superstore
*Real Canadian Superstore, SaveEasy, Shoppers Drug Mart
*SuperValue, T & T Supermarket, Valu-mart
*Your Independent Grocer, Zehrs Markets Metro
*Food Basics, Super C Metro Plus Quality Foods
*Rabba Mike, Dean Local Grocer, Save-On-Foods
*Sobeys Sobeys, Extra Farm Boy, Foodland
*FreshCo, IGA, Longo’s, Pete’s, Fine Foods (formerly Pete’s Frootique)
*Safeway, Thrifty Foods
Home improvement and automotive:
*All Co-op home and garden centre’s in Federated Co-op group
*BMR Group, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, PartSource
*Princess Auto, Red River Co-op, RONA, RONA+ Formerly Lowe’s Canada
*The MufflerMan, End of The Roll
Pharmaceutical stores:
*All Co-op pharmacies attached to Federated coop stores
*Brunet Familiprix Jean Coutu Group Lawtons
*London Drugs, PharmaChoice, PharmaSave
*Proxim, Shoppers Drug Mart / Pharmaprix
*Rexall, Value Drug Mart
Sport and recreation stores:
*FGL Sports, including Atmosphere Sports Experts
*Sport Chek, Pro Hockey Life, Sporting Life
*Sports Experts, Tuxedo Source for Sports, Golf Town
Toy Stores:
*Mastermind Toys, Toys “R” Us Canada — Independent since 2018 – formerly, the Canadian division of the US-based Toys “R” Us
(update, March 30, 2025)
March 6th Division Call In
Guest speaker Nolin Jenikov from CCB GTT presented on Meta Technology Eyewear that is currently on the market. Link below for the recording.
(update, February 28, 2025)
Our February 20th Division Call In was an open sharing session where we talked about various things and provided feedback on our recent White Cane Week webinars.
(update, March 30, 2025)
Our February 6th Division Call In was replaced with a special White Cane Week webinar. Recording link coming soon – stay tuned!
(update, January 22, 2025)
Thursday January 16, 2025
Representatives from the Vancouver Aquarium – Juliana Kirkelie-Kim, Curator and Co-Chair DEAI Working Group and Vishal Mittal, Senior Human Resources Director – spoke to us about accommodating and creating a more inclusive workplace for the blind and low-vision community. This was an opportunity for members to offer insight and give feedback for the development of their plans for the Vancouver Aquarium.
No recording available.
(update, January 16, 2025)
December 5th – Albert Ruel shared information about accessing talking books and related technology. Links below for the recordings.
24 12 05 CCB BC-Yukon Division Call In with Albert Ruel on accessing talking books:
https://docsend.dropbox.com/view/k2urfch7fhkkeh78
21 02 09 WCW Webinar with Albert Ruel – evolution of assistive technology & talking books:
https://docsend.dropbox.com/view/qae2udnsjnmx2bjx
(update, January 16, 2025)
October 3rd – Eric Molendyk Program Manager with The Adaptive Sailing Association of BC. Link below for recording.
24 10 03 CCB BC-Yukon Division Call In with Eric Molendyk
https://docsend.dropbox.com/view/n5sxre89zpu96dr4
(update, January 16, 2025)
September 19th – Daniel Posey, Director of Voter Services and Nancy Southcott, Director of Electoral Operations from Elections BC spoke about what to expect on Election Day to assist the Blind Community. Link below for recording.
24 09 19 CCB BC-Yukon Division Call In with Daniel Posey and Nancy Southcott
https://docsend.dropbox.com/view/u6gqtu7ki86zddjz
(update, January 16, 2025)
June 20th – Gina Martin senior consultant and founder of Diverse Abilities from Victoria spoke about about accessibility challenges for people with disabilities. Link below for recording.
24 06 20 CCB BC-Yukon Division Call In with Gina Martin, Diverse Abilities
https://docsend.dropbox.com/view/vipgw8stzszb48vi
(update, January 16, 2025)
June 6th – Rob Sleath shared information information on what’s happening and how we can get involved and/or provide our input on the proposed standards to remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities required in Part 4 of the Accessible BC Act. Link below for recording.
24 06 06 CCB BC-Yukon Division Call In with Rob Sleath
https://docsend.dropbox.com/view/8pmcjz7i5bw3k6a8
(update, January 16, 2025)
May 16th – David Brun from Gateway Navigation updated us on three indoor navigation apps – Goodmaps / US, Waymap / UK and Aira / US; and how Aira Explorer could be used to support emergency preparedness for people who are blind, deafblind or partially sighted. Link for recording below.
24 05 16 CCB BC-Yukon Division Call In with David Brun
https://docsend.dropbox.com/view/bmp4uqwnmmc73xn8
(update, January 16, 2025)
April 18th 2024 – Chantel Oakes from The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC), BC gave us an overview of AEBC’s very successful program on Disaster Preparedness. Link for recording below.
24 04 18 CCB BC-Yukon Division Call In with Chantel Oakes
(update September 19, 23)
(update September 5, 23)
June was a busy month for the Division, but we did manage to host our Call Ins. Steve Barclay from Canadian Assistive Technology (CAT) updated us on the latest assistive tech available. This summer we took some time off and hosted two Call In sessions – one in July and another in August. In July, we shared our preferred cool off summer beverage, Yichun Zhao from UVIC updated us on his research concerning diagram accessibility for people with visual impairments and those of us who attended the Division’s Summer Sports Days talked about our experiences. At our August 17th Division Call In, Susan Flanagan, Marilyn Rushton and Lachlan Gilchrist-Blackwood shared information about BC Blind Sports programs and the Active Living Network.
If you are interested in getting a link to the above Call Ins, please email: ccbbc-yukondivision@telus.net
If you have any requests or suggestions for us, please be sure to let us know. Remembering our success is because of you!