Planning & Development Map is here!

The City has launched a new user-friendly, online mapping tool to allow citizens to comment on and follow redesignation applications: Calgary.ca/developmentmap

What’s New?

• Social media sharing
• Multiple search options
• File status tracker
• Plain language descriptions
• Direct comments and feedback
• Online and mobile access

Users can follow the progress of redesignation applications from submission through decision by City Council. The site includes plain language descriptions of redesignation applications and users can submit comments to City Planners and Council online. Applications can be searched by file number, address, community or ward. Layers can also be added or removed so that citizens can see the borders of their community and ward.

This data has been available before but hasn’t had the interactive functionality that this map provides. The comment/feedback features are new and a huge leap for citizen interaction and engagement on redesignation applications.

The map is online and mobile friendly and can be used on Android, iOS and Blackberry handheld devices.

What’s Next?
The site is in beta mode and City staff are continuously working to populate all application pages with plain language descriptions and application details. We encourage user feedback on the online and mobile versions of the site. Tweaks to the existing map, along with new features will be added over 2016, including more application types and file descriptions. Phase I of the release focuses on redesignation applications.

Innovations in road construction: Summer 2015

A fibreglass grid is installed on Sarcee Trail S.W.

Calgary is a city of changing climates, which can cause some roadways to deteriorate more quickly than others. While asphalt is a durable and economical material when it comes to road construction, maintenance problems occur when cracks form within the base layers of the roadway and are reflected up into the top layers. These cracks form due to a number of reasons, including very low temperatures, the freeze-thaw cycle, moisture penetration and traffic fatigue.

To keep Calgarians on the move, this summer The City piloted a pair of new projects aimed at improving the service life of our roadways and reduce lifecycle costs.

The first of these projects was a fibreglass grid system. The grid is placed between the base layer and the top layer of the asphalt. The potential is that the fibreglass grid should decrease cracking that occurs over time on the top asphalt layer of the roadway, and the grid will also help strengthen high use roads to prevent ruts and fatigue cracks from forming.

A close-up of the fiberglass grid.

In this particular case, The City used a grid that was a composite (with a nonwoven polypropylene material) which will also serve as a protective barrier against moisture penetration. This major road rehabilitation, including the fibreglass grid and drainage improvements, was installed on a one kilometre section of northbound Sarcee Trail S.W. north of Richmond Road S.W. The grid was also installed on 101 Street S.W. between Highway 8 and 17 Avenue S.W.

The second pilot used this summer was fibre reinforced asphalt, which was installed on southbound Shaganappi Trail N.W. between 16 Avenue N.W. and 32 Avenue N.W. Small batches of synthetic fibre are added to asphalt during the mixing process. This helps to increase the structural capacity of the asphalt by making it stronger in turn creating a more durable asphalt top layer that is more resistant to daily wear and tear.

The City will continue to monitor both pilots over the course of their service life by comparing them with roadways of similar age and traffic counts.

For more information on The City of Calgary’s Roads Construction, visit Calgary.ca and search Roads Construction Division.   

Calgary Transit now 100% accessible

Calgary Transit has retired the last high-floor bus in the fleet, making the system 100% accessible.

The entire fleet of 1,100 buses has been transitioned to low-floor buses that allow a ramp to be lowered to make it easier for customers with mobility issues to board the bus.

Barry Lindeman is an advocate for people with disabilities and uses a wheelchair himself. He said it’s a big step forward for Calgary Transit.

“Now you know, every route, every stop (you’re) going to be able to get on,” he said. “I think it’s great...You know you can get everywhere from the Saddledome to COP.”

This is a milestone event for Calgary Transit as they work to ensure the transit system can be used by all Calgarians, whether by bus or CTrain, or through Access Calgary — a division of Calgary Transit that provides transportation for people with disabilities who cannot use regular transit service.

“It’s very important for us,” said Russell Davies, Manager Transit Fleet. “About four years ago, we made a commitment to convert our whole fleet over by 2015 so we’ve done this a year ahead of schedule.”

Calgary Transit has been moving towards this goal since 1993 and has been careful to maximize the value of older buses, while keeping in mind the accessibility needs of Calgarians. The last 117 high-floor buses in the fleet had a combined mileage of 108 million kilometres.

