Saskatoon is involved in the federal government’s competition for funding to improve life through technology and data, and recently presented to a jury in toronto, which the teams says went well.Saskatoon’s Smart Cities Challenge team is working on an app that could be a connection hub for youth, with information on access to housing, recreation, counselling or addictions appointments or even bus schedules. Manager of Technology Infrastructure, Jazz Pabla, says it could be accessed by phone but not everyone has a cell phone, so the idea is to have public computer screens in spaces like libraries and schools.
The jury told the team that this technology could expand beyond their target of breaking the cycle of Indigenous youth incarceration. The next step is more public input, including a pilot project to see if the app is on the right path, and then the written proposal deadline is March 5th, with $10-million in funding on the line.