Shelter Point Distillery has won awards for producing spirits, and now itB次元官网网址檚 turning its attention to a cause.
The operation in the Oyster River area announced on its Facebook page it is temporarily suspending distilling operations to switch production capacity for the manufacture of medical grade sanitizer to help medical professionals in their battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company notes that it has retooled in a matter of days to make the change. It will be supplying the sanitizer in 750-ml bottles and 20-litre containers. Distillers expect to be working double shifts in the weeks and months ahead to produce sanitizer for as many hospitals, medical centre, health authorities, municipal and provincial services as possible.
B次元官网网址淥ur number one priority is to ensure that first responders have ample supplies in order to do their jobs and save lives,B次元官网网址� the company states on its Facebook post.
Initially, the company had planned to start small after hearing about some other distilleries producing sanitizer using their excess spirits on site.
B次元官网网址淲e were just going to use what we had available,B次元官网网址� Shelter Point manager Jacob Wiebe told The Record on March 26. B次元官网网址淭hen the medical clinics started calling and telling us how much trouble they were having procuring sanitizer.B次元官网网址�
At the point, they made the choice to immediately halt whisky production and make hand sanitizer. Their head distiller contacted the World Health Organization to make sure their formula would be approved, and the approval process went through at a dizzying pace.
B次元官网网址淭he government really did help us push it through quickly. Usually it can be like a three, four-month process. We did it in a night. We just kept calling,B次元官网网址� Wiebe says. B次元官网网址淲e wanted to make sure we could help out the locals as quickly as possible.B次元官网网址�
The plan is to start locally by supplying Island towns, communities and First Nations Health Authorities. After this, Shelter Point expects to expand production and distribution to supply other parts of the province as needed. Another social media update noted they were able to ship 2,000 bulk litres to the Vancouver General Hospital on March 25 with the help of Coastal Transportation and Storage, which meant Shelter Point did not worry about the shipping arrangements.
B次元官网网址淐TS delivered it for free, which was wonderful,B次元官网网址� Wiebe says.
In the first week, the company produced a thousand litres. This was up to 4,000 litres the following week when Wiebe spoke to the newspaper. He expects they will be up to about 30,000 litres the end of the first week in April.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 going to the front lines first, so it was really focused on making sure the fire department, the ambulance station, the medical clinics, the grocery workers B次元官网网址� the people who really arenB次元官网网址檛 allowed to stay home or able to stay home, we wanted to make sure they were safe because everyoneB次元官网网址檚 having trouble getting the sanitizerB次元官网网址�. The phone rings every five minutes with someone looking for more.B次元官网网址�
The company also announced on the Facebook post its product is still available through its online shop and in private liquor stores in B.C. and Alberta.
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For more information about the sanitizer from Shelter Point, email info@shelterpoint.ca .
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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