Author of the article: Brenda Snider Publishing date: Apr 21, 2021  â¢Â 6 hours ago  â¢Â 3 minute read  â¢Â Brenda Snider, executive director of VIQ, says a new information portal created by VIQ and the local United Way is a means for residents to access information during the pandemic. The portal can be accessed through the VIQ website at via.ca FILE PHOTO Postmedia Network Article content Statistics Canada stated approximately 12.7 million volunteers contribute 1.96 billion volunteer hours yearly, this is equivalent to 1 million full time jobs. Forty-four per cent of Canadians over the age of 15 volunteered an average of 154 hours per year. Approximately 44 per cent of all Ontarians volunteer each year, they average 166 hours per year.