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Toronto Open Data 101

Updated: May 22^nd, 2026

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If you could know anything about Toronto, what would it be?

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We share data

To the Public

From the city bureaucracy

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What is data?

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What is �data?

Data is info that we collect about the world

Today’s temperature

Price of a chocolate bar the store across the street

Time bus arrived this morning

Cross streets of the nearest public park

Number of visitors to the zoo last Saturday

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What is �data?

Data can be organized into tables

Examples:

Attendance for each student, each day
Temperature at different locations, each hour

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What is data?

Data helps us make decisions

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What does the City of Toronto do?

The City is responsible for a lot of different aspects of the city we interact with day to day.

1. Takes care of public infrastructure � This means fixing and maintaining places, buildings, facilities everyone uses, like:

parks and playgrounds
roads and sidewalks
water pipes that bring water to our homes

2. Helps keep people safe� The City makes rules and checks to keep us safe, for example:

making sure restaurants and tattoo shops are clean and safe
deciding where cars need to slow down
setting safety rules for buildings and businesses

3. Helps people share space� The City sets rules so everyone can use the city safely and fairly, like:

rules about dogs that might be dangerous
Setting rules for what can be built where – e.g., can't build a house all the way out into the road

4. Provides important services� The City runs services people rely on every day, such as:

fire services
garbage and recycling pick‑up
child care programs and swimming lessons
programs to help people find jobs, to start new business, etc.

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Agencies

Service Agencies

Partnered Agencies

Corporations

City Corporations

Partnered Corporations

Adjudicative Bodies

Quasi-Judicial & Adjudicative Boards

City of Toronto Long-Term Care Committee of Management
CreateTO
Exhibition Place Board of Governors
Heritage Toronto
TO Live
Toronto Atmospheric Fund
Toronto Board of Health and Toronto Public Health
Toronto Investment Board
Toronto Police Services Board and Toronto Police Service
Toronto Public Library Board
Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Zoo Board of Management
Sankofa Square Board of Management

Community-Based Boards:

> Arena Boards of Management

George Bell Arena
Larry Grossman Forest Hill Memorial Arena
Leaside Memorial Community Gardens Arena
McCormick Playground Arena
Moss Park Arena
North Toronto Memorial Arena
Ted Reeve Community Arena
William H. Bolton Arena

> Community Centre Boards of Management (AOCCs):

519 Church Street Community Centre
Applegrove Community Complex
Cecil Community Centre
Central Eglinton Community Centre
Community Centre 55 . Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre
Ralph Thomton Community Centre
Scadding Court Community Centre
Swansea Town Hall Community Centre
Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre

> 85 Business Improvement Area (BIA) Boards of Management

Build Toronto Inc.
Casa Loma Corporation
Lakeshore Arena Corporation
Toronto Community Housing Corporation
Toronto Hydro Corporation
Toronto Port Lands Company (Toronto Economic Development Corporation)
Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation

Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre Inc.
Waterfront Toronto (Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation)

Administrative Penalty Tribunal
Committee of Adjustment
Committee of Revision
Compliance Audit Committee
Dangerous Dog Review Tribunal
Property Standards Committee
Multi-Tennant House Licensing Tribunal
Sign Variance Committee
Toronto Local Appeal Body
Toronto Licensing Tribunal

City Divisions & Offices

Parks & Recreation
Economic Development & Culture
Public Health
Toronto Fire Services
Toronto Paramedic Services
Toronto Emergency Management
Toronto Shelter & Support Services
Social Development
Senior Services & Long-Term Care
Children’s Services
Indigenous Affairs Office
Toronto Employment Social Services
Engineering & Construction Services
Municipal Licensing & Standards
Policy, Planning, Finance & Administration
Solid Waste Management Services

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/96db-Agencies-Corps-Chart-March-2025.pdf

Toronto Water
Transit Expansion
Transportation Services
Strategic Capital Coordination Office
City Planning
Housing Secretariat
Toronto Building
Development Review
Housing Development Office
Corporate Real Estate Management
Customer Experience
Environment, Climate, and Forestry
Fleet Services
Technology Services
Purchasing and Materials Management
Financial Planning
Internal Audit

Accounting Services
Finance Shared Services
Revenue Services
Pension, Payroll & Employee Benefits
Ombudsman
Auditor General
Integrity Commissioner
Lobbyist Registrar
City Clerk’s Office
Legal Services
Court Services
FIFA World Cup 2026 Secretariat
Communications
Toronto Cyber Security
People & Equity
City Manager’s Office

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What does the City of Toronto do?

Take care of public spaces

What does the City of Toronto do?

The City is responsible for a lot of different aspects of the city we interact with day to day.

1. Takes care of public infrastructure � This means fixing and maintaining places, buildings, facilities everyone uses, like:

parks and playgrounds
roads and sidewalks
water pipes that bring water to our homes

2. Helps keep people safe� The City makes rules and checks to keep us safe, for example:

making sure restaurants and tattoo shops are clean and safe
deciding where cars need to slow down
setting safety rules for buildings and businesses

3. Helps people share space� The City sets rules so everyone can use the city safely and fairly, like:

rules about dogs that might be dangerous
Setting rules for what can be built where – e.g., can't build a house all the way out into the road

4. Provides important services� The City runs services people rely on every day, such as:

fire services
garbage and recycling pick‑up
child care programs and swimming lessons
programs to help people find jobs, to start new business, etc.

