City recognized with Open Data Accessibility Award

HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton has received a national award recognizing its efforts to make information accessible and transparent for the public through modern, easy-to-use technology.

Hamilton’s 2024 Open Data Accessibility Award, awarded by the Canadian Open Data Society, acknowledges the City’s ongoing efforts to ensure free and equitable access to its data through its Open Data Portal, an intuitive platform that allows the community to explore, visualize, and download city data.

Making data accessible for residents, businesses, and community agencies is a priority for the City. It helps residents and businesses better understand their community, engage in local issues, and make informed choices that impact their families’ quality of life. 

Key features that help ensure accessibility for users of the portal, regardless of technical expertise, include multi-language functionality, mobile device compatibility and diverse formats such as interactive mapping and information dashboards. The City has also integrated open data into its broader ‘smart city’ initiatives, including public Wi-Fi maps and mobility data. 

This award follows the City’s recent Silver-level What Works Cities Certification (WWCC) from Bloomberg Philanthropies in February 2025, and builds on the  2022 Open Data for Democracy Award, which recognized the City’s launch of new dashboards, such as housing and homelessness, and open data applications to access 2022 municipal election information.

“I appreciate the continued efforts of staff and the commitment to enhance open data and transparency and help build a more forward-thinking Hamilton,” said Mayor Andrea Horwath. “By aligning our policies and practices with Council's priorities of ‘Responsiveness and Transparency’, we are taking important steps to make information accessible, empower residents and strengthen our city through innovation.” 

“I’m delighted that the efforts of City staff to provide more open and accessible data to the public continue to be recognized,” said City Manager Marnie Cluckie. “These recent awards are about more than just information and numbers — they’re about giving residents the tools they need to stay informed, engaged, and connected. Whether checking for red light camera locations, reviewing development proposals in their neighbourhood, or using public health data to make informed family decisions, open data helps people take action in their daily lives and shape their communities in meaningful ways. It’s the foundation for better decisions, safer streets, and stronger communities.” 

The City has also been using data to build back stronger from the February 2024 cybersecurity incident, and remains focused on strengthening systems, expanding access to data and finding solutions that enhance city services and improve residents' experiences.

Quick Facts:

• The Open Data Accessibility Award winners were selected by a jury from a competitive pool of nominees. The City of Hamilton earned one of only eight awards given across Canada.
• The Canadian Open Data Society is a national organization dedicated to promoting the use and impact of open data in Canada.
• The City launched its Open Data Portal in October 2018, starting with 82 available data sets to currently supporting 343 available data sets.
• Since its launch, the portal has seen approximately 100,000 website visits annually. 
• Interactive dashboards, mapping tools, and data stories can all be accessed via the portal, as well as insights into important topics such as housing, transportation, public health, economic development, and even detailed profiles of city wards.
• Currently, the most frequently accessed data includes Red Light Cameras, Respiratory and Enteric Outbreaks, Development Applications, Street Centreline, Ward Boundaries and Zoning By-law Boundary.