Municipal open data portals are optional in Ontario

Open Data is structured, machine-readable data (CSV, XML, JSON, Shapefiles, APIs) that is made freely available online to download, modify, build on and distribute by anyone, anytime and anywhere without any legal or financial restrictions in a way that is easy to access (eg. searchable website) and in a format that is simple to reuse (eg. tables in an Excel spreadsheet).

The International Open Data Charter’s principles say that data should be:

1. Open by default
2. Timely and comprehensive
3. Accessible and usable
4. Comparable and interoperable
5. for improved governance and citizen engagement
6. for inclusive development and innovation

Under an Open by Default approach, all data that an institution creates, collects, or manages is made open and available to the public by default, unless there are legal, privacy, security, confidentiality or commercially-sensitive reasons for it to remain confidential/closed.

Ontario’s Digital and Data Directive, 2021 aims for the delivery of high-quality digital services, transparency of and access to government data. It’s principles are as follows:

• Prioritization of user needs – The needs of the user, determined through research and testing, are the first consideration in digital service delivery and the release of open data.
• Transparency – Government operates in a way that is easy for others to see what, why and how something is done.
• Equitable access – Access is equally available to all users.
• Data informed – The use of data is considered in decision-making.
• Continuous improvement – Government works in a way that demonstrates on-going, iterative improvement that is responsive to user need and supportive of the realization of benefit.

What is an Open Data portal?

What data does a municipal Open Data portal have?

• Business and economy
• Community
  • Census
• Environment
• Government
  • Election results
  • Elected officials
  • FOI tracking
  • Voting
  • Employee travel allowance
• Infrastructure and facilities
  • Roads
  • Waters
  • Parks
  • Water fountains
• Land use and boundaries
  • Parcels
  • Rooflines
• Recreation and culture
  • Parks and playgrounds
• Transportation

How is Open Data used?

Using this data, municipal staff and 3rd parties can develop apps using the available datasets. In Sudbury, some examples are:

• CityTransit using the City of Greater Sudbury’s Transit open data (myBus API)
• Road and Traffic Restrictions
• Report-a-Bear
• Demographics
• Development Tracking

The Government of Ontario’s Open Data has been used by:

• iamsick.ca website uses Ontario’s data on health service locations to help people find their nearest healthcare options anytime, any day.
• Gridwatch app that uses Ontario data to help show where Ontario’s power comes from and when the grid is or isn’t using clean energy.
• Map Your Property tool that uses Ontario data to provide analytics and mapping for urban planners and developers.
• University of Toronto’s Technologies for Knowledge Media Design course that has students investigating how to use open data to improve public engagement in Ontario.

Municipal Open Data portals in Ontario

Canada’s federal Open Data portal has over 32,000 records and the Ontario Data Catalogue has more than 2,500 datasets published by the government of Ontario.

Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto has an extensive Open Data Directories.

What if my municipality does not have an Open Data portal?

Contact your members of council and ask them to:

• Adopt the International Open Data Charter
• Develop an Open Data Master Plan
• Establish an Open Data Policy
• Establish an Open Data Procedure