On October 3, 2016, Public Sector Digest (PSD) announced the second annual Open Cities Index, ranking the top 20 most open Canadian cities, up from 2015’s top 10 list. The results reflect lots of change in the last year, confirming that Canada’s municipalities are making waves with open data and moving in the right direction towards open government.

“The growth of open data initiatives across Canada represents a much larger trend towards more open, transparent, and accountable government.” – Public Sector Digest


Read the full report here.

Top 20, Most Open, Canadian Cities



    1. Edmonton, AB
    2. Toronto, ON
    3. Montreal, QC
    4. Calgary, AB
    5. Surrey, BC
    6. Strathcona County, AB
    7. Vancouver, BC
    8. Ottawa, ON
    9. Quebec City, QC
    10. Winnipeg, MB
    11. Oakville, ON
    12. New Westminster, BC
    13. London, ON
    14. Niagara Region, ON
    15. Mississauga, ON
    16. Halifax, NS
    17. Gatineau, QC
    18. Brampton, ON
    19. Kitchener, ON
    20. Victoria, BC



Highlights from the 2016 Open Cities Index

    • The Open Cities Index has grown to include 68 municipalities, up from 34 in 2015, representing 61% of the Canadian population.
    • This year, the Index features its first participant from a Canadian territory – Whitehorse, and has quadrupled its participation from Quebec.
    • The vast majority of participants were from municipalities with populations of 300,000 citizens or less.
    • The City of Edmonton has, again, claimed the top spot on the 2016 Index, with an overall score of 98%; 34 points higher than Toronto, the municipality in second place, also for the second year in a row.
    • The 2016 Index includes 5 municipalities brand new to the top 20 list; Quebec City in 9th, Niagara Region in 14th, Gatineau in 17th, Brampton in 18th, and Victoria in 20th.
    • Mississauga, Ontario jumped 25 spots from 2015, placing 15th and earning the “Most Improved” recognition.
    • Strathcona County, Alberta, rose 3 spots from 2015, placing 6th, the highest position for cities with a population less than 100,000, and earning the “Small City, Big Impact” recognition.



“Cities are in the best position to unlock the value of open data. Open data constitutes the vital signs of a city. As such, it can be used to assess the health of the city.” - Dr. Kevin Tuer, Managing Director of Canada's Open Data Exchange