Well, the big day has arrived! The Smart Waterloo Region proposal was officially submitted to Infrastructure Canada on March 5. As a representative on the SWR Advisory Committee, I wanted to thank all CYPT members who gave their time and insights to the SWR Phase 2 work. As you will see in the details below from Matthew, this project has prioritized the meaningful engagement and participation of children and youth, helped to create new connections, and has the potential to leverage an incredible $100M+ in additional financial and in-kind supports from community and out-of-community partners to benefit child and youth well-being.
As a Co-Chair of CYPT, I am particularly thankful for the work CYPT organizations have contributed to over the years to set such a strong foundation in our community regarding child and youth well-being. This SWR proposal is a testament to the investment you each make every day to bettering the lives of children, youth and families.
A huge thank you to Alison and her team who have put in countless hours to support the SWR submission. Their dedication and commitment to the work in supporting well-being for children and youth in our community inspires us all.
Looking forward to what comes next, and fingers crossed!
Debbie Engel
~Shared on behalf of Smart Waterloo Region~
Good Morning Smart Waterloo Region Community Partners,
I am happy to share with you that after over a year of engagement, community collaboration, and ideation, we have submitted our final Smart Cities Challenge application to Infrastructure Canada.
As of today, Waterloo Region is one step closer to achieving our new goal to become the best community in Canada for children and youth! The Region and all seven area municipalities, along with children and youth, local child and youth service providers, tech, and educational and research sectors came together to chart a path forward to make Waterloo Region the best community in Canada for children and youth. In addition to this local support, we’ve established new partnerships with provincial, national and international organizations, most notably with UNICEF Canada.
From all of us on the SWR team, we would like to say a special thank you to all of you for supporting Waterloo Region’s Smart Cities bid. We are not done yet; below are some of the next steps that are in front of us over the next couple of months.
Next Steps:
- The application will be posted online in the next two weeks.
- Mid-May – All finalist communities will be in Ottawa for a final presentation and showcase with the Smart Cities Jury.
- Late May/Early June – Winning Community Announced.
As we continue through the process over the next two months, we will keep you posted with updates on any feedback. Please feel free to share this update with those in your networks. We will also be sharing information about our submission through social media.
In the interim, if you have any questions, please let me know.
Thank you,
Matthew Chandy
Smart Waterloo Region Lead
T. 519-575-4489
