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Canadian Smart Communities Announced

by PJ Wade

Last week, Industry Canada announced that 12 Canadian communities -- selected from 129 applicants -- will be Canada's official Smart Communities. Each will receive up to $5 million in matched funding to implement Smart projects that integrate "information and communication technologies into community life - in areas such as health care, education, training and business." This federal program is part of the national "Connecting Canadians" initiative, which aims to make Canada the most connected country in the world.

The Smart Community movement is not exclusive to Canada. Communities such as Ennis, Ireland, and Victoria, Australia, share the objective of using information and communication technologies to make their communities better places to live, work and play.

According to Industry Canada, a Smart Community is one with "a vision of the future that involves the use of information and communication technologies in new and innovative ways to empower its residents, institutions and regions as a whole and make the most of opportunities that new technologies afford – better health care delivery, better education and training and new business opportunities." Each province has one federally-designated Smart Community, including:

Ontario - SmartCapital, Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation, Region of Ottawa-Carlton
Quebec - Le Carrefour Virtuel de la Mauricie, Shawinigan
BC - SMART CHOICE Community Network, Tri-Cities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody
Alberta - INFOPORT Community Empowerment Project, Calgary.

The Northwest Territories, Yukon and our newest territory, Nunavut, are represented by TheYellowknife Smart Network, based in Yellowknife. First Nations efforts will be focused through The Kuh-ke-nah Network (K-Net) of Smart First Nations in Sioux Lookout, Ontario.

Your community or neighbourhood should not wait for the government to organize it into a Smart Community or it may get left behind. Here are a few simple first steps you can take:

Collect email addresses from neighbourhood residents

Match up non-computer households with those online so no one is left out

Establish a regular online forum or listserv that allows information sharing and opinion soliciting

Add local businesses and professionals to this, or a parallel, network since they have a stake in the success of the neighbourhood as well

Contact municipal offices to find out what plans local departments and politicians have for connecting your community

Investigate plans for e-medicine and telemedicine through district health boards, local hospitals and medical colleges so that your neighbourhood can be involved in testing and design of health care and home care services

Research distance education programs offered by colleges, universities and other schools in the area to determine what training, employment and education opportunities are electronically available to your neighbourhood

Join an e-business group to stay tuned to Internet business trends and opportunities

Consider forming a smart community team or club to discuss the progress of other Smart Communities and explore possibilities for your neighbourhood.

Strengthening relationships within your community should result in improved quality of living in many areas including increased child safety, faster government response to concerns, reduced crime levels, less disruptive real estate development and greater support for older residents. Whether your group sets up a website, online forum or web radio station or just keeps in touch electronically, you will be in a better position to respond quickly and effectively to opportunities for residents and to threats to the neighbourhood. A strong, cohesive community may make the area more attractive to home buyers, which in turn can give real estate values a boost.

For more information, on Smart Communities, visit http://smartcommunities.ic.gc.ca

Published: May 16, 2000

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

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Futurist and Strategist PJ Wade is "The Catalyst" -- intent on "Challenging The Best Become Even Better." PJ earned this title by translating the dynamic impact of Boomers and their multi-generation families into relevant insights that start people thinking and taking action—in business and in life.

Author of 7 books and more than 1600 published articles, PJ encourages individuals to become their own futurist. PJ writes and speaks about the insight, knowledge and solid decision-making skills that professionals and their clients need to live and work in this vortex of change. For instance, since PJ knows that home is headquarters for the new decades-long "unretirement," she wrote the popular book "Reverse Mortgages: Best Friend, Worst Enemy... Your Choice! (CatapultPublishing.com), which is filled with suggestions and insight on protecting and using home equity. Her new business book, "What's Your Point?," which identifies 7 common mistakes professionals unknowingly repeat to their detriment, will be published in 2009.

As The Catalyst, PJ provides strategic communication, client appreciation and advanced education services to the financial, tourism, lifestyle and service sectors -- and the clients they serve. A frequently-quoted financial and business commentator, PJ is a thought-provoking strategic speaker who offers practical, real-life suggestions on leaving "the box" behind and embracing Forward Thinking -- a talent she regularly demonstrates in this column. For more on blogs, books and topics, visit TheCatalyst.com.

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