NG achieves Platinum Data Certification from World Council on City Data for the second consecutive year cy Peckford.

Recognizing North Grenville's commitment to data-driven decision-making, the Municipality has received its second consecutive Platinum Certification from the World Council on City Data (WCCD) for implementing ISO 37120 – the first international standard for city data. North Grenville joins a network of over 30 Canadian and 100 municipalities globally within the WCCD network that collect, share and use data to make effective and transformative decisions. This Platinum Certification is the highest level of recognition by the WCCD and underlines the Municipality’s commitment to high-calibre, globally standardized and independently verified city data.

"As our Municipality emerges from COVID with a core focus on infrastructure investment, improved service delivery and continued support for local economic development and tourism promotion, high calibre data is at the core of measuring progress and tracking change," stated Mayor Nan-

“Council would like to extend our special thanks to Director of Corporate Services Hillary Geneau and her colleague, Ashely Cuthbert for their sustained efforts. We appreciate their dedication,” added Mayor Peckford.

Highlights of this year’s certification for North Grenville include:

A highly educated population - North Grenville is a leader in Canada and the world with residents holding, collectively, more than 8,600 post-secondary degrees;

Sustained business attraction, expansion and retention - even during the pandemic - promoting local economic growth and a vibrant community;

Low water consumption and loss, contributing to overall cost savings and climate change mitigation;

A place to be activeNorth Grenville is a global leader with over 698 square metres per capita of outdoor recreation space.

"Working with the WCCD – and annually im-

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plementing the ISO 37120 standard - is supporting our prudent approach to affordability, while promoting a high quality of life for residents and business leaders in North Grenville. Through the data-driven insights that we obtain through our annual WCCD ISO certification, our staff continues to monitor and respond to our strategic priorities while prioritizing data-driven investment in our community," emphasized Mayor Peckford.

The WCCD's President and CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney, was present at the March 7th Council Meeting to mark this important accomplishment.

"North Grenville is a remarkable community that is harnessing high-calibre data to drive a more sustainable future and inclusive prosperity for its residents," stated Dr. McCarney. "It is truly a pleasure to congratulate Mayor Peckford, Council and Municipal Staff on achieving WCCD Platinum Certification for the second consecutive year.

North Grenville is expertly ‘putting their data to work,’ drawing on their ISO 37120 data to encourage economic growth and inform sound infrastructure investment. North Grenville is an example to communities across Ontario, Canada and the globe as their leaders embrace a data-driven culture that ultimately informs sound decision-making that ensures a high quality of life for all residents.” with the ultimate goal of making the world a better place. However, things have been more difficult for the organization in recent years. “There is concern that the Odd Fellows Order in Ontario will disappear,” writes Rowena Cooper in a 2021 Times article. “In the Province of Ontario, there are fewer that 1,000 members. Formed as an organization that offered insurance to its members, it is now purely a service club, and the many lodges that existed throughout Eastern Ontario are slowly disappearing.” continued from front page Send

A Canadian-led, global innovation, ISO 37120 is the first international standard for city data. With 104 fully numeric indicators across 19 themes, it helps to measure city services and quality of life, underpinned by standardized definitions and methodologies.

The WCCD was founded in 2014 and helps communities of all sizes worldwide embrace standardized, independently verified and globally comparable city data to become more sustainable, resilient, prosperous, inclusive and smart.

For more information on the World Council on City Data (WCCD) visit: www. dataforcities.org/.

Winners of the BIA trivia night hosted at Salamanders. Team “To Sing With Joy” was the winner after a tiebreaker with team “The Troubled Clefs”. The evening consisted of 5 rounds of 10 random questions. A huge thank you to Omshanti for organizing this event and to the staff at Salamanders for such a great evening and service. Looking forward to next year!

Yazdani Family Dentistry could not be reached for comment. To learn more about the Odd Fellows organization, visit https://odd-fellows.org/.