Posted October 5, 2006 2006 BC Public Sector Information Technology - Citizen Engagement Penticton Steps Out web site wins 2006 BC Public Sector Information Technology award for Citizen Engagement In recognition of the part it plays in getting community members active and keeping them motivated, the Penticton Steps Out program’s interactive web site this week received the 2006 BC Public Sector Information Technology Citizen Engagement Award. “It’s an honour to receive this award,” said Wayne Klamut, City Information Technology (IT) manager. “There were 55 entries and there’s a lot of competition from other municipalities, provincial government departments, health-care organizations and Crown Corporations.” The awards recognize leadership innovation and excellence in the use of information technologies within the public service sector. The Citizen Engagement Award recognizes citizen-centred service delivery that is accessible to people from any socio-economic group. The initiative must assist in creating benefits with measurable results.

“It’s probably the most gratifying thing we’ve done,” said City web master Dave Wilson who designed the innovative program that tracks participants’ progress via a map. Trevor Edis of Edis Computers.com came up with the ingenious programming that makes the site interactive. “We needed for people to be able to simply type in their numbers and see their path toward their destination change as they came closer each time to their goal.

”The site is comprehensive – providing fitness information and answers to frequently asked questions – as well as always evolving. Surprise information such as details about the area being “travelled through” or words of encouragement pop up after participants achieve a certain distance on the route. When walkers finally arrive at their destination, a pop-up tells them their name is entered into a draw. But ease of use is the web site’s key feature, Wilson said.

“We wanted to make it as intuitive as possible to ensure that even if it was a participant’s first time using a computer, they’d be able to use the web site successfully,” he said.

The City of Penticton was the first in Canada to champion the independent walking program that has since been duplicated in at least 15 cities in the province, said City recreation coordinator Bob Pope, adding that local businesses and schools have recently started signing up for the program as part of employee wellness initiatives.

The Information Technology Award is the third major award for the program that has seen between 500 and 700 local people participate annually since its development. Penticton Steps Out received the Canadian Parks & Recreation Association 2005 Award of Excellence for Innovation and the BC Recreation & Parks Association’s 2005 Program Excellence Award.

While the goal is to increase activity levels in the province by 2010, the real reward is in the individual accomplishments, said Pope.

“When you get an e-mail from an 80-year-old saying the program has changed their life, how do you put a value on that?” said Pope. “None of this would be possible without the creative minds of Dave Wilson and the team at Edis Computers. They’ve come up with a remarkable, user-friendly web site and a way that participants can even convert other activities such as swimming into steps. These are the extras that keep people interested.”

As an added incentive, this year, every time a Penticton Steps Out participant logs 100,000 steps, their name is automatically entered into a draw for a flight for two to New York – a donated prize. Every time they log on in October, they are also eligible for other prizes.

First-time Penticton Steps Out participants pay a $25 program fee and annual renewals are $10. Participants receive a pedometer to track their steps, a web site log-in and password, a log book and free participation in a wide variety of healthy-living seminars, lectures and smart shopping tours. More information and registration is available at the Penticton Community Centre.

For Further Details, Please Contact:

Dave Wilson
City Webmaster
web@penticton.ca

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The Union of British Columbia Municipalities has awarded the City of Penticton "Best Local Government Website" for the second year in a row.

Each year, UBCM reviews applications and websites for municipalities across the province and recognizes three communities with Excellence awards - Small Communities (under 10,000), Mid-Sized Communities (10-50,000), Large Communities and Regional Districts (over 50,000).

Penticton is proud to have received the UBCM Excellence Award for 2003. Mayor David Perry formally received the award at the fall UBCM Convention on Sept. 24, 2003

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