NAIT students' app for Banff Trails celebrated by Lieutenant-Governor

NAIT students' app for Banff Trails celebrated by Lieutenant-Governor

Published on May 02, 2019

Her Honour, Lois Mitchell thanks Digital Media students who developed app

EDMONTON – A team of NAIT Digital Media students who developed a mobile app to navigate Banff’s trails have received a personal thank you from the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, who led the development of the walkway.

The team of 11 students – 10 software developers and a business analyst – developed the app to guide users through the Commonwealth Walkway, a network of four trails totalling 18 kilometres in and around Banff, Alberta. The walkway opened in 2017 to mark the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.

The students met last weekend with Lt.-Gov. Lois Mitchell in her suite at the legislature for tea, cupcakes and some warm words of appreciation. The students built the app from scratch with free tools in only a few months. They had to learn a new, open-source framework they had never used before they could even begin the build.

They received a grant from RBC Future Launch for the team to travel to Banff to test the app in its final stages.

QUICK FACTS

  • The Commonwealth Walkway app is available in English and French on the App Store and Google Play
  • It can be downloaded and used offline, so no data is required
  • The app includes four trails: Tunnel Mountain, Vermilion Lakes, Sundance Canyon and Spray River

LEARN MORE

QUOTES 

Her Honour, the Honourable Lois Mitchell, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
“I can’t thank [them] enough for what [they’ve] done. I have the app now and it’s brilliant, just brilliant.”

Sue Fitzsimmons, Provost and Vice-President Academic, NAIT
“Seeing our students apply their skills to real-world projects like this, learning and adjusting as they go, is what polytechnic education is all about.”

Steve Chattargoon, program chair, Digital Media and IT, NAIT
“I’m extremely proud of them – they worked really hard. You could see the amount of pride they took in their work.”

Francesca Macasinag, app development team member and NAIT Digital Media and IT student
“We all learned a lot. I think this combination of students working from different backgrounds helped to make this app what it is.”

About NAIT

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) is a leading Canadian polytechnic, delivering education in science, technology and the environment; business; health and skilled trades. With nearly 40,000 credit and non-credit students and a 95 per cent employer satisfaction rate, NAIT grads are essential to the provincial economy. NAIT also contributes to Alberta’s prosperity by helping business and industry become more competitive with Industry Solutions offered through its Productivity and Innovation Centre, including technology adoption, business and product innovation and industry-driven research. Recognized as one of Alberta’s top employers, NAIT provides outstanding returns on investment for its graduates, partners, the provincial government and the people of Alberta.

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