Calgary Transit launches new and improved website

Calgary Transit launched a new and improved website today featuring real time bus information and vastly improved trip planning functionality.

New features include:

• Real-time bus information - enter a bus stop number to view bus locations
• Teletext and Teleride in real time
• A responsive design that adapts to any screen size, including smartphone, tablet or desktop computer
• A new trip planner that uses Google Maps, as well as an optional advanced trip planner that uses Calgary Transit software
• Site content available in multiple languages

Advances in technology have raised our customers’ expectations and the new website plays a key role in closing the gap between those expectations and the services we provide. We look forward to continuously improving service and the overall experience for all Calgary Transit customers.

The City of Calgary and Shaw Communications Inc. announce nine new Wi-Fi locations

Following a successful roll-out of The City’s public Wi-Fi program, The City of Calgary and Shaw Communications have announced nine new locations where the public can access the high-speed Shaw Go WiFi network at no cost.

Shaganappi Point LRT Station

The new locations include:

• Shaw Millennium Park
• Shaganappi Point LRT Station
• Maple Ridge Golf Course
• Shaganappi Golf Course
• Father David Bauer/Norma Bush Arenas
• Rose Kohn/Jimmie Condon Arenas
• Henry Viney/Stu Hendry Arenas*
• Optimist/George Blundun Arenas*
• Ernie Starr Arena*

“We are really encouraged by the early success of the public Wi-Fi program and the positive feedback from Calgarians,” says Heather Reed-Fenske, manager, Information Technology. “Shaw has been an excellent partner and their operational team has fulfilled our desire to expand free Wi-Fi into city facilities and allow the public to use technology when visiting a park, arena, golf course, or LRT station.”

Devonian Gardens

Since the launch of public Wi-Fi, from May 2014 until the end of August, there have been more than 163,000 connections to the public Wi-Fi service, with total data usage peaking at more than 357,000 MB. The most popular location based on guest connections is the Chinook LRT Station, with over 63,000 users connecting to the ShawGuest hotspot. Guests logging in at Devonian have used over 930,000 minutes and over 188,000 MB of data, making it the most popular location for surfing the web for longer periods of time.

The City will continue to expand public Wi-Fi hotspots in partnership Shaw Communications Inc., Parks, Recreation and Calgary Transit. For more information on public Wi-Fi visit Calgary.ca.
* service available end of October 2014

@CityofCalgary reaches 100,000 Twitter followers

Earlier this week, the City of Calgary Twitter account crossed 100,000 followers. Calgary continues to have the most Twitter followers of any Canadian municipality, and that’s only because of you!

“When we started a Twitter account for The City more than five years ago, we knew it had good potential. But we had no idea that it would become this big and important for communicating with Calgarians. During the 2013 flood Twitter became our key channel to deliver on Mayor Nenshi’s promise ‘when we know, Calgarians will know’”, said Jacob George, Manager of Corporate Marketing and Communications at the City of Calgary.

Twitter is very useful, even when we are not responding to a crisis. We use Twitter to inform Calgarians of many programs and services that The City of Calgary provides. Twitter is also useful for Calgarians to tell us what they think about our services and make suggestions for improvement.

George notes, "There are so many different ways to connect with Calgarians, and it is our job to utilize the channels that will have the greatest reach to their full potential."



Our integrated communication approach includes communications, marketing, social media, media relations and 311 support. Being inclusive and accessible is core to our communication efforts and something we are constantly mindful of when reaching out to Calgarians.

"Twitter alone would not be an effective strategy," said George. "In fact, any tool alone is no longer effective. People want their news personalized, so they only receive the information that matters the most to them via the channels that are most convenient for them – and this is different for each person. This is what we aim to deliver; and Twitter has been one of our more successful social media channels - not just in Calgary, but also setting an example of best practices across the nation."

Four new Public Wi-Fi hotspots around the city

The City of Calgary, together with Shaw Communications Inc., is officially launching Public Wi-Fi service to Calgarians. Starting May 13, 2014, Wi-Fi will be available in four city locations including Devonian Gardens, Chinook LRT Station, Village Square Leisure Centre and Southland Leisure Centre.



“This collaboration with Shaw Communications Inc. promotes greater accessibility at City facilities and creates a highly connected community,” said Heather Reed-Fenske, manager, Innovation & Collaboration, Information Technology. “City facilities such as arenas, golf courses and LRT stations are ideal locations to offer Public Wi-Fi. Though we are initially launching four sites, the plan is to have more Public Wi-Fi hotspots at City facilities available in the future.”

