Large systems adjusting to a horizontal world is a global theme. Open data-sharing by organizations of all sizes, driven by citizens’ access to information technology, is enabling people to transform raw statistics into actionable, useful information.

Mining data, information and knowledge for focused planning and decision-making and a stronger future is the desire of the Niagara-wide community – that is why hundreds of people have worked together over the past 10 years to build Niagara Connects, the Living in Niagara report, and the Niagara Knowledge Exchange (NKE). Individuals, organizations, businesses, researchers and learners in Niagara all stand to benefit.

The Niagara-wide community is recognized provincially and nationally for its innovative way of measuring quality of life through the 12 Living in Niagara Sectors, for building the NKE, and for emerging work such as Open Data Niagara, Welland’s Open Data and Niagara Falls Open Data. All of this foundational work poises Niagara as a vibrant receptor to plug into initiatives such as Canada Open DataOpen Data Ontario, and Ontario’s Open by Default.

Niagara Connects is facilitating the work of a group of 30 Niagarans to advance Phase II of NKE Construction – Describing Quality of Data for Niagara. The goal is to power up Niagara’s capacity for combining internal and external data for powerful predictive intelligence. Building blocks we’re reviewing include:

What role do you see your own organization playing in the Open Data movement? How will Open Data impact your work? What are some challenges that you anticipate as this moves forward within Niagara? Please share your thoughts and help inform this process (info@niagaraconnects.ca).

Mary Wiley
Executive Director
Niagara Connects
ed@niagaraconnects.ca