I felt a great disturbance in the Force last month, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
Toronto open-data Jedi Dave Wallace has left for the University of Waterloo. He resigned in June from his position as the city’s chief information officer.
During his five years of service, Master Wallace brought Toronto into the future. He was a driving force behind our 24-hour 311 call service. He oversaw the rebuilding of the city’s website, now the envy of much of the federation. He created a detailed electronic service delivery architecture that gives citizens, visitors and businesses better access to services. He ruled over $500 million in projects, and oversaw a staff of 700.
Most of all, he launched Toronto’s open-data movement into orbit.
Open data is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together. It liberates census and local administrative databases, allowing Toronto to better understand itself through information.
The TTC, our hosipitals and other institutions use Toronto’s open data, and many other jurisdictions now look to it as a guide. Furthermore, there are more such projects to come.
In the city’s words, Wallace’s role was to make access to local government happen “anywhere, anytime, for everyone.” That goal he did achieve.
What I most admire about him is his own openness. He welcomed advice from the Mozilla Foundation on open data, attended its Open Data Camp and listened to the ideas from attendees that would be incorporated into toronto.ca/open.
“He put resources behind the project,” says Ryan Merkley, chief operating officer at Mozilla. “He built a team around it and we worked together to implement it. He sold [the idea] to his colleagues. Without him, it wouldn’t have happened.”
The city is now on the hunt for a new CIO, but it’s a dark time for attracting talent.
Rollin Stanley, a candidate for Toronto’s vacant chief planner role, turned down the post here for the same one in Calgary. He cited the city’s fractious politics as a primary reason.
But fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side. Whatever happens, Toronto needs a new hope, an information leader with great vision and skill. Toronto needs another Dave Wallace. On this, all depends.
joshuae@nowtoronto.com | twitter.com/joshuaerrett
