13 MINUTE READ
Use cases supporting the benefits of the Community Information Utility as a data-smart city solution
Building Data-Smart City Solutions
Consultant: STEERING
Copyright: SSMIC
Economic Development
Powering new investment: How it took 120 minutes to attract a $400 million project
The growth of most communities relies on courting outside businesses. This can be a daunting task for economic development corporations because they need to tell the right story to prospective businesses to entice investment.
​
The CIU supports economic development by quickly providing the most accurate locational information requirements outside investors need to buy into a community. These data-driven stories inform businesses on key land conditions and specific criteria to accommodate business requirements.
The Challenge
Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program was developed in 2009 to encourage and promote the greater use of renewable energy sources like solar, wind and bioenergy. The province’s commitment to procuring renewable energy incentivized the development of large power generating facilities. Pod Generating Group, a developer of renewable energy projects looking to capitalize on Ontario’s green economy, sent out requests for information to several Ontario municipalities searching for specific details on land use for new, utility-scale ground solar projects.
​
The criteria for suitable land was extensive with utility connection points, proximity to municipal grid infrastructure, plot size, soil type, degree of slope, and clarity of sight to the southern horizon all as part of the geographic and locational requirements for the project.
​
Securing Pod Generating’s project in Sault Ste. Marie would mean a nearly $400 million investment into the community.
"When you’re able to quickly respond to inquiries about economic development opportunities, it communicates to investors that this is a community where businesses grow. There is less red tape, less bureaucracy, and a sense that moving projects forward is seamless. It creates a reputation that the City and the Economic Development Corporation make things happen in an expedited manner.”
– Daniel Hollingsworth
Executive Director, Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation
The Solution
Using city and utility infrastructure data, land registry data, spatial analysis and project modelling, Acorn was able to identify six site options that met Pod Generating’s criteria within hours of receiving their request. Infrastructure and field confirmations along with land parcel information including details on elevation, easements, and services to the site were all located in the CIU eliminating the need to place information requests in multiple departments. What took Sault Ste. Marie hours to produce took other cities weeks, if not months to gather. This quick turnaround of specific information was critical to Pod choosing Sault Ste. Marie as the location to develop their commercial solar energy projects.
Using multi-enterprise data Acorn delivered viable land options to Pod Generating within a matter of hours. The efficient delivery of accurate information helped Sault Ste. Marie secure multiple renewable energy projects totalling an overall investment of nearly $400 million into the community while creating jobs for residents.
The Benefits
Human Services
Child Care and Early Years Document: Mapping solutions for the community’s most vulnerable
Social service professionals help vulnerable people and families every day through many different community programs and services.
​
One of the key functions of social service agencies is to address the needs of children so they can reach their full potential, leading to the long-term success of the community. To support this effort, the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Service Administration Board (DSSMSSAB) is tasked to provide parents, caregivers and children with health, education, social supports and specialized services to encourage the healthy development of children and early learning.
The Challenge
Acorn acts as the Data Analyst Coordinator for the DSSMSSAB. Central to their role with the social service agency is creating detailed reports on the performance of current programs and services along with key population metrics, service utilization metrics, socioeconomic indicators and data related to the learning and development of children.
​
This data is used to measure progress in the community and determine where work is needed so social service organizations can best serve the public.
The Solution
Using the CIU’s aggregated data sets and spatial analysis tools, Acorn generates a comprehensive collection of information and maps to assist the DSSMSSAB in identifying the strengths, gaps, and opportunities in programs to promote the health of families, the physical environment in the community, and early years education and childcare.
​
Data is provided to the DSSMSSAB in various reports and booklets and includes:​
​
-
The latest population, family and income data from the Census of Canada
-
Population projections
-
Participation metrics across programs and services available to families, including TripleP and childcare services
-
Locations of EarlyON Child and Family Centres and data related to visits
-
Ontario Marginalization Index data showing the locations of vulnerable populations
-
Socioeconomic risk data showing populations with higher social risk
-
Family and Income data from the Census of Canada
-
Early Development Instrument data
-
Social housing locations
-
EQAO result​
This data provides transparency for the delivery of services. It identifies where community members are accessing programs, demonstrates areas where the most vulnerable would benefit, provides information used to engage more families, and acts as a catalyst to put plans in place that lead to the best possible outcomes for citizens.
​
For example, by looking at the age distribution within a population and population projections, the DSSMSSAB can not only identify the current needs of the community (i.e. demand for childcare facilities or EarlyON Centres) but also the future needs of this population as it changes over time. The social services board can also use population data derived from the CIU to identify Indigenous or Francophone children that may benefit from language and culture-specific programming.
​
Additional information found in the latest Child Care and Early Years Environmental Scan includes identified gaps in access to municipal or schoolyard parks, potential available program space, and performance data on special needs services and library programming.
​
Additional information found in the latest Child Care and Early Years Environmental Scan includes identified gaps in access to municipal or schoolyard parks, potential available program space, and performance data on special needs services and library programming.
