The number 211 can be dialed in most regions of Canada to reach a skilled human navigator to assist with the presenting issue. Say someone calls because they need food. Because the navigator is skilled and trained, they can help the caller identify needs they might have related to housing, tax filing and the rest to have a fulsome level of support around them.
The 211 system can also be leveraged by government as a first stop and a front door to these community services and community information. We would certainly recommend that the government look into leveraging the infrastructure that has been built and supported by other provinces and territories and by the federal government during the pandemic—and further—to support access.
The 211 system takes inbound phone calls and makes outbound calls to contact people. In some regions, we have partnerships with the health care system and other social service organizations so that there is a coordinated—