DisGovr News in Review
News Recap for August, 2020
Canadian GovTech Summit Series Live for Registration
The Capital Hill Group is pleased to report that registration for the Canadian GovTech Summit Series, Virtual Edition, is now live for registration.
Registration can be found here: canadatechsummit.ca
This series of three events will feature Government and Industry presentations on the themes of Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Big Data and AI. The core objective of the event is to hear from Government about what projects they are working on and to facilitate connections through the virtual conferences’ B2B/B2G platform.
Sponsorship and presentation slots are available to CHG clients at a discounted rate. This information is now available on the website though your consultant will be reaching out with an official package.
If you have specific questions, please contact Kevin Tetreault at Ktetreault@capitalhillgroup.ca
Province Supporting Innovative Made-in-Ontario Technology to Sanitize PPE Ontario Funding Innovative Apple Grower in the Fight Against COVID-19
Through the Ontario together fund, the Ontario government is investing $2 million into clean works medical and pure life Machinery, helping manufacture a one-of-a-kind, sanitizing device called the Clean Flow Healthcare Mini. With Ontario’s support, They will scale up the production of the clean flow of healthcare to nearly triple its current capacity.
This new device will be able to sanitize N95 masks and other PPE for frontline workers. Their technology is health Canada approved and can destroy up to 99.99 percent of pathogens and viruses on services and clean up to 800 N95 masks per hour.
First co-developed in 2015 by Myers Apple products and clean works to disinfect produce. Ontario government will work with our world-class innovators and manufacturers and deliver made in ON solutions, to help ensure we can provide our own PPE and are prepared for any future healthcare crisis.
Ontario's funding will support 19 new jobs and the purchase and installation of metal fabrication, equipment assembly, and facility modifications.
- By January, these 19 jobs will be filled.
- Ontario together launched $50 million funds providing the $2 million investment today, out of almost $4 million investment.
- The ON together site went up early in this pandemic, and we have seen 27,000 people on that site register.
- We have seen the province purchase 800million dollars from that website for critical supplies and PPE
MERX gets a redesign to become more user-friendly
MERX, one of the most comprehensive sources of public and private sector business opportunities in Canada has recently been updated with a new design, aimed to make the process more user intuitive.
With thousands of procurements on their website and with new ones being added daily, the process to find the right IT-related procurement might still feel daunting. Capital Hill Group’s DisGovr platform makes the process even easier by providing a daily procurement report that’s custom tailored to your needs.
If you would like to receive a custom procurement report each morning, contact info@capitalhillgroup.ca for more details.
Government of Canada invests $1.9 million in high-speed Internet in rural Quebec
As the pandemic has exponentially increased the reliance on internet, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Quebec Lieutenant, on
behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, announced $1.94 million in funding, through the Connect to Innovate program, for five new projects to improve high speed internet access in rural Quebec.
$1,019,925 is allocated to Bell Canada for three-projects using fibre optic technology to provide high-speed Internet in Saint-Pie-de-Guire, Lac-à-la Truite, and Saint-Séverin and Saint-Frédéric. $927,938 is allocated to Groupe Maskatel LP for two projects using fibre optic technology to provide high-speed Internet in Saint-Lucien, and Lac Bolduc.
This funding is part of the government’s High-Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy, ensuring that broadband internet is available for all Canadians.
Covid - 19 Tracing App Updates
Canadian privacy watchdogs support COVID-19 exposure app
COVID Alert app launched in Ontario last Friday and Federal and Ontario privacy commissioners have concluded their review of the country’s new COVID-19 exposure notification app and say they support its use following initial privacy and security concerns.
This app is designed to notify users when they’re in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. However, it is completely anonymous, and does not track a user’s location, or use GPS.
How the app works is it produces random codes, and uses Bluetooth to ping other users’ phones and exchanges these codes whenever two people who have the app are physically near one another. If a person with the app reports that they have COVID-19, the app can send a notification to anyone who came close enough to that person to receive the specific code within the last 14 days.
Privacy commissioners across Canada issued a joint statement in May advising key privacy principles needed to protect the identity of users and their data.
