Open Data is here to stay

Whitby, Ontario –

Durham Regional Council has approved a permanent Open Data program for The Regional Municipality of Durham. This will allow certain data to be made freely available to the public, in a machine-readable format, without any restrictions from copyright, patents or other mechanisms of control. The launch of this program is the result of a 10-month Open Data pilot initiative, which was met with very positive results by those who had accessed the data.

“Through public collaboration and analysis from the Open Data pilot initiative, we were able to develop a program that serves our residents, while fostering openness and innovation within our community,” said Matthew Gaskell, Commissioner of Corporate Services. “Facilitating public access to information through the Open Data program allows community groups and stakeholders to use data freely, which promotes an enhanced understanding of local government and stimulates economic growth within the region.”

As part of the Open Data program, Regional Council approved an Open Data Policy to establish a consistent policy framework for the provision of data to the public and other stakeholders through Durham’s Open Data portal. The Region of Durham will be identifying information to add to the program, and over time, the catalogue and volume of data accessible to the public will grow.

The data sets currently available to the public on the Open Data portal are geographic information system (GIS) data (including child-care centres, community services, education facilities, government offices, health neighbourhood boundaries, and seniors’ residences), Single Line Road Network (SLRN), Durham-wide access points, transit routes, transit stop locations, and General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS).

To learn more about the Open Data program and to access available data sets, please visit www.durham.ca/opendata.   

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For more information, please contact Corporate Communications.