11 Feb 2015 Minister Tony Clement Engages Open Data Enthusiasts in Vancouver for CODE 2015

Posted at 01:55h in Tech News by

Content provided by the Government of Canada

Government of Canada promotes the value and use of open data

Today, Treasury Board President Tony Clement showcased the social and economic benefits of open data to Vancouver students, entrepreneurs, and innovators to promote the Canadian Open Data Experience, or CODE 2015.

This year, Canada is inviting its entrepreneurial communities to reconvene for CODE 2015 from February 20 to 22, which coincides with International Open Data Day. Participants will mash up federal data, readily available on the Government of Canada’s Open Government Portal (open.canada.ca), and put it back into the hands of Canadians in a more user-friendly “app” form. Participants are also encouraged to creatively repurpose municipal or provincial data, along with federal open data, to come up with useful and interesting new tools to benefit Canadians.

Today’s road show was held at the British Columbia Technology Industry Association (BCTIA) Innovation Hub – a collaborative space for incubating tech innovations in Vancouver. Minister Clement was joined by local open data experts to encourage more people to participate in the appathon and try their hand at coding. CODE is one of many interactive initiatives in the Open Government Action Plan to promote and support transparency, collaboration, and innovation in Canada.

Quick facts

  • Registration for the appathon is currently live on XMG’s official CODE website. 
  • The CODE 2015 tour previously made stops in Toronto (January 14), Montréal (January 29) and Halifax (January 30).
  • CODE 2015 themes focus on Youth, Commerce, and Quality of Life.
  • CODE is hosted by XMG Studio, one of Canada’s largest independent mobile gaming studios.
  • CODE 2015 themes focus on Youth, Commerce, and Quality of Life.
  • Winners will share a total of $40,000 in prizes, with a grand prize of $15,000. Prize money will also include $5,000 for each of the following categories:
    •  
    • Youth
    • Commerce
    • Quality of Life
    • Best Student Team
    • Fan Favourite
  • Participants can take part in three ways: apply to attend the 48-hour event at one of three VIP HUBs in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montréal; register to participate from a space made available by CODE supporters; or participate virtually online.
  • Last year CODE engaged over 900 participants across the country, and resulted in over 110 apps
  • Open Data is one of the three major pillars of Canada’s Action Plan on Open Government 2.0. The others are Open Information and Open Dialogue.

Quotes

“By participating in CODE, Canadians are adding significant value by coming up with new uses for our government datasets. There is little doubt that open data has great economic and social potential for Canada. I encourage anyone who is interested in participating to join us and help in shaping an innovative, transparent, and collaborative future for our country.”

– Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board

“High tech is a growth industry here in B.C. The revenues are growing, the exports are growing, and major international tech companies are choosing to open operations here, which means the number of jobs is growing. This is what our government’s Digital Canada 150 strategy is designed to do: ensure Canada is positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the digital economy. Through CODE 2015, we are putting the potential of open data on display and showcasing the innovation of talented Canadians here in Vancouver and across the country.”

– James Moore, Minister of Industry

“The network of incubators, accelerators, government programs and local investors help make Vancouver a fertile ground for start-up success. It is an enticing and optimistic location to launch a start-up, which is proven by the fact that the tech giants Facebook and Amazon are both setting up shop in the city this year. With so much creative talent and support to grow, I hope to see some great CODE 2015 submissions come out of Vancouver.”

– Ray Sharma, Founder and Chairman of XMG Studio Inc.

“When we opened the doors to the BCTIA Innovation Hub, our goal was to have an open, collaborative place where the community could gather to explore new ideas, access resources and support, and build strong tech companies. Programs like CODE 2015 deliver on that goal, and we couldn’t be happier to be hosting the Vancouver stop of the tour. Having access to federal datasets is an incredible opportunity for innovation, and we look forward to seeing the business ideas that will come from the appathon.”

– Bill Tam, President & CEO, BCTIA

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