In this episode, Alison Canning shares the story behind Let’s Get Together, an organization tackling Canada’s digital divide by turning unwanted technology into powerful tools for opportunity. She explains how her own unique educational path and life experiences gave her a powerful perspective on the barriers people face, leading her to build a community-driven model that puts people first.
The conversation covers:
The vision behind Let’s Get Together and its focus on human development.
How the “computers are the new backpacks” philosophy was sparked by a student trying to complete an essay on her phone.
The critical role a volunteer named Andrew played in introducing the team to Ubuntu Linux, which transformed their refurbishing process.
The scalable, multi-step system for taking a donated laptop, ensuring data security, refurbishing it, and getting it to someone in need.
The ambitious goal to solve the digital divide in Canada by 2030 and what it will take to get there.
The Vision: A World Where Everyone Can Realize Their Potential
Alison’s journey began with a deep-seated belief in people and the power of creating different pathways for growth. This philosophy became the foundation for Let’s Get Together, an organization built not just around technology, but around fostering human connection and potential.
“Imagine a world where everyone believes in themselves, believes in each other and that each person can realize their own full potential. That’s a very different kind of world. And I know we can do that because we as humans have choices.”
The Problem: The Digital Divide in Plain Sight
The mission to provide technology was catalyzed by a single, powerful moment. While running a backpack drive, Alison discovered a grade 11 student volunteer doing all of her schoolwork on a small smartphone.
“A student who wanted to be a nurse... was restricted and limited to a small device. And there was no solution for her at the time through the school or anyone else. So that’s when equity became an important part for me personally... we needed to set her up for success.”
This realization launched the “computers are the new backpacks” initiative, recognizing that in a digital world, a laptop is not a luxury but an essential tool for education and opportunity.
The Refurbishing Engine: From E-Waste to Opportunity
Getting a computer from a donor to a person in need is a complex logistical process that the Let’s Get Together team has refined into a scalable system. It’s a journey with several key steps.
Step 1: Collection and Data Security
It starts with donations from the community and corporations. The first and most critical step is ensuring data privacy. Donors can have their data professionally wiped with a certificate, or they can remove the hard drive themselves. As Alison notes, “Truth, truly, all we really want is the shell of the computer.”
Step 2: Triage and Assessment
Next, every device is carefully assessed. The team checks for major issues to decide if it can be reliably refurbished. As Alison explains, “we don’t want to pass along a problem to someone who’s already experienced a lot of struggles.” Devices that don’t make the cut are either used in “computer anatomy workshops” to teach students about hardware or are responsibly recycled.
Step 3: The Tech Transformation
Viable laptops move on to the technical transformation. During the pandemic, their model was revolutionized when a volunteer introduced them to the world of open-source software.
“One of our angels, our tech angels came in, a man named Andrew, who introduced us to the Ubuntu world and the Linux world.”
Using a specialized system, the team installs a fresh, custom version of Ubuntu Linux on each machine. This secure and lightweight operating system makes older hardware run like new, providing a perfect platform for school and work.
Step 4: Community-Powered Completion
The final step is where the community truly comes together. The re-imaged laptops are handed over to volunteers, many of whom have no technical background. Following a clear, documented process, they complete the final refurbishment, learning valuable tech skills along the way.
The Vision: Scaling to Solve the Digital Divide
With a proven model that has already distributed over 4,000 computers and kept nearly 70,000 lbs of e-waste out of landfills in just seven months, the vision is to scale the solution across Canada by establishing local “Tech for All hubs”.
“If every corporation was able to donate even 3%, 5% of their unwanted technology... we would be changing lives and changing generations and the economy.”
The ultimate goal is ambitious and clear: to solve this problem in Canada by 2030, if not sooner.
Alison’s story is a powerful reminder that technology is not just about hardware; it’s a medium for human connection and potential. By putting people first, Let’s Get Together has created a scalable, community-driven model that doesn’t just recycle electronics, but recycles opportunity for thousands of Canadians.
Links:
Support on Open Collective: https://opencollective.com/lets-get-together
Official Website: https://www.letsgettogether.ca/
Canada Digital Success Dashboard: https://tech4all-test.letsgettogether.ca/canada-digital-dashboard
Credits:
Designed by the Research Labs Platform
Produced by SundayPyjamas®
Created & Hosted by Prathamesh Patel
Podcast Strategy & Production by Nishi Panchal
Music: Ukiyo - Calling (EP)
Copyright of SundayPyjamas Inc. 2025
