Despite an early setback, a small but diverse group of Ottawa residents are confident their plan to create an annual $50,000 award for the best idea in the city will bear fruit.
Dubbed the “Better Award,” the competition would be centred on the search for an idea that would help raise the city's profile on a global scale.
The winning idea may be a public art project, or factor into the city’s new Light Rail Transit stations.
It might be as simple as a mobile application that improves day-to-day city life, according to Sarah Banks who is in charge of communications for the planning committee.
The contest aims to provide support for ideas which might not otherwise see the light of day, Banks says.
The only guiding theme provided by the committee was that the idea should aim to “push the boundaries of urban creativity and innovation in Ottawa.”
The project started as an idea from city councillor Mathieu Fleury and city planner Alain Miguelez, who believe The Better Award could help make Ottawa a more liveable, urban city.
“It’s all about looking at how we can make Ottawa an even friendlier city,” Fleury says.
His involvement with the project has strictly been as a member of the community. No city money would be going towards the project, Fleury says. This leaves the planning committee in charge of finding corporate sponsors to foot the bill for the $50,000 initiative.But Fleury maintains the driving force behind the project has always been the community members who formed the planning committee, including a military veteran, a graphic designer and a communications expert.
Miguelez says there is a need for the “Better Award” in Ottawa.
“There are a lot of awards that exist already in the city, that are just recognitions of big achievements, or a long career,” Miguelez says. “But there isn’t much out there for ideas that are just simmering, that just need a shot in the arm to keep going.”