Laval Open Data Publishing - City Bylaw Guide
Laval, Quebec maintains a municipal open data portal to publish datasets created or held by city departments, contractors, and partners. This guide explains how to prepare datasets for publication, what metadata and file formats are expected, how to submit and maintain datasets, and where to get help. Use the City of Laval Open Data Portal to review the catalogue and begin a submission process: City of Laval Open Data Portal[1] Where the official portal or municipal pages do not state specific rules, fees, or sanctions we note "not specified on the cited page."
Preparing a dataset for publication
Before you submit, confirm ownership and permission to publish the data, choose an open licence compatible with municipal policy, and remove or redact any personal or sensitive information in accordance with provincial privacy rules. Prepare clear metadata and a short description so users can discover and reuse the dataset.
- Include dataset title, summary, keywords, authoring department, and contact person.
- Provide machine-readable formats (CSV, GeoJSON, shapefile where relevant) and include a data dictionary.
- Confirm licence choice and any usage conditions; note if fees apply in procurement documents (portal itself shows licence metadata).
- Set an update frequency and versioning policy to keep the dataset current.
Submission, review, and publication
Submit datasets through the city portal workflow or by contacting the open data administrator if a direct upload is unavailable. The municipal team reviews metadata for completeness, validates formats, and performs a privacy check. Publication timelines and review criteria are managed by the city; when specific time limits or service levels are not published we state "not specified on the cited page."
- Upload files or provide a secure transfer link and include metadata in the portal form.
- City staff perform privacy and quality checks; redaction may be required before publication.
- Expect communication from the portal administrator for clarifications or required changes.
Maintenance & updates
Once published, datasets should be kept current. Assign an owner responsible for updates and monitor user feedback. Use the portal to push updates or replace files according to versioning policy.
- Document the expected refresh cadence (daily, monthly, annually) in metadata.
- Keep an internal changelog for each dataset release.
- Respond to user requests for additional fields or clarifications through the portal contact channel.
Penalties & Enforcement
The municipal open data portal itself does not publish a schedule of fines or formal penalties for improper dataset publication on the portal pages cited here; specific monetary fines or sanctions for publishing errors are not specified on the cited page. Enforcement of improper disclosure or breaches of privacy would follow applicable municipal and provincial rules and could involve removal orders, administrative directions, or referral to provincial authorities where privacy laws apply.
- Monetary fines: not specified on the cited page.
- Escalation: first and repeat offence escalation details not specified on the cited page.
- Non-monetary sanctions: dataset removal, correction orders, and administrative action are possible depending on the breach.
- Enforcer: municipal open data administrator and relevant city departments, with privacy matters potentially referred to provincial authorities.
- Inspections and complaints: report concerns via the city contact channels listed in Help and Support / Resources below.
- Appeal/review: specific appeal timelines and procedures are not specified on the cited page; follow the city’s administrative review processes where available.
Applications & Forms
The cited portal describes an upload or submission workflow; however, no specific municipal form number or fee schedule for dataset publication is provided on that page. Contact the portal administrator for any required submission template or guidelines.
FAQ
- Who can publish datasets to the Laval portal?
- City departments, authorized contractors, and approved partners can publish datasets; external contributors should coordinate with the city’s open data team.
- What licence should I use?
- Select an open licence indicated by the portal or consult the open data administrator for the city’s recommended licence.
- How long does review take?
- The portal review timeline is not specified on the cited page; expect review time to vary based on privacy checks and required revisions.
How-To
- Prepare dataset: confirm ownership, remove personal data, and create a data dictionary.
- Create metadata: title, description, keywords, licence, contact, and update frequency.
- Choose file formats: provide machine-readable formats like CSV or GeoJSON.
- Submit via the portal upload form or contact the administrator if upload is not available.
- Respond to review: address privacy or quality comments from the portal team.
- Publish and set update cadence: publish when approved and schedule regular updates.
- Maintain and monitor: track usage, respond to requests, and update metadata as needed.
Key Takeaways
- Prepare clear metadata and a data dictionary before submission.
- Perform privacy review and remove personal data prior to publication.
- Contact the portal administrator for templates or unclear cases.
Help and Support / Resources
- City of Laval Open Data Portal
- Ville de Laval - Official website
- Urbanisme et gestion du territoire - Ville de Laval
- Contactez la Ville de Laval