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Why QR codes are having a moment: How the pandemic created a surge of interest in a 25-year-old technology

Jan 10, 2022 , , , , by shlf

It may not be the first thing that leaps to mind, but among many other things, the year 2020 has been the year of the QR code.

QR codes aren’t new. In fact, they’ve been around for more than 25 years. But this year, they seem to be everywhere: on restaurant patio tables to access online menus, on doors to help with contact tracing, and in businesses for contactless payment. You’ll find them in your Toronto Star as well: codes you can scan to access exclusive online data.

Here’s how QR codes work, and why the COVID-19 pandemic set the stage for widespread use of this technology.

A QR code, or “quick response code,” is the next generation of the barcode. It encodes information horizontally and vertically, instead of just horizontally, making it capable of containing a lot more information.

It can also be read quickly, hence the name, and set off certain actions, such as redirecting the user to a website. This makes a QR code much more versatile than a regular barcode.

Richard Hyatt, co-founder and CEO of Toronto-based startup Candr, said its QR codes come in varying complexities. Many include redundancies, meaning the same information is encoded into the image more than once, so that if the QR code is partially damaged, it can still be scanned.

“Because you can put more data into that QR code, you can do some fancy things,” Hyatt said.

The QR code was invented in 1994 by Japanese engineer Hara Masahiro to track vehicles during the manufacturing process. (The term “QR Code” is trademarked by the company Denso Wave.) Instead of a simple barcode, the QR code was designed to hold a lot more information to streamline the process of scanning and tracking items.

Masahiro has said that the black-and-white pattern was inspired by the board game Go, which uses black-and-white playing pieces on a grid-marked board.

Since its invention, uses for the QR code have expanded into marketing and shopping. While smartphone users initially needed a third-party app to scan the codes, many Android and iPhone smartphones can now scan the codes via built-in camera apps.

QR codes have had a few resurgences over the years — remember Snapcodes, the personalized codes made by Snapchat to make adding friends easier? Snapchat’s CEO was inspired by seeing WeChat users in China scanning QR codes, according to a 2017 article in Wired.

If your smartphone has the capability, simply open the camera app and hold your phone up to the QR code. The app should prompt you to open whatever link the QR code is directing you to, whether it’s a restaurant menu or a contact tracing form.

If your smartphone’s camera app doesn’t have this capability, there are many third-party QR scanning apps that can be downloaded to perform the function.

Because of their versatility, QR codes are useful for a number of functions related to slowing the spread of COVID-19, said Konesh Thurairasah, co-founder and COO of Safe Check-IN, a tool to help businesses comply with contact tracing, among other things.

Not only can they direct a client to a menu or a contact tracing form, they can help business owners track how many people are in their store to avoid breaking pandemic restrictions.

When Thurairasah and his co-founder decided to make a contactless option for contact tracing and more, QR codes immediately popped into their heads, because of their versatility and also their cost-effectiveness, he said.

Since launching their Milton, Ont.-based startup around three months ago, interest has grown. Sign-ups doubled last month over the previous month and users are showing interest in an increasing array of features, Thurairasah said.

Kevin Derbyshire, co-founder and president of Toronto-based startup Candr, said its digital service was being developed to help companies connect with customers before COVID-19 using QR codes. Then, in the early days of the pandemic, a friend in the restaurant industry mentioned that they were collecting contact tracing details using pen and paper.

Derbyshire and Hyatt thought there must be a better way — and immediately thought of using Candr’s QR codes to improve the contact tracing process.

First, it’s more hygienic — there’s no shared pen or paper. Second, it’s more secure — nobody can access other people’s contact information such as by taking a photo of the sign-up sheet. And third, they could add new functionalities — for example, clients can take a COVID-19 symptom questionnaire, view a restaurant’s menu, and browse promotions, all through one QR code.

The process also eliminates errors caused by misheard names or messy handwriting.

Since the service launched in May, Derbyshire said they have had a “dramatic rise” in sign-ups, in Canada and outside the country. Many clients are restaurants, he said.

“It’s taken off,” said Derbyshire. “What used to be something that I would consider an inventory management tool on floors in large warehouses in the ’90s (is now) on tables of fine dining.”

You’ll find QR codes taped to the tables at your favourite restaurants — a contactless way to read the menu. QR codes are also being used at banks and other institutions to create a digital lineup.

Recently, Toronto company Scarboro Music put QR codes up on its display window so customers could virtually shop while the store is closed due to the current COVID-19 lockdown.

Pre-COVID-19, QR codes were used as an electronic ticket for concerts and shows (remember those?). The QR code in that confirmation email was proof of payment.

Companies are using them more often now for contactless payment, even digital payment giant PayPal. In November, Calgary-based payment company Helcim launched QR codes for restaurants and other small businesses.

Helcim founder and CEO Nick Beique said the QR codes help restaurants facilitate menus and online orders. Other businesses such as fitness studios are using them for easy registration, and the Toronto Star, noticing a resurgence in interest from marketers, recently added the procurement of QR codes for advertisers as a new service.

