Blogger Posts Riding Data, Eases Access to MPs

When we first looked into building a tool to help people write to their MPs, it seemed like a relatively straightforward task. And from a technical standpoint, it was. All you have to do is match a person's postal code to an electoral riding, then slap some code on the front to make it pretty. But the data that links postal codes to electoral ridings is only available from Statistics Canada, and they charge thousands of dollars to those who want to use it.

We wondered why should people have to pay for uncopyrighted -- even *uncopyrightable* -- data about who belongs in which electoral riding. That information has enormous value to the public, which could use tools built by non-governmental organizations to easily contact their MPs about important issues.

Apparently, Quebec blogger danieljohn felt the same way, and he has posted the whole database online. We hope that Stats Canada will take his cue and post their own copy of the data for everyone to use.