Government of Canada’s greenhouse gas footprint now available as open data
By Nick Xenos on July 18, 2017
We are excited to be making greenhouse gas (GHG) data sets from the 2010 to 2011 fiscal year to the 2014 to 2015 fiscal year available through the Open Data portal. Scientific consensus recognizes the link between GHG emissions from human activities and global climate change. Many organizations measure their emissions by developing a GHG inventory (also known as a carbon footprint). Complete,…
Introducing our new Open Government Results Tracker
By Sarah Macleod on July 11, 2017
Open government is a relatively new way of doing public policy. To date there is no common, agreed-upon approach to measuring progress. That said, the Open Government Team feels that it’s crucial that we be transparent and accountable about progress on commitments. We think that transparency can help inspire ambition and create opportunities for people outside of government to help us overcome…
Coming soon: Do-It-Yourself Open Data Toolkit!
By Jean-Noé Landry on June 12, 2017
Many cities want to open up their data but are not too sure where to start. To support these efforts, Open North and the Government of Canada have piloted the development of a do-it-yourself (DIY) open data toolkit for municipalities. What is open data anyway? The Handbook for Open Definition defines open data as “data that can be freely used, modified and shared by anyone for any purpose.”…
Get Excited About #OpenData: 4 Things You Should Know!
By Wendy Gnenz on June 5, 2017
Wendy Gnenz is the Branch Manager for Open City and Innovation at the City of Edmonton and is accountable for advancing the City’s open government philosophy as well as improving corporate effectiveness and efficiency. Edmonton is a leader in the advancement of the principles of open government and open data. Through their Open City Policy, endorsed by City Council in April 2015, they have…
Do-It-Yourself Open Data Pilot Project for Municipal Governments now underway
By Jean-Noé Landry, Mélanie Robert on May 31, 2017
By Jean-Noé Landry (Executive Director, Open North) and Mélanie Robert (Executive Director, Information Management and Open Government, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat) Open data has spread rapidly across all levels of government in Canada. Many municipalities were early adopters and now have thriving and popular open data programs and initiatives. From coast-to-coast-to-coast, towns and…
Tools, trends and timely reminders: lessons from the experts on Open Government
By Taran S. Wasson on May 16, 2017
Taran S. Wasson is currently with the Open Government team at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and has worked in various federal government departments in a policy capacity. He joined the Open Government team in November 2016 and works on implementation. He previously worked at the Public Service Renewal Secretariat of the Privy Council Office where he advanced Blueprint 2020 including…
Canada’s ready for global leadership on open government
By Open Government Team on March 27, 2017
The Open Government team at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is delighted that Canada has been elected to a seat on the Open Government Partnership’s Steering Committee. We see it as a testament to the great work that Canada is doing to advance open government domestically, and to the commitment to deepening Canadians’ engagement with government. We also feel this is a nod from our…
Open Data Inventory: Help us prioritize the release of open data most relevant to you
By Alannah Hilt on February 23, 2017
We are pleased to highlight the publication of the Government of Canada’s Open Data Inventory for the very first time. Knowing the full range of information the Government of Canada is creating or collecting is the first step in making data and information more open. An important part of our open government work is to create inventories of datasets and information, to assess them and, where…
Proliteracy.ca - Our Journey Since CODE 2015
By Alfred Yang, Open Government Team on January 18, 2017
Do you have a similar story to share about an app or technology you've developed using Canadian Open Data or Information? We want to hear about it! You can submit your app to our Apps Gallery or email us at open-ouvert@tbs-sct.gc.ca with a blog post idea! - The Open Government Team By Alfred Yang In February 2015, I decided to spend a weekend building an app for the Canadian Open Data…
Site improvements – nearly invisible, but worth noting
By Open Government Team on October 11, 2016
You may have noticed a change to our site’s landing page this week: there’s only one search window now instead of searches for “open data,” “open information,” and “open government.” While it may seem minor, it is the result of months of work done behind the scenes. Here’s why it’s such a big deal: to be a single window into a variety of Government of Canada information and data holdings, we…
A primer on the Third Biennial Plan to the Open Government Partnership
By Open Government Team on July 6, 2016
By the Open Government Team Today we released the Third Biennial Plan to the Open Government Partnership, a set of commitments to move Canada towards a more open and accountable government. We highly encourage you to read it, but we also recognize that it’s a pretty long document. So we wrote this blog to explain the plan, why it’s important, and what we think will be different in two years…
Creating Canada's new plan on open government
By Thom Kearney on June 16, 2016
By: Thom Kearney, Open Government team member We just posted our draft plan for the next two years of Open Government, and thought we would set the stage with some background on the process we have undertaken so far. The international Open Government Partnership (OGP) sets direction for how Action Plans are developed. The guidelines encourage countries to be transparent about the process,…
Library and Archives Canada: Opening Government Records
By Dr. Guy Berthiaume on February 26, 2016
United States Judge Damon Keith wrote: “Democracies die behind closed doors.” At Library and Archives Canada (LAC), as part of our commitment to Canada’s Action Plan on Open Government, we are working to open doors through open information, open data, and open dialogue. We are guided in this work by the Directive on Open Government, introduced by the Treasury Board Secretariat in 2014. LAC’s…
Open Data Across Canada – A Snapshot
By Open Government Team on February 1, 2016
“Open data is data that can be freely used, shared and built-on by anyone, anywhere, for any purpose.” – Open Knowledge Foundation The governments of Alberta, British Columbia and Canada conducted a survey on open data of all Canadian provinces and territories in 2015. Open data programs have become increasingly popular across the country, and we wanted to have a better picture of who is…
Open Government, and the 4th Industrial Revolution
By Stephen Walker, Jose Alonso on January 26, 2016
This blog post was written by Stephen Walker and Jose Alonso, co-chairs of the Open Government Partnership Open Data Working Group. It was originally posted on the World Economic Forum website. Two weeks ago in Davos, industry and government leaders considered the challenges that lie ahead as we enter a period of rapid innovation and change unlike any the world has known before. Executive…
