Smart Cities Challenge improving the lives of Canadians through innovation, data, and technology
Business people with technological devices on city background
At the FCM conference in Halifax, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the 20 finalists of the Smart Cities Challenge, the Government of Canada’s new, competition-based approach to empowering communities to become more livable and inclusive while also creating economic opportunities for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
More than 200 communities, both large and small, from across Canada submitted their innovative ideas – ideas that have the potential to improve their communities in areas such as reconciliation, protection of Indigenous language and culture, food security, better education and health for youth and children, and affordable housing. In response, Minister Sohi said, “I am proud to see all the effort that communities have put into engaging with residents and in developing their Smart Cities Challenge proposals. I challenged community leaders to be bold and think outside-the-box, and I am pleased to see that they answered the call through the innovative ideas they submitted. These new ideas will result in positive outcomes for Canada’s middle class and improve people’s quality of life. I am thrilled at the meaningful, lasting and positive outcomes that this Challenge has already created for communities thus far, and look forward to seeing the final proposals.”
The top 20 communities to come up with innovative solutions to their most pressing issues are:
- Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation, Ontario ($5M prize)
- Bridgewater, Nova Scotia ($5M prize)
- Cree Nation of Eastmain, Quebec ($5M prize)
- Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Quebec ($5M prize)
- Yellowknife, Northwest Territories ($5M prize)
- Airdrie and Area, Alberta ($10M prize)
- Communities of Nunavut, Nunavut ($10M prize)
- Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec ($10M prize)
- Greater Victoria, British Columbia ($10M prize)
- Guelph and Wellington County, Ontario ($10M prize)
- Parkland, Brazeau, Lac Ste Anne, and Yellowhead Counties, Alberta ($10M prize)
- Richmond, British Columbia ($10M prize)
- Saint Mary’s First Nation and Fredericton, New-Brunswick ($10M prize)
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ($10M prize)
- The Pas, Opaskwayak Cree Nation, and Kelsey, Manitoba ($10M prize)
- Edmonton, Alberta ($50M prize)
- Montreal, Quebec ($50M prize)
- Quebec City, Quebec ($50M prize)
- Region of Waterloo, Ontario ($50M prize)
- Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia ($50M prize)
Each finalist will receive a grant of $250,000 to further develop their innovative ideas into final proposals that outline their design, planning, privacy, data protection, and project management components. Summaries of the finalists’ applications, along with their Challenge Statements and the evaluation criteria, can be found on the Impact Canada website.
The 20 finalists are to go on to compete for the following four prizes:
- one prize of up to $50 million, available to all communities;
- two prizes of up to $10 million, available to all communities below 500,000 residents; and
- one prize of up to $5 million, available to all communities below 30,000 residents.
The four winners will be announced in spring 2019.
