PEI

Summerside mayor bets bottle of wine on Smart Cities Challenge

Summerside's mayor has some skin in the game for a national competition coming up this fall.

P.E.I. city's mayor makes wager with Moncton mayor

Mayor Bill Martin is looking for some help from Summerside's citizens. (Sarah MacMillan/CBC)

Summerside's mayor has some skin in the game for a national competition coming up this fall.

The Smart Cities Challenge is being put on by the federal government. The contest encourages communities to find ways to use technology and data to improve livability and opportunities for the city and its people.

Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold has accepted the challenge from Martin. (Tori Weldon/CBC)

The details of the contest won't be released for a few more weeks, but Summerside is already putting together a committee for its bid and is looking to its citizens for help.

"We'd like to know, where aren't we doing as well as we could be doing," said Mayor Bill Martin.

"We think we're doing rather well in many areas but we want citizens' input on how we could get better."

While organizing is just getting started, Martin has shown he has confidence in his city. He has bet a bottle of wine with Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold on the results of the contest.