Executive Council
Finance
January 22, 2015
Engaging and Connecting with Residents
Provincial Government Releases New Datasets Under Open Government Initiative
With a commitment to making unique collections of information available to the public, the Provincial Government today announced the release of eight additional datasets through the Open Government Initiative for use free of charge by residents. The datasets include preliminary data from the volunteer and non-profit sector census being carried out by government, provincial and regional population projections to the year 2035, and a collection of administrative region mapping files. Further information about the eight new datasets can be found in the backgrounder below.
"A major component of the Open Government Initiative is releasing data in accessible formats for use and re-use by anyone. The datasets we are making available today will help the public, researchers, students, and developers ask better questions and engage in discussions that will benefit the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. We want to add to and build on these datasets, and we want to hear from residents about other kinds of information they want us to consider for release."
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for the Office of Public Engagement
In the months since the launch of the Open Government Initiative, the Newfoundland and Labrador Statistics Agency and the Office of Public Engagement have been working with Provincial Government departments to identify new data for release. To view the datasets currently available, please visit opendata.gov.nl.ca.
"Open Data is exciting territory for the Provincial Government, and it is expanding on the work we have been doing with Community Accounts. By making unique pieces of information available to the public, such as data from the volunteer and non-profit sector census and sources of income and taxation, people can learn about the work that is going on in their regions and encourage greater involvement in communities across the province."
- The Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board
To assist the Provincial Government in the development of Newfoundland and Labrador's first open government action plan, residents are encouraged to provide their suggestions by emailing ope@gov.nl.ca or by calling 1-877-895-8891 (toll-free).
QUICK FACTS
- The Provincial Government today announced the release of eight new datasets of government-generated data that are free and available for anyone to use.
- The new datasets include preliminary data from the volunteer and non-profit sector census, provincial and regional population projections to the year 2035, sources of income and taxation, and the geographic location of all municipalities and local service districts, health regions, economic zones, remoteness index clacations, and Rural Secretariat regions.
- What We Heard: Open Government Initiative is a compilation of opinions and ideas gathered during public engagement sessions between May and October 2014. Feedback includes suggestions on strengthening capacity within government and improving policies, programs and services. The document is available at www.open.gov.nl.ca.
- To help develop Newfoundland and Labrador's first open government action plan, residents are encouraged to provide their suggestions by emailing ope@gov.nl.ca or by calling 1-877-895-8891 (toll-free).
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Media contacts:
|
Kip Bonnell
Communications Manager Office of Public Engagement 709-729-1221, 687-9081 kbonnell@gov.nl.ca |
John Tompkins
Director of Communications Department of Finance 709-729-6830, 728-7762 jtompkins@gov.nl.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
New Datasets Under Open Government Initiative
Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector Census
Now in its final stage, the provincial census of volunteer organizations - the first of its kind in Canada - is a comprehensive list which is capturing the number, location, mandate and labour market information of volunteer and non-profit organizations in the province. The dataset provides the current data collected, aggregated to Rural Secretariat regions.
Sources of Income and Taxation
Over the past 20 years, the economic outlook for communities and neighbourhoods across the province has undergone significant change. This dataset allows users to profile the sources of income and complements community and neighbourhood level data available from Community Accounts.
Economic Zones, Health Regions, Rural Secretariat Regions, Municipalities and Local Service Districts Mapping Files
In the past, the Newfoundland and Labrador Statistics Agency has received requests for mapping files and boundary descriptions of various regions across the province. Posting the administrative region boundaries for mapping through the Open Data webpage allows users to develop products connecting data to these regions.
Provincial and Regional Population Projections
This dataset provides population projections developed by the Economic Research and Analysis Division of the Department of Finance for the province as well as several regions until the year 2035. The dataset provides three different scenarios in formats that support broad usage by a wide variety of Open Data users.
Remoteness Index Classifications
This index provides information that identifies remote areas of the province in a new way which is based on accessibility to critical services across Newfoundland and Labrador rather than geographical dispersion.
2015 01 22 10:55 a.m.