We are pleased to announce the launch of our 9th Citizen Budget consultation this year in the City of Cornwall, Ontario. The budget simulator is available to Cornwall residents in English and French. With submission, participants are automatically entered to win a prize draw. Visit www.citizenbudget.com to learn more about our interactive budget simulator. Do you know a community organizer in […]
Jean Bagdoo of Montreal released Restonet Montreal to the Android App Store this week. The app, inspired by our retired Resto-Net project, was given the Public Choice Award at Google Montreal’s DevFest 2013. Using open data from the City of Montreal, the tool visualizes the official inspection data of food establishments and allows users to view the latest […]
The past few weeks have been very active in the open data community. One event in particular stands out – the open data speed dating event which took place two weeks ago on the sidelines of GTEC. The “speed dating” concept was first used last year during an Ottawa hackathon where city employees discussed open data for five […]
Each time a resident interacts with your organization, you have an opportunity to build a stronger relationship – whether it’s visiting a service centre, attending a council meeting, calling 3-1-1, or finding a tax rate on your website. The people who participate in local government consultations are among your most engaged residents, but many of them […]
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We are often asked how we ensure that residents submit a single response only, to avoid a scenario where individuals can bias the results of the consultation by submitting the same response multiple times. We’ve discovered that the best approach is to accept all responses at first, and to later filter out duplicates, spam and […]
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This week, the Government of Ontario officially launched their open government initiative. The strategy includes three pillars: open data, open information, and open dialogue. Of the plan, Premier Kathleen Wynne notes, “Part of this process will be the use of innovative models of public engagement, giving you a greater say on a range of items, including […]
GitHub launched GitHub and Government, a new website dedicated “to showcasing the amazing efforts of public servants and civic hackers around the globe.” The new space for governments to connect and share best practices highlights the Treasury Board’s Canadian web experience toolkit among a few other examples of open government innovation. GitHub and Government also includes a few project […]
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The first ever bilingual Citizen Budget consultation has launched in Dieppe, New Brunswick. Our team worked closely with Ville de Dieppe’s Corporate Affairs department to deliver a detailed consultation in both official languages. You can view the consultation at www.budgetdieppe.ca. The importance of civic participation as an everyday activity, a value we promote through our mission, was discussed this week in an […]
The City of Markham, Ontario launched their Citizen Budget consultation last week. Markham’s use of the budget simulator takes advantage of the many customizable features the platform offers. For example, the consultation’s design is matched to the City’s website for a streamlined presentation, and, for the first time, it includes custom pie charts which change for each user’s […]
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Next week is Canada’s Democracy Week, which includes a series of nationwide discussions on topics ranging from civic engagement to international democratic aid. The events across the country are inspired by and coincide with the United Nation’s International Democracy Day on September 15th. Visit the Democracy Week events page for details to find out what events are happening near you. In March, […]
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