Mississauga Proceeds with Smart Cities Master Plan

Today, the Government of Canada announced its shortlist of communities which have been selected in the Smart Cities Challenge. Although Mississauga was not selected, the City intends to move forward with its Smart Cities Master Plan.

“Mississauga will continue to invest in innovation and new ways to use data and technology as we build a modern and progressive city for the 21st century,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “While I am disappointed that our City was not selected in the Smart Cities Challenge, we will continue to invest in building a Smart City of vibrant communities where everyone has equal opportunity and feels empowered; a place where people can connect, adapt and succeed.”

“Congratulations to those who have been selected to proceed to the next round of the Challenge,” said Crombie. “We will continue to watch the competition with great interest.”

The Smart Cities Challenge encouraged communities to think creatively to improve the lives of their residents through innovation, data and connected technology.

“Because of the Smart Cities Challenge, communities like Mississauga right across Canada have joined in the discussions of how to use technology to solve their most pressing municipal issues,” said Janice Baker, CAO and City Manager. “Smart Cities was a key topic at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) held this week in Fredericton. As CAMA President, I heard from many of my colleagues about how the Challenge was instrumental in fostering innovative thinking and community engagement.”

Mississauga’s submission aimed to ‘solve for social and economic resilience’. By creating a city-wide data and technology network incorporating community hubs, digital toolkits and enhanced access to services, the plan supported those at risk, youth, new immigrants and the local community. It included:

• Providing a digital kit to people who may have financial or other barriers.
• Creating community workspaces with amenities to enable learning, places to work, meet and succeed.
• Encouraging the use of active and public transportation.
• Using Intelligent Digital Signage, Artificial Intelligence A/I, Voice First Services, Augmented Reality, Open Data, Mobility and integration with agency services.

“Through the Smart Cities Challenge public engagement process, we received valuable feedback from Mississauga residents, community partners and industry,” said Shawn Slack, Director of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. “Thank you to everyone who participated, both in-person and online. This information will form the basis of a Smart Cities Master Plan that will seek to create an inclusive community. We will bridge the digital divide between those who have access to technology and those who do not.”

The full version of Mississauga’s Smart Cities Challenge submission is available here.

The Smart Cities Challenge was launched in 2017 as part of the Impact Canada Initiative to help communities of all sizes improve the lives of their residents through innovation, data and connected technology. The program is delivered by Infrastructure Canada and will contribute $300M in three rounds of competition funding over 11 years.