Privacy watchdogs say it has been developed with robust safeguards; however, they also noted the risk of third parties who may seek to compel the app’s users to disclose information. The federal government has agreed to involve the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) in an audit of the app after it is up and running, though no official details have been announced.
Ontario’s construction industry pushes for wearable COVID-19 tracing app
A labour union representing Ontario’s construction industry says its members won’t use the federal government’s new COVID-19 tracking app because it requires the use of smartphones, which are prohibited on job sites for safety reasons.
Joseph Mancinelli, the international vice-president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), is urging the government to adopt a made-in-Ontario app that includes “wearables,” which feature technology that can be worn on a bracelet or carried in a wallet.
Mr. Mancinelli union has partnered on a pilot project for an app called TraceSCAN, which began as an ecofriendly ridesharing app developed by Toronto-based Facedrive.
With construction sites employing anywhere from a handful of workers to several hundred, Mr. Mancinelli said that without a wearable app that can determine who workers have been in close contact with, sites may be shut down as soon as one case is reported. Same issues within hospitals or nursing homes.
Suman Pushparajah, leader of the TraceSCAN pilot project, said adapting to different work sites is key to successful contact tracing and is hoping to work with Ottawa to integrate that technology into its tracking app.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he had spoken to LiUNA about using its app. “They want to bring it on construction sites, so you know I’m in favour of that, and that’s going to be strictly up to the federal government to decide if they’re going to allow them to do that or not,” he said.
Minister Murray emphasizes Digital Governments Future
Last week, Minister of Digital Government, Minister Joyce Murray went live with the Civic Tech TO’s virtual hacknight. Minister Murray highlighted her government’s push towards a further connected and digital shift in government operations.
Minister Murray was quoted as saying ” My goal is to turn our government’s crisis-driven digital response into a permanent shift in the way we serve Canadians and to build a more digitally enabled country”
Minister Murray sees opportunities throughout the Covid – 19 pandemic as more Canadians are working and communicating through digital means. As well we can expect to see a continued push for the government to better serve Canadians through more enhanced digital processes.
The Capital Hill Group and DisGovr Canada Expand Reach into Quebec
This summer the Capital Hill Group expanded its service offerings in the Quebec region in both monitoring and consulting capacities. Daily procurement reports will now include Tech opportunities in Quebec and reports will also cover significant policy developments in that province that would be of interest to the ICT sector.
From a consulting perspective, this summer, the Capital Hill Group’s expertise within Quebec was augmented through the addition of Matthew Conway. Matthew has over a decade experience in the public sector, serving as an advisor to several Ministers, including the Honourable Caroline Mulroney, Honourable Tony Clement, Honourable James Moore, Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, and the Honourable Senator Claude Carignan.
During his time at Queen’s Park, Matthew led Francophone Affairs for Minister Mulroney including reaching a deal with the Government of Canada for the joint financing of a French Language University in Toronto, helping develop the framework for an upcoming Francophone Economic Development Plan and led the preparations for the modernization of the upcoming French Language Services Act.
During his time in Ottawa, Matthew served as Press Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, Tony Clement, handling day to day media relations and highly sensitive issues as well as serving as both a legal and political researcher. He also served as a policy advisor to the Honourable Senator Claude Carignan during his term as Leader of the Government in the Senate.
Matthew earned a Bachelor of Law from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) along with a degree in Paralegal Technology from O’Sullivan College in Montreal where he was awarded the Governor General’s Academic Medal for academic excellence in 2005.
Both a native and current resident of Montreal, Matthew is fluently bilingual (French and English) with French being his mother tongue. Matthew has also been highly active in Quebec politics from his days in the Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ), forging many close relationships with members and staff of the current government in Quebec City. Matthew spends his time outside of work with his daughter and extended family and friends in Montreal.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Director, Francophone Affairs for the Minister of Francophone Affairs in Ontario
- Communications Advisor to the Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition
- Policy Advisor and Researcher to the Leader of the Government in the Senate
- Press Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board
- Candidate, 2011 Federal Election and the 2008 Quebec Election
If you are interested in discussing adding Quebec as an area of focus for your activities, please contact your consultant, David Angus (Dangus@capitalhillgroup.ca) or Matthew Conway (mconway@capitalhillgroup.ca).