Users can sign-up for a free ShawGuest account and will receive 500 megabytes of monthly data to use at any of the four Public Wi-Fi locations. There is no charge for creating an account or using the service, however users must register by selecting ShawGuest on the list of available Wi-Fi hotspots on their device.

Once ShawGuest is selected, users will be prompted to register for the service and will receive 30 days of access. When the 30 days expire, those who use the service must register again to access another 30 day period. Shaw customers have the option to register for a ShawGuest account or use their existing Shaw login information.

“The partnership between The City of Calgary and Shaw Communications Inc. is a win-win situation. Access to the Public Wi-Fi system is at no cost to citizens,” said Reed-Fenske. “Calgary is a fast growing city and the way we access information as a culture is changing everyday. Offering free Public Wi-Fi in City facilities allows citizens to find information on the go, when they need it, like booking a tee time or finding a drop-in fitness class.”

The City encourages citizens to provide feedback on what they think of the new service by submitting a service request to 311; and will continue to work with Shaw to determine future locations for Public Wi-Fi.

Calgary’s 9-1-1 centre prepares to offer Text with 9-1-1 for the DHHSI Community

One year ago today the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued a directive to all wireless service providers to implement the necessary infrastructure making it possible for the deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired (DHHSI) population to text message with 9-1-1. Today marks the deadline for that work to be completed and the wireless service providers have now handed the reins to 9-1-1 centres across the country to make their necessary changes.

Work is already underway at The City of Calgary Public Safety Communications (PSC) and it is hoped the new Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1) service will be available to Calgary’s deaf and hard or hearing community in spring 2014.

“Currently, the only way for the deaf and hard of hearing individuals to communicate with 9-1-1 is through the Teletypewriter (TTY) system, which was brought into use in the 1960s. We are happy that we will be able to offer them an updated service that will allow them better access to our emergency services,” said PSC Commander Steve Dongworth.

“We recognize this has been a long time coming and this community has been very patient. Our centre has made it a priority to get it up and running as soon as possible. We are very proud that we will be the first in Alberta to offer this service and amongst the first in Canada.”

PSC has started working with deaf and hard of hearing serving organizations and will continue to do so over the coming months to educate their members on what to expect from the service. Once the service is available in Calgary, all DHHSI individuals with a cell phone subscription will be able to register for the free service.

Once registered, a DHHSI person requiring emergency services will still dial 9-1-1 on their cell phone however, the 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Officer (ECO) will receive an indicator telling them to communicate with the caller via text messaging.

T9-1-1 will not be available for members of the general public. Voice calling remains the best and most effective way to access 9-1-1 services by a person that is not deaf, hard of hearing or with speech impairment. During an emergency, time is of the essence and talking enables faster communication than texting, and there is a small chance that text messaging could be delayed.  Text to 9-1-1 for the public at large may be available at some time in the future.

For more information and updates on the T9-1-1 initiative please visit www.Textwith911.ca. 

A bird’s-eye view of Calgary on June 22, 2013

The City of Calgary has released a highly accurate aerial photograph taken on June 22, 2013 of the areas adjacent to the Bow and Elbow rivers.  The photo is referred to as an orthophoto and was taken by a low-flying aircraft on June 22, between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

An orthophoto is different than a common photo because it has been geometrically corrected for distortions caused by the terrain and  the orientation of the aircraft and camera lens.  Unlike a common photograph, an orthophoto has been rectified, meaning that it can be used to accurately measure distances and areas.

“This orthophoto is a snapshot that shows the Bow and Elbow rivers, at that particular time,” says Bruce Cullen, Director of Infrastructure & Information Services at The City.  “This orthophoto does not necessarily indicate the maximum high water line or how the water got there.”

 

To view and download sections of the June 22, 2013 orthophoto, visit cityonline.calgary.ca.  An instructional PDF file and video are available on the site to assist users in viewing and downloading your preferred sections of orthophoto.   

For optimal viewing and download, it is recommended that citizens use Internet Explorer to download the files.  It is also recommended that the files be downloaded to a USB flash drive (minimum 2 GB) that is able to hold large files. 

