Public Service Announcement

Apps4Halifax People’s Choice Awards announced

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 (Halifax, NS) – Over 1,500 people voted for their favourite apps that they feel will be of benefit to the residents of Halifax Regional Municipality during the public voting phase (Dec. 2 – Jan. 6) of the Apps4Halifax Open Data Contest. The developers who have won the 2014 People’s Choice Award in each of four categories, which includes a cash prize of $1000, are:

Keep ‘er Movin’ – Halifax Explorer submitted by Jerome Pelletier
Live It Up - Halifax Explorer submitted by Jerome Pelletier
Go Green - HALIFICATION submitted by Majd Hussini
Your City – HALIFICATION submitted by Majd Hussini

Judging for all other prizes begins January 9. The winners will be announced on January 18.

Thirty-eight (38) apps were entered in the Apps4Halifax contest. Eligible apps must have used at least one dataset from HRM’s Open Data Catalogues and fit within at least one of the four categories: Keep ‘er Movin’, Live It Up, Go Green or Your City. There will be five cash prizes awarded in each category for a total of $44,000: Gold - $5000, Silver - $3000, Bronze - $1000, Top Student App - $1000, and People’s Choice - $1000. Each app under each category will be judged based on four equally weighted criteria: accessibility, usability, creativity and number of community votes received.

Students and startup companies who built an app using Esri Canada’s ArcGIS technology are also eligible to enter the Maps in Apps Student and Startup challenges for a chance to win additional prize packages. Winners will also be announced on January 18.

The Apps4Halifax contest was created to encourage public engagement and inspire the development of user-friendly applications for Nova Scotia citizens using HRM open data. The Open Data Pilot, launched earlier this year at data.halifax.ca, enables public viewing and use of a selection of HRM datasets free of charge for a 12-month period.

The Halifax Regional Municipality wishes to acknowledge and extend sincere thanks to our sponsors of Apps4Halifax: IBM, Esri Canada, Telus, Global Halifax, Metro News, Live 105, The Hub Halifax, Saint Mary’s University, McInnes Cooper, National Public Relations, Socrata, Open Text, The Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites, The Foggy Goggle, Estia Restaurant and Spring Garden Area Business Association, Halifax World Trade and Convention Centre (WTCC), Podcamp Halifax, Frischkorn Audiovisual and Lixar.

For more information about the Apps4Halifax contest, visit www.Apps4Halifax.ca or follow @hfxgov on Twitter, #apps4hfx.

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Media Contact:
Janet Bryson
HRM Communications