Beique thinks the increased use of QR codes to access menus in 2020 helped familiarize people in North America with the technology that other countries adopted years ago, and it’s leading to more creative uses.

“I think that the people removing the physical menus and (using) QR codes is really what has taught an entire population how to use them,” he said.

Thurairasah said some Safe Check-IN clients use QR codes to schedule and check-in visitors at care homes or hotels.

He predicts QR code usage will continue to rise in 2021 as businesses look for easier ways to comply with pandemic restrictions.

Hyatt agreed.

“The QR code’s here to stay.”

Rosa Saba is a Calgary-based business reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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OPP discover massive marijuana grow-op in Midland

Dec 16, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The Southern Georgian Bay OPP busted a massive cannabis grow operation in Midland on Sept. 28.

Officers received a call from a concerned citizen who observed suspicious activity at an industrial building on Highway 12. Local officers, along with members of the OPP’s organized crime enforcement unit, executed a search warrant at 16567 Highway 12 at around 6 p.m. Monday.

“They discovered a substantial grow operation of cannabis plants. Over 10,000 cannabis plants were located,” said OPP Const. Aaron Coulter of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP.

Officers discovered what appeared to be a professional, high-quality grow-op in the process of growing more than 10,000 plants in various stages of development. Police believe that a harvest of the plants had not been completed or that any distribution had taken place.

“The investigation is continuing in terms of who owns the building and whether the owners were aware of what was occurring inside,” said Coulter.

The commercial building at 16567 Highway 12 sits across from Weber Manufacturing. Forte EPS Solutions Inc, an expanded polystyrene manufacturer, was the last to operate out of the facility. At the time of the search warrant being executed the building was vacant.

“It was a Styrofoam factory but it has been out of use for roughly a year,” said Coulter. “It appears as though a grow operation was installed sometime recently and production had begun.”

The 84,000-square-foot building, which sits on 6.36-acres adjacent Highway 12, was also once home to Bruin Engineered Parts until the company closed up shop in 2007.

Century 21 has the building and property currently listed for $4.9 million.

Although cannabis is legal in Canada, there are still strict limits on the quantity one can possess and grow. Individual adults are allowed to possess up to 30 grams of legal cannabis and can grow up to four plants per residence for personal use. Anything more requires a federal license.

“Marijuana is available legally now. When you purchase it through legal means you can have confidence in what the ingredients are. Otherwise you can’t have that confidence in the quality or THC levels,” said Coulter. “If you are choosing to purchase marijuana we encourage you to do so through the proper channels.”

All of the cannabis plants were removed from the building and destroyed after samples were taken.

Anyone with information about this grow operation is asked to contact the Southern Georgian Bay OPP at or .

CORRECTION – Sept. 30, 2020. This story has been edited from a previous version. Fort EPS Solutions Inc. no longer operates out of the facility. At the time of the search warrant being executed, the building was vacant.

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OPP investigating mysterious explosion sound in Victoria Harbour

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The Southern Georgian Bay OPP and Tay Township fire department are investigating what sounded like a loud explosion in Victoria Harbour, at about 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 6.

Residents around Maple Street, Park Street and George Street reported hearing an explosion, along with a bright, bluish light in the area of the Community Centre and Industrial Park. 

Responding officers patrolled the area without locating a scene or cause of the sound. 

Investigators were contacted after a building on the corner of Maple Street and Park Street was found to have incurred damage to its roof overnight.

Officers from the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshall are attending the scene to assist police with the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with knowledge or video footage of the incident is asked to contact the OPP at , or call Crime Stoppers at . 

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Masks, Plexiglas create barriers for Ontario’s hearing loss community

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Toronto resident Laura Mather recalls the first time her privacy and security was compromised, as a person with hearing loss living amid COVID-19.

After masks became mandatory indoors throughout the city, she was at a pharmacy, picking up a prescription for a loved one.

Normally during these types of interactions, Mather relies heavily on being able to speech read, but because the pharmacist was wearing a medical mask, she was unable to do so. 

“She needed me to confirm some information and she’s repeating herself — same words, same tone, same volume — about three times,” Mather said. “The pharmacist’s conversation with me was so not private that the person six feet behind me standing in line was able to tell me what they said.”

lauramatherToronto resident and business owner Laura Mather has been speaking out about barriers faced by the hearing loss community, due to COVID-19. – Laura Mather photo

Mather’s experiences are not unique.

Keegan Noxell, treasurer of the Young Adults Network at the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, said a simple task such as ordering food has left him guessing and hoping that he understood the information correctly.

“When everyone is wearing masks, it is crucial that your voice is clear and projected. If you are having difficulty hearing, ask the person to rephrase what was said to add further context to the conversation,” he said, adding that having a pen and paper handy can also be helpful. 