Citizens are asked to be patient during the download process, as the files are large in size (200 MB each) and may take a few moments to download.

Enhancing The City’s digital presence

Check out calgary.ca to see key improvements to navigation and the look and feel based on your feedback. 

With increasing citizen expectations for online access to City Information, services and initiatives, The City of Calgary is continually looking at how we can improve customer satisfaction and usability for calgary.ca.

Following the launch of the search-based calgary.ca, we began monitoring citizen satisfaction results and user feedback. Based on this data, we made minor adjustments to the site and improved content for search engine optimization.

In July 2012, we launched a satisfaction tool on calgary.ca in addition to the “Didn’t find what you’re looking for” feedback form. This serves in providing us with detailed data as to how you are searching our site, what search terms you are using and how satisfied you are with the experience.

“By giving citizens a means to provide us with feedback, we can make changes to the site based on the specific needs of the user,” says Team Lead, Web & Digital Services Paul Taylor. “Essentially, the enhancements we've implemented are in direct response to our user’s feedback.”

Your feedback has told us that the most important factors in increasing satisfaction are improved search functionality and an intuitive navigation structure on calgary.ca. Recommendations included a global navigation that would compliment our search in addition to enhancing our search functionality. 

What we’ve done

In mid-September we launched query improvements to the search engine that included: 

• Additional filtering capabilities (business unit, topic, department, content type, content source).
• Search and spelling suggest logic to increase credibility and performance of suggestions.
• Ability to sort by date or relevancy.

The enhancements to calgary.ca include:

• A “Browse by Topic” page to compliment the search functionality. The high-level categories were determined in a working session with digital teams, calgary.ca metrics and citizen feedback. The topics will be iterative based on metrics analysis moving forward.
• Categories with links to the top five pages.
• Provides the user with links to their most recently visited pages.

• Changes to the user interface driven by data, feedback, the need for new functionality and responsive design.
• Simplified the site header.
• Increased the search bar size and length and made it top floating so it’s always visible to the user.
• Added a new footer structure.
• Redesigned the search results page.
• Updated the news ticker.

Next steps

This doesn’t mean we stop here. With mobile device use exploding, The City is making it possible for you to access calgary.ca from anywhere, anytime.

“Our next phase will involve improving our digital presence by implementing responsive design techniques to ensure our content is optimized for any device,” adds Taylor.

Check out the enhancements on calgary.ca and let us know what you think. We’re listening. We’ll continue to make improvements to our digital presence based on citizen satisfaction results and user feedback. 

Open Data: Power to the people

On a daily basis, The City uses a lot of information to keep Calgary running smoothly. Whether it is mapping, data bases, statistics or service requests collected from 311, just to name a bit, The City needs information – or “data”, to work effectively and efficiently.

Much of this data is not only useful to City business units to provide products and services to citizens – but it is also useful to citizens. When information is made available to the public, it is called Open Data.

By definition, Open Data refers to data that is made available for free, without restrictions (anybody can use it) and can be used for any purpose, including commercial purposes.

Did you know that The City of Calgary has an open data catalogue available to the public so that they can use some of The City’s information? Well, we do and it's available at data.calgary.ca.

Why provide open data? It enables transparency and accountability of governments and provides a wealth of information to citizens.

The City recently improved its open data catalogue by adding new data sets, including traffic incidents, Roads/311 service requests and 2013 election results. Check out this short video to learn more about how open data can benefit Calgarians.

“We redesigned our original concept for the open data catalogue based on stakeholder feedback after a pilot program,” explains Peter Talbot, manager, Access Solutions. Peter adds, “We are excited to provide a tool to distribute data, allowing for innovation inside and outside of The City.”

The City’s Open Data Catalogue is maintained by Infrastructure & Information Services (IIS). IIS works with various business units across The City to collect and identify data sets for release in accordance with existing FOIP regulations.

Residential permit applications begin going online in 2014

Kevin Griffiths, Chief Building Official and manager of Building Regulations talks about Residential ePermit and The City’s efforts to place residential permit applications online starting in 2014.

