IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Question remains whether the vision for Markham Centre will be embraced by the people it aims to serve

As the dawn of 2024 breaks over Markham, the city is charging ahead with its ambitious urban development plans, aiming not just to grow in size but also to emerge as a beacon of smart city innovation in the north.

Positioned as Toronto's comparable in the northern region, Markham's strides in urban development show no signs of slowing down.

There's about a 20 per cent chance — not insignificant — you and others could be served elsewhere.

Almost one in five people visiting an emergency department could be treated for their conditions in other places that wouldn't tax limited hospital resources, according to a new report released Thursday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

An electronic system to help doctors provide better care for patients with this chronic and deadly illness was routinely put forward as a success story amid the setbacks in the broader goal of delivering e-health records to all Ontarians.

The idea that citizens should have extensive access to the information their governments collect and employ is fairly new, and is part of the broader phenomenon of open government. Sameer Vasta of the MaRS Discovery District, an innovation centre in Toronto, says governments are buying into the benefits of such openness. "When we talk about open data, it's really a subset of open government," Vasta says. "If you look at open government as coming up with solutions with society versus for society, the sharing of information just makes sense."

"It's a real opportunity for people to have a say in what they would find useful and valuable," eHealth Saskatchewan CEO Susan Antosh said in an interview Monday. "It will help us determine our priorities, how we move forward and how quickly. I really encourage them to participate and have their voices heard."

Eventually, every person in Saskatchewan will have an electronic health record - a private, lifetime record of medical information that will give authorized health care professionals immediate access to test results, past treatments and medication profiles.

A federal agency has launched the next phase of a massive project to consolidate hundreds of thousands of government email accounts under one umbrella.

The initiative will begin to herd some 640,000 email boxes, spread across hundreds of servers, in a bid to rationalize a balkanized system that's inefficient, costly and vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Much of the costs associated with a “technology roadmap” for 2013 to 2016 involve “sustainment and modernization investments” to get older infrastructure and assets up to snuff, as well as spending on “building blocks” necessary for the city’s so-called Service Ottawa initiative and future eGovernment projects. Streamlining under Service Ottawa makes it easier for residents to do more city business online and is meant to save about $6.6 million a year overall.

After a decade of false starts and spending scandals, Ontario's move from paper charts to electronic health records is still grinding on, but Dr. Gregory Rose is a few steps ahead of most physicians.

Rose, an infectious disease specialist, is among 240 doctors at The Ottawa Hospital who are the first in Ontario to be linked to provincewide databases that give them a more complete picture of a patient's health.

Ten years ago, Canada held the distinction of being the top ranked country in the world for the breadth and sophistication of its electronic government services. Citing the Canadian government’s integrated, strategic approach, annual assessments by Accenture found that more important services were offered online in Canada than anywhere else.

While it's been more than a year since the federal government created Shared Services Canada and announced plans for a massive consolidation of IT service delivery and IT procurement, members of the government reseller channel say they remain unclear what the changes will mean for them.

By 2050, it is estimated that 70% of the global population will reside in urban areas. This shift signifies a transition to a predominantly urban economy. Cities will need to evolve and adapt to cater to their expanding populations.

Urbanization presents opportunities for economic growth, enhanced living standards, and increased cultural diversity. Historical data underscores this trend: since 1950, the world’s urban population has surged from 751 million to 4.4 billion. This trajectory is expected to continue, potentially doubling the current urban population by 2050.

On Aug. 4, the federal government announced a new agency, Shared Services Canada, charged with cutting government IT costs by rolling more than 100 e-mail systems into one and more than 300 data centres into 20 across 44 federal departments. The agency’s $2-billion annual budget equals about 40 per cent of Ottawa’s yearly $5 billion in IT spending.

Consolidation and standardization seem like good ways to reduce IT costs. But the plan, announced by Treasury Board President Tony Clement and Minister of Public Works Rona Ambrose, is still vague.

National Revenue Minister Gail Shea announced Tuesday that college, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Business Development, will receive $220,466 towards the purchase of computer and specialized equipment for a new e-health Training and Industry Support Centre.

The Province will provide students with financial assistance under the Skills P.E.I. program.

Health PEI says it planned for 40 to 60 calls a day, but the first week an average of 70 Islanders daily called for health advice from a registered nurse.

If a nurse isn't available immediately, and the issue isn't urgent, people are told they'll get a call back.

It’s unclear how much departments are spending on such investments, but Treasury Board officials confirmed the $5.2 billion in yearly savings that departments must deliver by 2014-15 are “net of any costs to implement these savings.”

The announcement was made during Telecom 2011 in Rouyn, Que., June 14.

The Secretariat to the Cree Nation-Abitibi-Temiscamingue Economic Alliance, an organization made up of northern Quebec Cree communities and the municipalities of the Abitibi-Temiscamingue, will work with Eeyou Communications Network (ECN) to roll out 1,600 kilometres of fibre optics.

A long-awaited electronic health record database is to be introduced in the Montreal region, beginning March 30.

The new tool will allow healthcare providers – including doctors, pharmacists and lab technicians – to access and share a patient's vital health information, notably prescriptions and lab results.

After big delays and expenses, Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc announced Monday that the system, called the Dossier de santé du Québec, will be expanded to the Montreal area, the fourth region after Quebec City, the Eastern Townships and Lanaudière.

The delays and runaway costs of the DSQ prompted auditor-general Renaud Lachance to issue a blistering report last May.

Trevor Hurst is a dynamic leader in IT with an extensive 30-year career spanning private sectors, regulated utilities, and the energy sector in Western Canada. Having spent the last 15 years in provincial and local government roles, he currently serves as the Executive Chief Information Officer for Saanich, British Columbia. Hurst’s mission is to transform Saanich into a smart city, address housing and environmental issues, and enhance the residents’ quality of life.

In an Interview with CIO Review Canada magazine, Hurst shares his insights on the challenges and emerging trends in the Canadian smart city space and the experience he has gathered in the domain.