​
http://socialservices-ssmd.ca/ wp-content/uploads/2019/07/district_of_sault_ ste__marie_best_start_network_-_our_children_ their_future_-_volume_3.pdf
The Benefits
Through the CIU, Acorn can compile a detailed report that DSSMSSAB uses to create population-driven solutions. The Sault Ste. Marie Child Care and Early Years Report identifies service gaps and provides an efficient, data-driven assessment of the needs of service within the community. This report is key in providing policy decision support and is an effective tool to secure funding for new programs.
Health and Human Services
World-class emergency planning: Ensuring the safety of residents who would be at greater risk in emergencies
In August 2003, fifty million people across the United States and Canada went without power in a massive, wide-scale blackout. Many residents spent days without electricity. Among the people affected were those dependent on life-sustaining technology. This included a young, 21-year-old man from Sault Ste. Marie named Lewis Wheelan who relied on air conditioning to regulate his body temperature. The blackout left him without power for nearly a day and he died because no one could get to him to ensure his safety.
​
Inspired by the ill-fated outcomes of the 2003 blackout, Acorn Information Solutions initiated a joint project with Accessibility Sault Ste. Marie to develop a solution to proactively improve the safety of residents who are living at home and are at greater risk in the face of emergency.
The Challenge
Use public data, community partnerships and technology to integrate information on all types of community-wide health vulnerabilities and locations into the Community Information Utility (CIU). To leverage this data for public good, Acorn needed to develop an application that allowed the immediate access of critical registrant data for first responders, emergency medical services, and public health and safety organizations for use in all emergencies while maintaining data accuracy and privacy.
The Solution
Acorn established the Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR), a first of its kind solution that relies on voluntary public data including name, birth date, address, type of vulnerability, emergency contact information and legal guardian information provided by vulnerable citizens. This data is stored the information utility and is confirmed, updated and maintained by Acorn staff.
​
The CIU and its applications are the foundation of the VPR. The integration with the community’s emergency dispatch system and local utility provide the essential data in real-time needed for improved emergency planning for those requiring assistance.
​
The data collected is activated and displayed during emergency calls providing first responders key information to address the specific needs of registrants.
​
Public data used by the VPR solution and data sharing partnerships not only creates increased public safety for vulnerable people, it also provides efficiency in emergency management.
The VPR supports residents who are at greater risk during emergency and live at home without 24-hour support. This can include individuals with mobility issues, hearing and visual impairments, cognitive development issues and mental health issues.
“This registry gives a new
meaning to public service
accessibility and efficiency”
– Alex Miller
President, Esri Canada
Large-scale emergencies
During large-scale emergencies, community emergency management teams have access to registrant data to assist in coordinating an efficient response. For example, during blackouts Acorn can query data on who is medically electric-dependent and quickly provide this critical information to response teams.
Localized emergencies
VPR data arms first responders with information to perform their jobs more effectively and efficiently. This data also protects emergency response teams by identifying potential safety hazards like the presence of combustible oxygen tanks before entering a home.
The Benefits
VPR data provides significant benefits to registrants and those using the information for emergency planning.
A proactive approach to public safety
Local utility companies can use VPR data to notify registrants who rely on electricity of planned power outages so they can safely prepare beforehand. Sault Ste. Marie’s electrical utility, PUC Distribution Inc. uses CIU-connected auto dialer technology developed by Acorn as a super-efficient method of contacting residents in the face of outages.
​
In the event of extended, unplanned power outages, the local utility provides VPR data on electric-dependent residents to the Canadian Red Cross to further investigate if additional assistance is required.
Health and Human Services
The curious discovery of a potential lethal virus in one of the most unlikely places
A routine search for potential tripping hazards turned into the discovery of a network of mosquito breeding grounds.
The Challenge
Since the first case of West Nile Virus infection was detected in Canada in Ontario in 2002, the spread of this virus and the vectors that carry it has been a public health concern. To protect health at the community level, public health conducts West Nile Virus surveillance and takes preventative action where possible to control the mosquito vectors responsible for its spread. The virus, which originated in birds in Africa spread to North America in 1990 can be transmitted to humans by mosquitos after biting affected birds. The presence of this potentially lethal virus in Canada became a growing public health concern in Sault Ste. Marie.
The Solution
To help identify spatial patterns related to the risk of West Nile Virus, Sault Ste. Marie’s local public health agency, Algoma Public Health (APH) enlisted Acorn to map and track West Nile test results for mosquitos and birds. Simultaneously, Acorn was conducting an unrelated project for the local utility, identifying and cataloguing potential tripping hazards presented by water and electrical infrastructure like underground transformer vaults. These vaults were installed in the 1970s to hide unsightly electrical groundwork to improve the look of residential neighbourhoods.