The project targets industry customers in 2013, starting with two of The City’s most popular permit applications:

• Single Construction permit in a Developing Area
• A new home construction in new community
• Contextual Dwelling (single & semi-detached) permit in a Developed Area 
• A home built within an existing community that meets a specific set of rules (Land Use Bylaw 1P2007)

Work to add remaining Residential Permits online will be reviewed by DBA in 2014.
Residential ePermit will change the residential permit process, making it easier and faster to obtain a permit.  A few customer benefits include:

• Applying for permits online, eliminating the need to visit the Municipal building in person
• Obtaining a single project number, combining the Development and Building Permit
• Enabling online project tracking for customers
• Reducing customer costs, eliminating courier fees, and associated printing costs 

The next release will process the first single application for a Contextual dwelling (single & semi-detached home) online.  The single application will allow customers to apply for a Development Permit and Building Permit in one application.  This change will make it faster and easier for industry customers to do business with The City.

Learn more about the project, and changes to the residential permitting process by visiting calgary.ca/epermit.

Transportation All A Twitter

Calgary commuters will have another source of traffic information from The City of Calgary starting today.

The City’s Transportation department is launching a new twitter account. The account @yyctransport provides news, information and updates on traffic and transportation-related events, projects and programs.

Throughout the day, commuters will find traffic information on detours, road closures and incidents. People can also check @yyctransport for updates on events, open houses, Calgary Transit service alerts, construction projects, cycling news and transportation-related programs.

“This account will augment the other City of Calgary communication and social media channels already in use to share transportation-related information,” said Ken Farrington, Transportation’s Digital Communications Supervisor. “There is a lot of transportation and mobility-related information that commuters, cyclists and pedestrians want. This is another way for them to access it easily.”

Transportation information is already available through several City communication channels. The City’s Twitter account @CityofCalgary launched in 2009 has more than 83,000 followers and Calgary Transit’s Twitter account @calgarytransit targeting transit customers has almost 30,000 followers. The City also has a Facebook presence, a City YouTube channel with more than 1,200 videos and a dedicated Transportation channel, the Newsroom for news releases and advisories, and the City News blog.

Information on The City’s Snow and Ice Control (SNIC) program will be shared on @yyctransport. SNIC and snow route parking ban information is already available through our online map, a downloadable iPhone app for snow and ice control, an opt-in email notification, on calgary.ca and through regular media.

So when you are looking for information on what’s happening down the street or around Calgary, let your fingers do the walking.
 

A "TIPP" about property tax

The property tax payment deadline is Friday, June 28, but there’s still time to assess your personal tax payment needs.

Do you prefer to save up throughout the year and pay your taxes in one lump sum? Or would you rather budget on a monthly basis? The Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP) is a valuable program that helps make budgeting a little bit easier.

TIPP enables homeowners to pay property taxes monthly instead of making a single payment in June.  Plus, it helps avoid the risk of paying a 7% penalty if you have not paid your property taxes by the June 28 deadline.

It’s simple to join TIPP and you can join at any time. If you’re interested in signing up for the payment plan you can do so by following the steps below:

1. Visit Calgary.ca/TIPP to request an application
2. Click  the ‘Request an application to join’ link
3. Click the ‘Tax Installment Payment Plan application request’ button
4. Enter your home address, then add other key pieces of information by following the prompts
5. Add additional comments if required, or click ‘next step’ to review and submit your request

An application specific to your property will be emailed to you within 7 business days. Follow the instructions in the email, choose your preferred method to submit and you are set!

For more information about TIPP, and other payment options visit Calgary.ca/propertytax.

Find out what other city services are easily available online at Calgary.ca/311.

Calgary Parks' OISEAU App - helping youth explore our parks

The City of Calgary Parks has launched a fun and educational new app! The Order of Inter-species Explorers, Adventurers & Ubernaturalists, (better known as OISEAU) app allows kids to join a fictitious, secret nature intelligence agency. The app encourages youth to explore local parks through fun, interactive, place-based nature challenges.

To find out which seven parks can currently be explored with the OISEAU app, or to learn more, visit AgentsOfNature.com.

City Matters: New ways to connect with 311 Calgary

Citizens now have three ways to contact 311 – via the recently-launched 311 Calgary mobile app, online or by calling.

The app makes it fast and easy to submit a service request. Attach photos, use your smartphone’s GPS function and provide us with detailed information to allow City of Calgary employees to assess, prioritize and respond efficiently. This detailed information will save The City time in our response process. Also, include your contact information. The City will not share these details publicly and we will only contact you if we require more information or to inform you that we've responded to your request.

