February 11, 2015 – Vancouver
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.
"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
Heather Domereckyj
Press Secretary
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