AquaHacking 2015 - Technology to Protect Water : There's Still Time... Register Online for the Coding Competition!

MONTREAL, April 23, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and its partners IBM and Ottawa Riverkeeper, invite all IT specialists willing to put their expertise for the preservation of water to register for the coding competition AquaHacking 2015, before April 30^th.

Teams participating in the competition will develop innovative technology solutions to solve environmental issues of the Ottawa River. Applications developed during this competition will be revealed at AquaHacking 2015 – Ottawa River Summit, May 29 and 30 in Gatineau.

Prizes totaling $15,000, including a $10,000 grand prize will be awarded to the three most promising applications as determined by a jury. Chaired by Ms. Alexandra Cousteau (founding president of Blue Legacy and granddaughter of oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau), the jury will be composed of Mr. Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien III (president & CEO of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and founding  president of Redline Communications), Mr. Mitch Garber (CEO of Caesars Acquisition Company and Chairman of the Board of Cirque du Soleil), Mr. Eric Boyko (CEO and co-founder of Stingray Digital) and Mr. Jean-François Barsoum (senior managing consultant, smarter cities – water and transportation at IBM).

Why the Ottawa River?
Globally recognized as an explorer and filmmaker, Ms. Alexandra Cousteau, is also very well known for advocating for sound water management. She has been involved in the AquaHacking project since its inception in 2013, directing three documentaries on the Ottawa River.

 "I got involved in this project because the Ottawa River is a major river in Canada. In fact, it provides drinking water to more than two million people and is the largest tributary of the St. Lawrence River" explains Ms. Cousteau. Speaking of her role as president of the jury of the coding competition: "I am fortunate to be able to count on experts and recognized entrepreneurs. As a group, we have a wealth of water protection, web technologies and entrepreneurial expertise which will ensure we make the best decisions for this competition's outcome."

"Water is a cause close to my heart and for which I have been involved for many years. Using the latest technological advances for the benefit of water is a very innovative way to preserve waterways in Canada, and ensure clean water for future generations" said Mr. Mitch Garber.

"AquaHacking 2015 is the first in a series of events that will tour the country. In the coming years, other AquaHacking events are planned for various waterways across the country" added Dominique Monchamp, Executive Director of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation.

AquaHacking enjoys many partnerships in the private and public sectors. Indeed, the contribution and technological expertise of IBM, Zoom Media and ThinkData Works allow the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation to provide cutting edge technology tools to hackers. In addition, the participation of Ottawa Riverkeeper and St. Lawrence Global Observatory provides excellent environmental and water expertise. Finally, open data made available from Environment Canada and the Secretariat of the Quebec Treasury Board will allow the applications developed to access quality data.

Teams participating in the competition will have until the end of May to develop their application over the course of four coding days, which will be held on Saturdays in Ottawa. Experts from the environment and IT communities will be onsite to support them in their creative process.

About the Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien
This private family foundation was created in 1990 by Nan-b and Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien II. The goal of the founders: to generously provide their time to communities and share their resources with the society in which they live and work. Their mission is to help, encourage and financially support individuals, families and organizations that contribute to the social and sustainable prosperity of the community. This entrepreneurial and philanthropic approach allows beneficiaries to become positive agents of change in their environment. www.fondationdegaspebeaubien.org

To register or for more information on the Ottawa River Summit and the coding competition visit: www.aquahacking.com

SOURCE de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation

Claudia Ribeiro, Communications Coordinator, Office: 514 877-6696, Mobile: [phone], [email protected]