January 31, 2014 – Montréal – Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Treasury Board President Tony Clement is in Montréal at McGill University today to support and promote the Government's first national Open Data appathon. Open to students and data enthusiasts, teams competing in the Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) appathon will be challenged to turn valuable Government of Canada data into useful and user-friendly apps. Their completed apps will be evaluated by a celebrity judging panel, and the top 15 teams will be invited to the CODE Grand Finale event on March 28 in Toronto, where they will pitch their apps live to guest judges.
CODE is part of the Government's overarching effort to promote the creation of technological advances that lead to the start-up of new businesses, economic expansion and job creation, as well as social benefits, like using data to save time in our day-to-day schedules.
Minister Clement also led a round-table discussion with members of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Quebec (CPA Quebec) and the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) to conclude Red Tape Awareness WeekTM. The Minister outlined the latest developments in implementing the Red Tape Reduction Action Plan, including this week's release of the first Scorecard Report and the introduction of the Red Tape Reduction Act in Parliament to enshrine the One-for-One Rule in law.
"I want to thank the Government of Canada, Minister Clement and XMG Studio for inviting students to develop an app using the Government's open data portal through the CODE competition. It is a creative way to leverage their talent and skills for the benefit of Canadians. By connecting the winning teams with potential investors, this competition encourages entrepreneurial innovation and spirit."
– Suzanne Fortier, Professor, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, McGill University
Heather Domereckyj
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