Smart Cities Challenge

Seyem’ Qwantlen Business Group, on behalf of the Kwantlen First Nation, and the Township of Langley are pleased to announce a partnership for the Infrastructure Canada Smart Cities Challenge, a nationwide competition that encourages cities and indigenous communities to share their best ideas to improve the lives of their residents through innovation, data, and connected technology.

Ideas will become reality for the winning application, with a $10 million prize awarded to implement the proposed projects.

Over the next 6 weeks, both Seyem’ Qwantlen Business Group and the Township of Langley will be seeking input from the public for ways that technology can be used to connect our past to the future, to share, relate and educate generations to come on local indigenous language, history, traditions, and culture, and the ongoing strong connections that exist in the region.

“It has always been important for us to share our history and ongoing connection to our lands and resources in the community and beyond. We continue to make efforts to educate and share our connections, values and traditions in new and engaging ways. The Smart Cities Challenge represents the use of technology as a vehicle to teach, to engage existing and new audiences about Kwantlen’s culture and history, as well as other local indigenous communities”, said Seyem’ Qwantlen Business Group President and Kwantlen First Nation Councillor Tumia Knott. “The project represents a continuation of our valued and growing working relationship with the Township of Langley.”

“Smart Cities Challenge is a positive and exciting way to bring our two communities together towards common goals. New technologies will help us reconcile the past, bring stories to life, and establish a mutually sustainable future for generations to come. The timing is right, and Fort Langley, as the birthplace of British Columbia, is the right community to be setting an example for all of Canada” said Township of Langley Mayor Jack Froese.

With one of Kwantlen First Nation’s reserve lands immediately adjacent to Fort Langley, the application will focus specifically on those two communities. However, it is intended that the projects submitted as part of the final application for the Smart Cities Challenge will be carefully selected so that they can be expanded to include other areas of the municipality in the future.

It is also hoped that projects identified through the public engagement process may also be positioned to further complement proposed projects and amenities in Fort Langley, as detailed at tol.ca/flp.

For a brief overview of the project, useful links, and to submit your idea on how we can use technology to connect our past to the future, please visit tol.ca/smartcities.

For more information

Steve Scheepmaker
Director of Corporate Administration
Township of Langley
604-533-6075
sscheepmaker@tol.ca

Peter Arkell 
Manager, Seyem’ Qwantlen Business Group
604-888-5556  
peter@sqbg.ca