Vancouver-born International Open Data Day goes global

David Eaves: “While Open Data has been community driven, one of its key goals has been to encourage more exchanges between governments and open data users, whether they are citizens, companies or non-profits.”Treasury Board President Tony Clement was in Vancouver Saturday to participate in the third annual International Open Data Day.

International Open Data Day was created by Vancouverite David Eaves in 2010, and was this year celebrated in 88 cities worldwide. The event is intended to bring together open data enthusiasts who want to find ways to turn raw, government data into user-friendly applications.

Clement said Open Data can lead to action on the government’s part.

“Our Government is committed to capitalizing on the possibilities Open Data offers to drive innovation and provide economic opportunities,” he said. “David Eaves and today’s organizers have done a great job to further the cause of Open Data by helping to connect the producers of data with the innovators who can turn it into usable, productive information.”

International Data Day is only in its infancy, but is already as credited with some notable successes. In the UK, teenager Isabell Long, who attended the 2010 hackathon, created an app called govspark, which helps British civil servants keep track of their energy usage.

Eaves said this type of results was what he had hope for when he created the event.

“While Open Data has been community driven, one of its key goals has been to encourage more exchanges between governments and open data users, whether they are citizens, companies or non-profits,” he said David Eaves. “We are excited that Minister Clement chose to spend Open Data Day with us in Vancouver to hear a bit about what this community is hoping to see from the federal government.”

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