@cowboydave, I hate to say it, but I have a feeling you will be stuck with no wifi or phone. The government is supposedly working one plan up to $2000 a month, but even at that, you need to apply for EI immediately and get some form of cash flow flowing.
I would think there are many people in the forum who feel the pain too. I really can't see Public Mobile giving away a free plan of minutes or data. Because you live in the country, outback territory, I really can't see anything for you as you had mentioned, that you are on a friend's phone for wi-fi to connect with us.
Without the hotspots, I can only think that you may need to go back to the ways of dial-up. I have no idea if companies still offer dial-up services for those people in rural areas in the country. Call your local phone company and/or Internet Service Provider to inquire about dial-up options in your area. Dial-up operates on the same line as your home phone. If you still use a landline and are looking for cheap, widely available internet, dial-up may be a good option.
Out of work, besides collecting EI, some companies such as the grocery stores, Safeway, Loblaws, Save-On-foods to London Drugs, Walmart, Home Depot to Costco, Amazon are looking for staff immediately as they are being called essential services. I disagree with that though, because I think we need to shut the country down and stop it. And essential services I think is the police, fire, ambulance and nurses and doctors.
I do wish you a safe journey during these trying times. Be safe. Use a landline. Go back to basics, read a book. Am thankful, I took some books out of the library last week. Problem is, I wished I took something out that would be actually good to read!
