When Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu advised the country that the length to maintain social distance was about the size of a hockey stick, she had no idea how literally people would interpret her words.
Very quickly, Canadians started using their hockey sticks for the purposing of flattening the curve. Even road signs popped up in Toronto, reminding people to use the very precise metric.
Businesses around the country also took her advice to heart.
Several drive-thrus adhered debit machines to the end of a hockey stick. The extremely Canadian solution allows businesses to continue accepting card payments while allowing employees to maintain their distance from customers.
“Only in Canada, would we use our iconic hockey sticks to ensure everyone stays safe at a physical distance while buying their Harvey’s burgers,” David Colebrook, Chief Operating Officer of Harvey’s Canada, told CTV News. “It’s a creative and fun solution to a challenging issue. And it ensures we can keep feeding Canadians through our restaurants and food banks.”
Harvey’s is also donating a portion of all drive-thru sales to the World Food Bank.
But the uniquely Canadian ingenuity doesn’t end at the drive-thru — TV reporters have also taped their microphones to the ends of hockey sticks.
“Only in Canada, would we use our iconic hockey sticks to ensure everyone stays safe at a physical distance while buying their Harvey’s burgers,” David Colebrook, Chief Operating Officer of Harvey’s Canada, told CTV News. “It’s a creative and fun solution to a challenging issue. And it ensures we can keep feeding Canadians through our restaurants and food banks.”
Gas station attendants are using the hockey stick method.
Some diehard hockey fans debated the comparison, arguing that stick lengths vary depending on the position one is playing, according to Reuters.