June 1, 2018
Edmonton’s Healthy City-themed proposal is one of five finalists in the Government of Canada’s $50-million Smart Cities Challenge.
“This is great news for Edmonton and an exciting day for the Smart Cities Challenge team who’ve worked diligently and creatively with Edmontonians,” said Mayor Don Iveson. “I’m confident that what has got us here — teamwork, innovation and courage — will help establish Edmonton as Canada’s healthiest and smartest city.”
Infrastructure Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge invited communities across the country to develop creative and innovative ways that use data and technology to improve the lives of people.
Edmonton’s proposal is the result of input from thousands of residents, stakeholders and partners focused on improving the health of Edmontonians by sharing data and information through innovative connected technologies.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister Amarjeet Sohi, minister of Infrastructure and Communities, made the official announcement at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference in Halifax. Edmonton now faces off against Montreal, Quebec City, Waterloo Region and Vancouver/Surrey in the competition’s $50-million category.
As a finalist, Edmonton will get a $250,000 grant to complete Phase 2. This Phase will focus on building a plan to support connectedness to the community, decrease loneliness and increase a sense of belonging.
“The City of Edmonton is an international leader in open government, recognized worldwide for solving municipal challenges through data and analytics,” said Wendy Gnenz, Branch Manager of Open City and Technology. “We have gathered a talented group of partners who are ready to take risks and work together for the wellbeing of Canadians.”
Engagement activities planned for Phase 2 include hackathons, workshops and surveys. But for now, Edmontonians can check out the
proposal and submit their feedback via
smartcities.edmonton.ca.
The winner will be announced in spring 2019.
