Last May, over 260 participants attended the
AquaHacking 2015 – Ottawa River Summit. They were privileged to witness historic moments: the creation of a
Joint Quebec-Ontario Committee on Water Management, the official signature of the
Gatineau Declaration, and the announcement of the winners of the first
AquaHacking coding competition. These are some of the tangible results of our project which was launched two years ago and that concluded on May 29th and 30th, 2015, at the Hilton Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.
What is AquaHacking?
Dedicated to the preservation of Canadian lakes and rivers, this initiative aims to converge water and technology by gathering both of these communities around this important cause.
AquaHacking was initiated by the youngest generation of the de Gaspé Beaubien family. They believe that water, being essential to life, is an issue that concerns everyone. The first edition was dedicated to the Ottawa River, the natural boundary between Quebec and Ontario, and the main tributary of the St. Lawrence River. From the onset, the family identified technology as the best tool to reach as many people as possible and raise awareness about the importance of protecting the river. Inspired by hackathons, a coding competition was organised for the digital community, i.e.: hackers. The goal? Challenge hackers to develop technological solutions that could help solve some of the Ottawa River’s water issues. Over the course of several weeks, multidisciplinary teams worked on water issues that had been identified in advance by experts.
Partnerships
As with any project it supports financially, the
de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation established partnerships in which it was actively involved. The Foundation decided to join forces with
Ottawa Riverkeeper, a grassroots organization that brings together volunteers, communities, citizens, businesses and all levels of government to find solutions to the problems that threaten the health of the Ottawa River. The Foundation also counted on the technological expertise and assistance of
IBM,
ThinkData Works,
Zoom Media and
Stingray Digital. This allowed hackers to work with cutting edge tools throughout the process.
Tangible results
AquaHacking 2015 – Ottawa River Summit provided tangible results that will shape the river’s future, such as the creation of a
Joint Quebec-Ontario Committee on Water Management, whose mandate will be to encourage cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information related to water management issues. The announcement was made by David Heurtel, Quebec Minister of the Environment, and Glen Murray, Ontario Minister of the Environment. The Summit also led to the tabling of the
Gatineau Declaration, an official statement which commits its many signatories, including the mayors of several municipalities who depend on the river, to working together to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for the Ottawa River Watershed. Join the over 150 signatories as of July 24, 2015 and
sign the Declaration online.
And the winners are…
One of the Summit’s highlights was the announcement of the coding competition’s winners, chosen by a jury of high profile entrepreneurs, IT executives and environmental experts:
Alexandra Cousteau,
Mitch Garber,
Eric Boyko,
Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien and
Jean-François Barsoum. Among the ten competing applications, a grand prize of $13,000 was awarded to the two teams who tied for 1st place:
River Ranger and
My River - Ma Rivière. Team Contour won third prize and was also awarded the People’s Choice Award. Team
Aqua Radar was chosen as the Future Star, a prize that highlights the innovative aspect of the developed solution. Learn all about the
winning solutions.
The future
The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and its partners are delighted by the resounding success of the first edition of AquaHacking. Other AquaHacking events will be planned for the rest of Canada over the next few years. With each new project, the Foundation will visit a new region where it will mobilise and team up with local partners to create an AquaHacking specific for the region. Join the movement. Ultimately, you, the citizens, are the real winners of any initiative aiming to preserve of our water.
