KINGSTON, ONT. /Oct. 24, 2012 – Kingston has been chosen as one of the world’s 21 “smart communities” by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).

Kingston is one of four Canadian cities named as Smart21 Intelligent Communities this year and is joined by 17 other cities from around the world. In January, this group will be narrowed to seven semi-finalists. One of these will become the 2013 Intelligent Community of the Year.

Utilities Kingston and Kingston Economic Development Corporation worked together on the application, which describes how our city’s efforts meet the Intelligent Community Indicators and speak to this year’s theme of Innovation and Employment. Kingston was one of only eight first-time applicants to be selected (out of hundreds of applications).

“This award supports our community’s vision to become Canada’s Most Sustainable City,” explains Jim Keech, President and Chief Executive Officer of Utilities Kingston. “As demonstrated in our ICF application, we are achieving sustainability by leveraging our community’s conservation programs, green energy research and development capabilities, smart chip-based technology companies, efficient delivery of energy services, and our extensive fibre optic and wireless network.”

Intelligent Community Forum co-founder Louis Zacharilla made the announcement in Riverside, California on Oct. 21, 2012. Riverside is the 2012 Intelligent Community of the Year.

“The Smart21 of 2013 are a diverse group representing many of the most innovative communities in the world. I am particularly pleased that Kingston, with its commitment to sustainability and green technology incubation—as exemplified by, for example, Innovation Park at Queen’s University and many other community organizations—is represented for the first time,” says Zacharilla.

About Utilities Kingston

Utilities Kingston (www.utilitieskingston.com) is unique in Ontario, as one company providing combined water, wastewater, gas, electrical and broadband fibre optic services. This structure enables the efficient coordination of joint construction projects, leading to timely and cost-effective completion, with less disruption to our customers. Our workforce is a small team managing and maintaining a large network of infrastructure for the city we live in. We are proud to be closely tied to our local community: as partner and supporter of the Sustainable Kingston Plan, we are helping to achieve our community’s vision of becoming Canada’s Most Sustainable City.

About Intelligent Community Forum

The Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org) is a New York-based think tank that studies the economic and social development of the 21st Century community. Whether in industrial or developing nations, communities are challenged to create prosperity, stability and cultural meaning in a world where jobs, investment and progress increasingly depend on broadband communications and other access–technologies.

For more about the Intelligent Community Forum, contact Paul Brent at paul@market2world.com.

For further information contact: Cindie Ashton Communications Officer 613-546-4291 ext. 3116, cell 613-329-3462. The City of Kingston media hotline is 613-546-4291 ext. 2300.