Projects
In 2008, I co-founded Nimonik, a web service that helps businesses understand and manage their environmental, health, and safety and quality requirements in over 65 countries. We offer a software that allows companies to extract all of their requirements from Internal Documents (permits, procedures and more) and from External Documents (laws, regulations, standards) and then create Actions and Audits. Our objective is to reduce “compliance surprises” and ensure a safer and cleaner workplace with higher quality products.
We offer a number of services and work with companies across multiple sectors. Visit the site for much more information.
Affordable Cottage Project on a Land Trust
In 2021, I am beginning to work on a project to create 10-15 cottages near Montréal that will be designed for young families. The houses will be designed according to the Passiv standard, they will be affordable (less than $300,000) and they will sit on a land trust (Fiducie d’utilité sociale) that will prevent speculation. Owners will share certain common infrastructure (roads, electricity, internet, club house, water access, sauna,…), but they will be responsible for maintenance of their own homes. I am starting to look for other families who are willing to join in this venture. To learn more (in French), read and comment on this document.
Open Data Projects – Non-Profit
Registre des loyers – Québec
The Registre des loyers is a Québec based lease registry for renters in the province of Québec. I created this project in 2015 with the help of the Montreal city boroughs controlled by Projet Montréal. It ran without funding for a number of years and had about 5,000 leases as of early 2021. In 2021, this project received funding from the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation through their Housing Impact project. We will be scaling up the the project with the objective to:
- Create transparency in the rental market
- Help renters enforce the legal limits on rent increases
- Maintain the existing affordable rental units on the market
If you rent your home in Québec, please add your lease to the registry.
In 2011, I co-founded a non-profit called Open North (or Nord Ouvert) that improves Canadian democracy through online tools. James McKinney is the real brains and founder behind Open North. The organisation has built Resto-Net.ca and PatinerMontreal.ca and has more recently completed BudgetPlateau.com (now a platform called CitizenBudget.com), the Montreal Gazette Documents database, a database of canada’s elected representatives called Represent and much more. I was Chairman of the Board between 2011-2019.
Québec Ouvert – Archived
In 2012, I co-founded Quebec Ouvert, a citizen initiative to encourage the provincial government of Quebec to embrace open data. Read my short launch article here and learn more at the site (french only). We are on twitter @qcouvert and at info@quebecouvert.org. We will be working hard to bring open data to all Quebecers and your help and support is essential to making our province more accessible, transparent and competitive.
Montréal Ouvert – Archived
In 2010, I co-founded Montreal Ouvert, a citizen initiative that promotes open access to civic information for the region of Montreal. You can see my launch blog post here, and find out a lot more by visiting the site. If you are interested in Open-Data and love Montréal, reach out to us at info@montrealouvert.net. On October 27th, 2011, the city of Montreal passed an open-data policy and put in place an open-data portal – we accomplished our goal! Watch my 4 minute TEDxConcordia Talk about the initiative here. We closed it down in 2014 see post here.
Basic Income
Revenu de base Québec (2015-)
In February 2014, three friends and I formed a citizen’s action group to advocate for basic income in Québec. I passionately believe that basic income is the next step in creating a level playing field for all and establishing a true democracy. I hope you will read more and join us at Revenu de base Québec. P.S. I also am part of the Canadian Basic Income Network.
UBI Works (2018-)
I am an advisor and francophone director of UBI Works, a non-profit dedicated to promoting basic income in a dividend form across Canada.
Other
We are too polite. During conferences, panels and cocktail events we tend to banter about poltics and social issues, but we rarely speak the truth. When someone explains a position contrary to our own, we politely nod and respond that we disagree. We never fully respond and our lack of honesty reduces oru ability to dig to the bottom of an issue.
I therefore propose a new type of meeting, one based on the 18th century London coffee houses and the radical political clubs of the French Revolution: Fight Club politique.
Other Archived Projects
I founded MakeyourGirlfriendHappy.com in late 2010. To paraphrase Anna Karenina, “Happy couples are all alike, each unhappy couple is unique”. With that in mind, it seems like a service which promotes the commonalities of happy couples might help pull us towards a passing grade. We’re on twitter, click here to follow us. Heck, we’re even on Facebook too, click here for that!
I am currently looking for a business partner for Make your Girlfriend Happy, contact me for more information.
Station C – For two years I helped manage and grow Station C co-working from 10 members and a 2200 sq. foot location to a new location with over 30 members and 4500 sq. feet. The co-working still operates, but I am no longer involved in management.
Strike A Light – An organization to provide sustainability curriculum to high schools. It was shutdown.
Event Chase – A site to organize and find pickup sports games in Montreal and/or Paris. It was sold.
Published on March 15, 2009