Be a ‘citizen superhero’ and download the app at calgary.ca/311.

311 Calgary mobile app tops iTunes chart

On Wednesday afternoon The City’s 311 app was the number one download on iTunes Free Utilities Apps.

Unveiled yesterday, “the 311 Calgary mobile app is only one of the steps we’re taking to improve interactions with citizens, “said 311 Citizen's Services Manager, Terry Pearce.

In 2005, The City of Calgary was the first municipality in Canada to launch a 311 Operation Centre. Continually adding services over the years, 311 has grown beyond a traditional call centre to include 311 online and now a mobile application. Each improvement provides Calgarians with another way to connect with The City anytime, anywhere and on any device.

City reaches social media milestone at 50,000 Twitter followers

A huge THANK YOU to the more than 50K Tweeps who connect with us here #milestone reached this week! What content do you find most useful?
— City of Calgary (@cityofcalgary) April 18, 2013

The City of Calgary reached a social media milestone this week, crossing the 50,000 follower mark on Twitter.

The City also has the most followers of any municipality in Canada, with more than larger cities including Toronto. @CityofCalgary is also ranked in the top five most popular Twitter accounts in Calgary, which include Jan Arden and the Calgary Flames.

Since 2009 when The City actively began using T witter, @CityofCalgary has been used to connect with citizens on topics ranging from road closures and water main breaks to employment opportunities and community engagement sessions.

 “Through Twitter The City is able to directly communicate with over 50,000 Calgarians and their networks on social media,” said Jacob George, acting director of Customer Service & Communication. “Not only are we communicating with them but citizens are encouraged to directly engage with us through social media as well.”

Connecting directly to citizens is a top priority for the social media team which strives to be responsive to citizens and concerns. Using Twitter The City has live tweeted City events and hosted question and answer sessions to directly interact with citizens as well.

Twitter is one of a network of social media channels at The City including a Facebook page, with over 11, 000 likes, a YouTube channel with over 1,200 videos and 800,000 views and the Calgary City News Blog which is produced by communicators from business units across The City.

For more information on The City’s social media channels visit calgary.ca/socialmedia

Pedestrian countdown timers increase safety at City intersections

Pedestrian crossing countdown timers are one of the many innovative ways The City is using technology to increase traffic and pedestrian safety in our transportation network.

The City began permanently installing these types of signals at various intersections around Calgary in 2005, after a pilot study conducted the year before. Currently, pedestrian crossing countdown timers exist at 184 of the 1,000 or so signalized intersections throughout Calgary with most of those located primarily in the downtown core.

Pedestrian crossing countdown timers are installed at intersections that meet criteria set out by the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC), a world leader in creating technical expertise and transportation knowledge. The City of Calgary is held accountable to TAC requirements. Now an industry standard, TAC agrees the signals have shown to be an effective way to improve traffic safety across the country.

According to TAC Guidelines for Optimal Use of Pedestrian Countdown Signals, there were five studies conducted in cities in Canada and the United States between 1999 and 2003. “The five studies showed that there were no noticeable changes in vehicle speed, acceleration, signal violation or other vehicle behaviour after pedestrian countdown crossing timers were installed.” (2005) TAC also reported that this finding is consistent in all five cities.

City engineers measure and monitor traffic and signalization at various intersections around Calgary to see how safety can be improved and what type of technology would be the right fit. In the case of countdown timers, intersection characteristics such as high pedestrian and vehicle traffic volumes, the width of an intersection and a high volume of pedestrians who are children, seniors or individuals with mobility issues are considered before any installation decisions are made.

Calgary continues to hold one of the lowest collision casualty rates among Canadian cities, and since 2002 the collision rate on Calgary roadways has decreased 15 per cent. The City continues to conduct traffic safety studies to ensure that we are at the forefront of providing all Calgarians with a safe transportation network.

What is IT? How The City's IT brings services to citizens

Doug Hodgson, chief information technology officer, explain The City's IT

What is Information Technology (IT) at The City of Calgary and how does it help connect citizens?

Research is showing Calgarians are some of the most connected in North America and citizens are fuelling the need to move more services online and access them from mobile devices.  From the water you drink, to signing up for City recreation services, to connecting over 230 City sites across Calgary, The City’s IT is hard at work today and for tomorrow.