Ottawa Outdoor Rink App
January 15, 2011 7:03 AM Subscribe
Ottawa Specific App - Outdoor Hockey Rink Finder (includes ice conditions and types)
I disagree. Frequently I find myself engaged in a discussion about Ottawa's hockey rinks & inevitably the conversation turns to "I wonder what the conditions actually are at the rinks in Ottawa right now?" An app like this could save the day.
posted by scalefree at 7:18 AM on January 15, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by scalefree at 7:18 AM on January 15, 2011 [2 favorites]
Yeah, this does not seem like a good fit for MeFi, but damn, that's a lot of hockey rinks.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:23 AM on January 15, 2011
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:23 AM on January 15, 2011
You mean this? Agreed, yuppies at the W, but I think Fort Chipewyan would beg to differ. If anything, the Canadians who can afford to keep real ice rinks up during the summer are more likely to be yuppies than the fake icers.*
*totally uneducated supposition by someone whose lasting impression of Wayne Gretzky is as a food-obsessed doofus
posted by jng at 7:50 AM on January 15, 2011
*totally uneducated supposition by someone whose lasting impression of Wayne Gretzky is as a food-obsessed doofus
posted by jng at 7:50 AM on January 15, 2011
I have no interest in Ottawa rinks, but think if this was a map of NYC taco trucks, nobody would suggest it wasn't a "good fit for Mefi".
posted by davebush at 7:50 AM on January 15, 2011 [12 favorites]
posted by davebush at 7:50 AM on January 15, 2011 [12 favorites]
So, some context: This is one of the apps that's come out of the Open Data Initiative of the municipal government. The idea is to open as much info to the public as possible and then encourage third-party app development. The open data catalog is here.
To stimulate app development, the city is running a contest for new uses of the data. Some of the cool ideas so far include:
Where's my bus, real-time bus information
Ottawa Biking Problems, a way to tell other cyclists and the the city maintenance people about bike-route specific problems (like street sweeping needed for glass, manhole covers on the wrong way, etc..) in real time.
GoLocavore,for connecting with local farm producers who sell to the public (a growing thing in Ottawa right now)
Scenic Route an app for routing around traffic during rush hour or during sorts events.
A really neat initiative, and certainly one of the best uses of my property tax dollars I've seen in years. They're getting great value for money here and we're seeing much more government transparency to boot. I'm a big fan.
posted by bonehead at 8:00 AM on January 15, 2011 [6 favorites]
To stimulate app development, the city is running a contest for new uses of the data. Some of the cool ideas so far include:
Where's my bus, real-time bus information
Ottawa Biking Problems, a way to tell other cyclists and the the city maintenance people about bike-route specific problems (like street sweeping needed for glass, manhole covers on the wrong way, etc..) in real time.
GoLocavore,for connecting with local farm producers who sell to the public (a growing thing in Ottawa right now)
Scenic Route an app for routing around traffic during rush hour or during sorts events.
A really neat initiative, and certainly one of the best uses of my property tax dollars I've seen in years. They're getting great value for money here and we're seeing much more government transparency to boot. I'm a big fan.
posted by bonehead at 8:00 AM on January 15, 2011 [6 favorites]
I live thousands of miles from Ottawa and wish I'd had this today in my city. Stupid warmish weather making me want to go out...and simultaneously making the outdoor rink too puddly to open today. :(
posted by mdonley at 8:02 AM on January 15, 2011
posted by mdonley at 8:02 AM on January 15, 2011
Thanks for the context, bonehead. I think that is awesome! God, I love living in modern times.
posted by padraigin at 8:54 AM on January 15, 2011
posted by padraigin at 8:54 AM on January 15, 2011
I think this is a little too ottawa-centric for mefi...
As an Ottawa resident, outdoor rink user, and member here in Mefiland, I approve this post.
...and thanks Mecheng.
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 8:58 AM on January 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
As an Ottawa resident, outdoor rink user, and member here in Mefiland, I approve this post.
...and thanks Mecheng.
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 8:58 AM on January 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
I live in Ottawa! I skate! I am organizing a seminar on Open Data for February!
posted by storybored at 9:01 AM on January 15, 2011
posted by storybored at 9:01 AM on January 15, 2011
Trust me, nothing is ever, or could ever be, Ottawa-centric.
posted by srboisvert at 9:28 AM on January 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
I have no interest in Ottawa rinks, but think if this was a map of NYC taco trucks, nobody would suggest it wasn't a "good fit for Mefi".
There's a map of taco trucks in NYC? Where? Where?
posted by scalefree at 9:44 AM on January 15, 2011
There's a map of taco trucks in NYC? Where? Where?
posted by scalefree at 9:44 AM on January 15, 2011
I would much rather see a map of Walla Walla taco trucks. Best tacos I've ever had. Ever.
Ottawa has the world's longest skating rink.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 10:02 AM on January 15, 2011
Ottawa has the world's longest skating rink.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 10:02 AM on January 15, 2011
bonehead, thanks for the links! If they ever get the bugs sorted on that real-time bus app, I will be a very happy commuter!
posted by meesha at 10:18 AM on January 15, 2011
posted by meesha at 10:18 AM on January 15, 2011
This is something that...
...makes me want to live in Ottawa.
This is actually the first thing that has ever made me want to live in Ottawa.
posted by Mister_A at 11:34 AM on January 15, 2011
...makes me want to live in Ottawa.
This is actually the first thing that has ever made me want to live in Ottawa.
posted by Mister_A at 11:34 AM on January 15, 2011
Ottawa has the world's longest skating rink.
This year they do. Winnipeg still holds the all-time world record, but we got such an unreasonable amount of rain this year that the Assiniboine's frozen up all weird. Next year, though, I say we zamboni that shit all the way to Portage La Prairie.
In Canada, even our blood feuds are impossibly dorky.
posted by wreckingball at 4:37 PM on January 15, 2011
This year they do. Winnipeg still holds the all-time world record, but we got such an unreasonable amount of rain this year that the Assiniboine's frozen up all weird. Next year, though, I say we zamboni that shit all the way to Portage La Prairie.
In Canada, even our blood feuds are impossibly dorky.
posted by wreckingball at 4:37 PM on January 15, 2011
Needless to say it's not the only rink finding app that's been entered.
http://apps4ottawa.ca/en/apps/47
(I do tenuously know the author of this one. I'm sure there are many fine Ottawa-specific skating rink finding mobile phone apps for this municipal open-data themed contest.)
posted by ~ at 7:42 PM on January 15, 2011
http://apps4ottawa.ca/en/apps/47
(I do tenuously know the author of this one. I'm sure there are many fine Ottawa-specific skating rink finding mobile phone apps for this municipal open-data themed contest.)
posted by ~ at 7:42 PM on January 15, 2011
note: this works best in canada
posted by just_another_crowd at 6:37 PM on January 16, 2011
posted by just_another_crowd at 6:37 PM on January 16, 2011
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posted by sunshinesky at 7:08 AM on January 15, 2011