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What does the City of Toronto do?

Help keep people safe

What does the City of Toronto do?

The City is responsible for a lot of different aspects of the city we interact with day to day.

1. Takes care of public infrastructure � This means fixing and maintaining places, buildings, facilities everyone uses, like:

parks and playgrounds
roads and sidewalks
water pipes that bring water to our homes

2. Helps keep people safe� The City makes rules and checks to keep us safe, for example:

making sure restaurants and tattoo shops are clean and safe
deciding where cars need to slow down
setting safety rules for buildings and businesses

3. Helps people share space� The City sets rules so everyone can use the city safely and fairly, like:

rules about dogs that might be dangerous
Setting rules for what can be built where – e.g., can't build a house all the way out into the road

4. Provides important services� The City runs services people rely on every day, such as:

fire services
garbage and recycling pick‑up
child care programs and swimming lessons
programs to help people find jobs, to start new business, etc.

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What does the City of Toronto do?

Help people share space

What does the City of Toronto do?

The City is responsible for a lot of different aspects of the city we interact with day to day.

1. Takes care of public infrastructure � This means fixing and maintaining places, buildings, facilities everyone uses, like:

parks and playgrounds
roads and sidewalks
water pipes that bring water to our homes

2. Helps keep people safe� The City makes rules and checks to keep us safe, for example:

making sure restaurants and tattoo shops are clean and safe
deciding where cars need to slow down
setting safety rules for buildings and businesses

3. Helps people share space� The City sets rules so everyone can use the city safely and fairly, like:

rules about dogs that might be dangerous
Setting rules for what can be built where – e.g., can't build a house all the way out into the road

4. Provides important services� The City runs services people rely on every day, such as:

fire services
garbage and recycling pick‑up
child care programs and swimming lessons
programs to help people find jobs, to start new business, etc.

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What does the City of Toronto do?

Provide important services

What does the City of Toronto do?

The City is responsible for a lot of different aspects of the city we interact with day to day.

1. Takes care of public infrastructure � This means fixing and maintaining places, buildings, facilities everyone uses, like:

parks and playgrounds
roads and sidewalks
water pipes that bring water to our homes

2. Helps keep people safe� The City makes rules and checks to keep us safe, for example:

making sure restaurants and tattoo shops are clean and safe
deciding where cars need to slow down
setting safety rules for buildings and businesses

3. Helps people share space� The City sets rules so everyone can use the city safely and fairly, like:

rules about dogs that might be dangerous
Setting rules for what can be built where – e.g., can't build a house all the way out into the road

4. Provides important services� The City runs services people rely on every day, such as:

fire services
garbage and recycling pick‑up
child care programs and swimming lessons
programs to help people find jobs, to start new business, etc.

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The City of Toronto creates data over the course of its regular operations

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Shelter, Support & Housing Administration

311 Toronto

City Planning

Information & Technology

Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild

Toronto Public Health

Toronto Paramedic Services

Environment & Energy

Municipal Licensing & Standards

City Clerk's Office

Transportation Services

Toronto Water

Toronto Police Services

Toronto Parking Authority

Engineering & Construction Services

Financial Planning

Toronto Building

Economic Development & Culture

Purchasing & Materials Management

Strategic & Corporate Policy

Children's Services

Revenue Services

City Manager's Office

Social Development, Finance & Administration

Accounting Services

People & Equity

Court Services

Corporate Finance

Fire Services

Parks, Forestry & Recreation

Equity, Diversity & Human Rights

Employment & Social Services

Human Resources

Toronto Transit Commission

Lobbyist Registrar

Seniors Services & Long-Term Care

Toronto Public Library

Solid Waste Management Services

Facilities Management

Toronto Catholic District School Board

Fleet Services

>40 Groups

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(Mostly) available in machine�readable formats

For anyone, for any purpose (including commercial)

Publicly available government data

What is open data?

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Who uses Open Data?

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Who makes Open Data useful for everyone?

Academics

Technologists

Journalists

Communities

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Busferret

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Oben Hum, Grade 11

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Better My City

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Arushi Nath, Grade 11

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SafePassage

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Andrew Bacchus, UofT Scarborough and Invisible Carbon

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Speaking up at a City Council meeting

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In Toronto, innovative volunteers and entrepreneurs have used open data to build applications that help residents use transit, find bike parking, sort their garbage, access restaurant inspections, discover recreation opportunities … and much more!

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Open Data in Action �Improving the public service experience

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Businesses rely on Open Data to inform decisions and scaffold operations.

Some examples:

Consumer-facing apps
Engineering
Planning & Construction
Journalism
Analytics & Infrastructure

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Open Data in Action �Supporting and bolstering business

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Researchers and experts from institutions both local and global use Open Data in their classrooms, papers, and projects – often partnering directly with the City to turn academic insight into tangible public benefits

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Open Data in Action �Enabling academic progress & insight

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Thank you!

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https://github.com/open-data-toronto

https://x.com/Open_TO

opendata@toronto.ca

https://open.toronto.ca/

https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/toronto-open-data

link.civictech.ca/slack --> #open-data

https://bsky.app/profile/torontoopendata.cityof.toronto.ca