​
Acorn’s preliminary work for the local utility included field investigations and capturing images of tripping hazards that would later be entered into the CIU. During this work, staff noticed a number of mosquitos emerging from underground transformer vaults. Staff notified APH and when larvae dipping tests were completed, it was determined that these vaults had become ideal breeding grounds for mosquitos. Conditions for breeding was attributed to the absence of drains in underground vaults and the pooling of rainwater which remained stagnant.
​
APH approached the city’s Public Works and Transportation division and had the vaults treated with larvicide. A month after treatment, mosquito larvae were not detected in 94 per cent of underground vaults. It was recommended that treatment continues biannually.
​
The rapid response to the discovery of West Nile Virus in underground electrical infrastructure is a shining example of how multi-enterprise data and the CIU epitomize the smart-city data solution. Sharing data, resources, and tools between APH, the local utility, Acorn and the city quickly eliminated a serious health risk to citizens.
​
“It was a unique way of solving the problem. We could marry our knowledge of disease control with physical infrastructure and have this come to light. This is the beauty of our GIS and how we can use it to quickly address issues concerning public safety.”
– Jon Bouma
Manager of Infectious Diseases, Algoma Public Health Public
Public Safety
Providing heightened safety for the visually impaired at lower costs
An Audible Pedestrian Signal (APS) is a device used to communicate pedestrian timing in a non-visual format such as audible tones or verbal messages. The visually impaired rely on APS technology to navigate their communities and provide increased safety when crossing at intersections.
The Challenge
The City of Sault Ste. Marie and Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) approached Acorn to determine the best locations for five new APS devices. The city traditionally spreads the installation of municipally-owned equipment equally across its six wards. However, the city and CNIB wanted to develop a more equitable solution for the location of these devices for improved public safety and smart allocation of municipal resources.
The Solution
To determine the best location for APS devices, Acorn performed an impact analysis weighting each intersection based on potential usage and safety impact. The analysis relied on several shared municipal, health, and organization data sets including postal codes of CNIB clients, proximity to bus stops, right hand turning traffic at intersections, commonly used pedestrian routes, street speed, crossing width, number of pedestrian collisions and the locations of facilities commonly visited by CNIB clients based on client survey data.
​
Most communities determine the need for APS through a suitability checklist or a point scale. This requires manual evaluation which is time-consuming and labour intensive.
​
By layering this information, Acorn was able to build a suitability grid and weight each intersection based on these features to determine the most equitable placement of APS in the community.
Benefits
This project illustrates the benefits of shared data and the cooperation between the city, CNIB and health services. With the help of Acorn, the city implemented new APSs and established a valuable service, providing the greatest benefit moving forward for community members with visual impairments. This was accomplished while reducing time and labour costs.
Public Safety
Data-smart emergency response planning enables community to protect children, expectant mothers and at-risk residents
The Challenge
A community may be threatened with little notice by a wide variety of potential emergencies. One example is a boil-water advisory which is a directive given by public health agencies when a community’s drinking water could be contaminated. Pathogens in the smallest amounts of water can pose serious health risks if ingested. In addition to tracing water flow to identify affected residents, Acorn developed partnerships and procedures to use shared municipal, health, and Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR) data to identify and contact at-risk residents.
The Solution
Through advanced GIS tracing tools and database relationships, Acorn is able to determine the areas affected by any number of emergency issues.
​
For boil water advisories, Acorn can use VPR data to identify vulnerable persons registrants who rely on medical equipment that uses water. These residents can be contacted within minutes and have bottled water source delivered to their homes.
Through public health data, Acorn could determine pregnancies or recent pregnancies in the affected area. This information could then be provided to the public health unit who would be able to contact all individuals within hours to ensure they were informed on the specific precautions they should be taken to protect their families.
​
Acorn would also leverage municipal and social services data to identify all schools, daycares, and home daycare facilities. This information would be provided to the public health unit and Child Care Algoma so they could be contacted about the present health risks.
​
Today, the process of communicating public health risks is much faster and efficient. Acorn has developed a spatial auto dialer in the CIU. This tool uses the contact information connected to water rate-payer to deliver recorded notices to affected residents. This technology is capable of contacting hundreds of people in a matter of minutes to effectively address public health risks associated with municipal infrastructure.
Benefits
Through the use of the CIU, Acorn is able to quickly identify the areas affected by boil water advisories. The at-risk population can be identified with less time and effort using multi-enterprise data and be notified of potential health risks to ensure public safety is maintained. The partnerships, GIS tools and integrated data could also be used to notify vulnerable populations for any number of possible emergencies.
“If you look at this boil water event as an example, the operating authority contacts us and public infrastructure data allows us to create a polygon around the affected area. And then a whole bunch of things happen in a matter of less than two hours. Through our Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR) we can identify and contact those who need additional assistance. Using health care data; we can reach the known pregnancies who would be affected; municipal and DSSAB allows us to quickly identify all of the schools, pre-schools, and daycare facilities. Nobody in the world can do that. So, people are interested in how that happens? It works because the data is interconnected and we have great data-sharing relationships.”
​
– Paul Beach
Manager, Acorn Information Solutions
.png){kind=small}