Unlocking the Power of the Infrastructure Database

Three Ways the National Infrastructure Database Is Empowering Our Sector 

The 3 key data layers unlocking more funding for organizations - building on the foundations of the National Infrastructure Database

Over 400 organizations have joined the National Infrastructure Database initiative over the last 18 months, adding information from more than 10,000 community sport and recreation venues. The Database continues to grow with contributions from provinces, municipalities, sport bodies, consultants and planners, and sector partners. This means everyone who needs to better understand the supply of infrastructure has a much better starting point - saving time and money. 

However, the greatest potential and value for the sector isn’t just from ‘dots on the map’. These are just foundations--now we’re building the rest of the house.  The value is what this digitally connected network can now bring together, by leveraging its economies of scale, collective common need, and combined expertise. 

Making informed decisions and attracting funding often requires multiple data sources—but these can be costly or complex to manage. The Database provides the much needed foundations to now democratize a range of key planning and investment intelligence so we can all reach further.

“This isn’t just about mapping facilities anymore—it’s about unlocking smarter planning, more equitable service, and stronger cases for funding. These new data layers turn a good tool into a game-changer, and I’d love to see more people across our sector tap into what’s now possible.” -- Martin Sampson, CEO CPRA 

Here are details on these three layers that have relevance to all organizations:

• Movement Data - data from 21 million devices across Canada every hour means it’s possible to understand the usage of any facility, space or place in the Database. Understand where community engagement is low and interventions are needed, track and report the outcomes and impacts of funded projects, and ultimately better allocate resources. 

As a collective network the best data is now being centrally sourced and made available at the best possible price point. Importantly too, the data can be continually configured and validated by an ever growing network of sector-specific ‘ground truths’, giving users confidence to rely on this information. And as a resource specific for this sector, we can also start to explore the data as a collective, drawing out sharable insights and proven case studies relevant to different contexts and communities. We therefore move forward as one network.

This National Database bolt-on module is available and at a significantly discounted CPRA network price.

• Equity of use (EDI) - knowing how the use of any of our facilities, space and places is becoming more representative of our local communities, and how initiatives are meeting the objectives of specific policies, will ultimately underpin further support and funding.

Movement Data (or registration data from recreation facilities and/or sport bodies) now seamlessly connects into a sector-specific Community Reach module, providing this ongoing understanding for one site or across a network of your assets within the Database. Metrics include demographics of visitors, ethnicity, health, employment and also risk of inactivity. The module also compares the profile of users/ visitors/ participants to the local site catchment and the municipality population, providing further relative insights on progress and remaining priorities.

As a collective we can start to show the incremental improvements we’re making to all of society, and demonstrate with objective evidence that our services are capable of engaging all types of people and communities in more active, healthy and socially connected lifestyles.

This National Database bolt-on module is available and at a significantly discounted CPRA network price.

• Social Value - Measuring Impact (coming soon) - in 2024 CPRA and CLFRI launched The Price of Inactivity: Measuring the Powerful Impact of Sport, Physical Activity, and Recreation in Canada. To quote, “Roughly half (51%) of Canadian adults (18 to 79 years) and 72% of children and youth (5 to 17 years) are not active enough to meet recommended physical activity guidelines”. The cost of impacts were split across economy, social, environment and health, all adding up $97.2bn. This is a stark reminder of the importance of our sector and the vital nature of our services, and the need to protect these services. Services that are often under significant budgetary pressure. 

Therefore we’re taking a range of key metrics that went into the report and model, aligning to the latest provincial, federal and international statistics relating to risks, prevalence and costs, and providing a localized service. Municipalities and recreation facilities can now connect the data their membership registration systems are collecting on an ongoing basis and automatically track and report the monetary $$$ community savings they are generating by getting and keeping more of their own local population active. The savings are split into specific impact metrics, helping organizations to achieve more targeted and meaningful collaboration with current and prospect funding partners.

The Social Value Measuring Impacts module will be available to the CPRA and CLFRI network this Summer.

“Our industry is playing catch-up when it comes to data and influencing funding and investment decisions, compared to other departments and industries. We’ve seen first hand how the above data services accelerate progress in other countries such as Australia and the UK, and look forward to working closely with the CPRA network to take this collective step forward” Alex Burrows, Founder, ActiveXchange

Summary

The National Database has proven the growing interest and need for better data as a network. But this is only the beginning--a journey to put the right information, in the right hands, at the right time. To help our sector to collectively focus resources and better connect, both down to local communities and up to planning and funding partners.

On behalf of this growing network of 400+ organizations we will continue to seek out, bring together and make easily available (and affordable) the most relevant data and insights.

For more information on the National Database or to register for a free account, please visit https://www.cpra.ca/infrastructure_database