Noxell said from a business perspective, he would like to see more awareness training on the varied communication needs of customers, so that staff can better assist those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Mather said solutions can be as easy as having a communication card with commonly asked questions taped to the Plexiglas at a checkout line or a reception desk, or having a whiteboard with a dry erase marker that can be sanitized after each use.

Mather is an entrepreneur and one of a number of individuals who have been creating and selling masks with a clear window that aids in speech reading. She said she’s also prototyping a system that would allow for tablets to be attached to Plexiglas and loaded with a transcription application.

Rex Banks, a doctor of audiology and director of hearing health at Canadian Hearing Services, said there are numerous transcription apps out there that individuals can download to their mobile devices, but there are other ways to transcribe as well.

rexbanksRex Banks is an audiologist and director of hearing health at Canadian Hearing Services. – CHS photo

One simple solution can be increasing the font size on their mobile device and then turning the microphone on in the “notes” application — which will transcribe their speech — and holding it out to the second party in the conversation.

Aside from this, Banks said people who have hearing aids should make an effort to wear them and if they don’t have them, they may want to consider taking that step.

Through virtual care, Banks said he is able to remotely adjust people’s hearing aids as they need it.

As well, he said there is recent technology that can be utilized such as a “face mask mode” on new hearing devices, which enhances frequencies that are most important for speech.

“Masks are causing communication issues because instantly everything is very muffled, making it more difficult to understand speech, particularly in the high frequencies,” he said. “The masks also take away our ability to read and see facial expressions and to speech read … which gives us lot of vital information in terms of understanding some words and intent and tone during communication.”

Marilyn Kingdon, president of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA), agrees.

“The full face mask, for every person with hearing loss, that’s kind of their worst nightmare,” she said, adding that CHHA has partnered with another local organization on a clear mask campaign. 

marilynkingdonMarilyn Kingdon is the president of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. -CHHA photo

Kingdon said CHHA has been working with the federal and provincial government to promote communication access and discuss how that works.

“Whether it’s with respect to wearing a clear mask which works really well, or providing captioning, or just providing that accessible type of communication across the board — without necessarily having someone to go in and ask for it or follow up on it — I’d like to see just as a general policy that access is made available,” she added.

Mary Kay McCoy, chairperson at Voice for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, said children across Ontario who have hearing loss are experiencing their own unique challenges this year, whether they learning in person or through virtual school.

At school, children with hearing loss are typically connected to an FM system through which their teacher is able to speak via microphone, directly into their hearing aids.

McCoy said typically, in non-COVID times, the microphone gets passed around the room so the student can also hear class discussions and comments or questions from their peers, but due to COVID-19, they are now missing out on that portion of their classroom experience.

“They’re losing out on the social interaction with the kids in the class because they can’t pass that mic around like they used to,” McCoy said. “That’s a struggle.”

marykaymccoyMary Kay McCoy is a chairperson with Voice for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children. – Voice photo

She added that for kids learning from home, the experience varies, depending on how the teacher is using Zoom technology and how many children are permitted to have their microphones on at one time — however, many of them are dealing with hearing fatigue.

“For deaf kids to sit there for two hours is the same as a child with no hearing loss sitting there for five or six hours,” she added.

Noxell cited similar issues for young adults in his age cohort who are seeking educational and employment opportunities and not only dealing with the stress caused by the full face mask, but the technology as well.

He said some of the video conferencing platforms that are being used have inadequate captioning options available, or require an additional cost to use the captioning.

“Without this, communication can be misinterpreted, and key information can go amiss,” he said.

“It is critical that solutions be developed to remove those barriers, as it not only puts our members’ employment at risk but can lead to higher stress (and) anxiety levels and listening fatigue, impacting mental health.”

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Barrie employers expect ‘modest’ hiring climate in early 2021: ManpowerGroup

Jul 16, 2021 , , , , by shlf

It’ll be a bit of a mixed bag on Barrie’s employment front during the first quarter of the new year.

ManpowerGroup employment agency has release its latest outlook survey, which found businesses and organizations expect a “modest hiring climate” during the first three months of 2021.

According to the survey, nine per cent of employers plan to hire, while 26 per cent expect cutbacks. Another 57 per cent intend to keep the status quo on staffing levels, said Jennifer Scale, of Manpower’s Barrie office.

“With seasonal variations removed from the data, Barrie’s first quarter net employment outlook of zero per cent is a six-percentage-point decrease from … the same time last year,” she said. “This indicates a slow hiring pace for the upcoming months.”

Eight per cent of employers are unsure about staffing levels during the quarter, Scale said.

Statistics Canada says the Barrie census metropolitan area’s unemployment rate was 10.6 per cent in November, up from 9.2 in October. However, unemployment rates fell across the country and province last month — Canada’s moved to 8.5 per cent, Ontario dropped to 9.1.

Employers in nine Canadian sectors, ranging from public administration to retail, expect to hire people this winter, Manpower said.