July 27, 2011 Goldstream Gazette by Goldstream Gazette

www.goldstreamgazette.com www.goldstreamgazette.com •• A7 A7

GOLDSTREAM GOLDSTREAM NEWS NEWS GAZETTE GAZETTE -Wednesday, -Wednesday, July July 27, 27, 2011 2011

Province launches one-stop, online database Tom Fletcher Black Press

Government communications have traditionally been built around a stream of propaganda, with the emphasis on pictures and text arranged to show the ruling politicians of the day in a flattering light. Mundane public services such as permit application forms have been more difficult to find, requiring citizens to know which ministry is responsible for which service. And less flattering information has often been available only to those who demand it under freedom of information. Some of that changed for the B.C. government, as it unveiled a reorganized set of official websites that chooses information priorities based on what citizens are most likely to be looking for. The home page of the B.C. government website at www.gov.bc.ca still features the smiling portrait of Premier Christy Clark. But it’s now as easy to find a cabinet minister’s travel expenses (www. openinfo.gov.bc.ca ) as it is to find a picture of his or her latest ribbon-cutting. Services and application forms are now prominent on the main government website, based on the number of public requests for them and surveys conducted in recent months. Features such as DriveBC and emergency flood updates are included in a “carousel” of most popular sites at the centre of the home page. B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham issued a report last year that called on the provincial government to begin routine disclosure of information. Denham said the new policy requires ministries to routinely post responses to freedom of information requests and to designate categories of information for routine release at no charge. She is encouraged by the first step. “This policy demonstrates intent by government to adopt a presumption favouring disclosure,” Denham said. The project also includes a searchable public database of government statistics on more than 2,000 subjects, such as birth rates, public sector salaries and school test scores. Clark said the intention of DataBC (www. data.gov.bc.ca) is to allow independent researchers to find new ways to use the data and contribute to public policy.

Police chase ends in Saanich swamp A View Royal man suspected of impaired driving tried to elude police and crashed into a swamp Wednesday morning. A Victoria police canine handler going off duty spotted the a truck being driven erratically near Tillicum Road at about 5 a.m. The vehicle veered onto dead-end Kent Road in an effort to evade police. A passenger, who wasn’t located, jumped out of the pickup as it was moving. The driver pulled a quick U-turn and sped at the pursuing police vehicle, lost control and crashed into a grassy, wooded area. The police dog found and nabbed the 19-year-old man in four feet of water. He advised police that he couldn’t swim. Saanich police found out the truck was stolen in Sooke that night. Sgt. Dean Jantzen said the man wasn’t impaired after all, “he was just driving the stolen truck poorly.” The View Royal man is well known to police and faces charges of possession of stolen property, possession of break-in instruments and a breach of conditional sentence. He was scheduled to appear by telebail Wednesday.

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