Geographical Thinking: Recent Episodes
Esri Canada
Tune in for inspiring stories from thought leaders and GIS users across business, government and education in Canada. Get practical tips for applying geospatial thinking to tackle challenges -- from simple ones encountered in everyday life to the most complex issues our world faces today.
Get ready for a retrospective! It’s time for Management Perspectives, a special series of the Geographical Thinking podcast where we discuss how geospatial strategy is helping organizations achieve their business goals.
On this episode of Management Perspectives, Esri Canada management consultant Kelsey Davis chats with Nigel Forster, GIS specialist with the City of Medicine Hat in Alberta, about three successful years of geospatial strategy at the City. They go over how a geospatial approach has transformed the City’s workflows, created GIS advocates among stakeholders and acted as a strong foundation for technological change at the City.
Grab your maps and let's embark on a journey through the world of real estate innovation! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we're exploring with Sumaiya Siddiqi and Rachelle Siwy, GIS Analysts from Colliers Canada. Together, we'll uncover how GIS technology is revolutionizing the real estate industry, from demographic analysis to future area projections.
In this special crossover episode, Geographical Thinking shines a spotlight on its sibling podcast, Spatial Report. We sit down with hosts, Mark Ho and Maggie Samson to uncover what it's like to be at the helm of this dynamic series, exploring the latest in GIS and beyond. As a bonus, we dive into the critical topic of Next Generation 911 by playing the most recent episode of Spatial Report, where the future of emergency response technology takes center stage.
Curious about how cities can become more accessible? In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we're talking with Kate Clark and Katherine Deturbide from the PEACH research group. Together, we'll explore how GIS is revolutionizing city planning to create more inclusive and connected spaces. From the forward-thinking 15-minute city to the innovative CANdid Access project, join us on this fascinating journey into the future of urban planning!
Grab your hiking boots and join us on a journey through the world of long-distance trails! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we’ll be exploring with Galen Keily from the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Together, we'll uncover the role of GIS in preserving and managing one of America's most iconic trails.
Get ready to dive into the vibrant world of mapmaking with Heather Smith on this episode of Geographical Thinking! Heather spills the beans on her cartographic wizardry, revealing how she mixes creativity with data to craft tutorials that'll have you mapping like a pro in no time. We'll explore everything from the fine art of balancing aesthetics with precision, to the crucial role of accessibility in the cartographic realm. So, buckle up and join us as we navigate through the ever-evolving landscape of cartography!
Dust off those textbooks and sharpen your pencils because we're diving deep into the world of GIS education on this episode of Geographical Thinking! Join us as we explore the ins and outs of post-secondary GIS education with our special guests, Jon Salter and Rahul Chandra.
From the sandy shores of secluded islands to the bustling streets of exotic cities, this special edition of geographical thinking caps will put our contestants’ geographical savvy on display. Get ready to pack your bags with knowledge and embark on a journey of discovery as we explore everything from hidden gems to famous landmarks and anything in between!
Grab your toque and prepare for an icy voyage to the ends of the Earth! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, host Michelle Brake speaks to Anais Schaenzel, who recently embarked on a thrilling expedition to Antarctica and documented it all with GIS.
Grab your gardening gloves as we dig into the world of ecological restoration. In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we’ll explore innovative strategies for creating a greener, more resilient world with the insightful Heather Schibli, from Dougan & Associates.
Imagine a landscape where lichens are not just tiny patches on rocks and branches, but vibrant characters in a complex ecological story. In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we’ll talk with Miranda Frison, a master's student looking to uncover the hidden intricacies of lichen communities.
How are Alex Trebek, K-12 education, and GIS all connected? This episode of Geographical Thinking connects the dots as Michelle Brake talks with Jean Tong and Angela Alexander, two of the people who keep Esri Canada’s K-12 education program thriving.
40 thousand children go missing in Canada every year. Missing Children Society of Canada is leveraging the latest location-based technology to ensure more children are found faster.
Turning data into actionable insights is the superpower that most organizations dream of having. Jan Kestle founded Environics Analytics twenty years ago and is a seasoned expert in statistics and data analytics. In this conversation with Esri Canada’s Guan Yue, Jan demonstrates the importance of data-driven decision making with a keen focus on location intelligence.
In this episode of Geographical Thinking, Matthew Lewin, director of strategic advisory at Esri Canada, interviews TD’s associate VP of geospatial data and retail analytics, Annie Latremouille. TD’s geospatial program is on the rise, with GIS technology helping to strengthen the customer experience and drive better business outcomes. Their success comes from positioning the group as a Canadian centre of excellence for GIS, putting the right tools in the hands of colleagues who aren’t GIS users and—most importantly of all—constantly proving the business value, relevance and impact of GIS.
In very little time with very little money, Georgina Fire and Rescue Services transformed their community risk assessment process. How did they do it? Esri’s Guan Yue speaks with Georgina Fire and Rescue Services Deputy Fire Chief Lorianne Zwicker who explains how real-time data collection and $58 saves lives.
Did you know noise is the #2 Urban Environmental Health Hazard affecting our sleep, our bodies and our minds? Making a ruckus about excessive noise in the big city before noise by-laws are reviewed, Ingrid Buday, founder of No More Noise Toronto, tells Guan Yue how she’s taken matters into her own hands.
Southlake Regional Health Centre’s hyper-local interventions, tailored and targeted to the Northern York Region of Ontario, are gained through geoanalytics.
Our guest speaker is Gayle Seddon, Director of the Southlake Community Ontario Health Team. Gayle joined Southlake Regional Health Centre as the Executive Innovator.
CBRE is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm. They have a team of GIS professionals who understand the potential of location intelligence and built their proprietary web-based platform – Dimension.
In this episode of Geographical Thinking, Guan Yue speaks with Naz Ali, the Senior GIS Manager for CBRE Limited, about the evolution of GIS at CBRE and what the future may entail.
The Canadian Urban Institute’s new report examines the hurdles to converting empty downtown buildings in eight Canadian cities. CUI’s executive director Mary Rowe explains.
As Guan prepares for a new season of Geographical Thinking, we're pleased to share a conversation with Esri Canada’s Genevieve George about GeoAI. This content originally aired as part of Spatial Report Podcast's Episode 3: An Eye for A.I. Maggie Samson and Mark Ho host.
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we approach geospatial analysis, and GeoAI is at the forefront of this transformation. In this episode, Maggie and Mark are joined by a product expert who will explore what GeoAI is and empower you to give it a go. From advanced image classification to predictive modeling, learn how ArcGIS and GeoAI is revolutionizing geospatial analysis in the age of AI.
Put on your hiking shoes and pack your picnic basket. The funcast podcast is back, and this time we’re taking a leisurely stroll through your favourite parks. Esri Canada instructors André Piasta and Nigel Pereira trade their laptops for frisbees as they battle for trivia geo-glory. From Stanley Park to Gros Morne, join us on an awe-inspiring journey that traverses the most captivating landscapes our planet has to offer. Don’t forget the sunscreen!
James Hardcastle, Associate Director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), discusses the significance of the global initiative to protect 30% of the Earth by 2030, otherwise known as 30X30.
GIS has entered the boardroom of investment firms and is now seen as a game-changer with regards to better understanding climate change and the long-term prospects of corporations.
Alex Martonik, Business Resilience, Financial Services, and Insurance Lead for Esri, talks about why climate resilience matters to businesses.
Marta Segura, Chief Heat Officer & Climate Emergency Mobilization Director for the city of Los Angeles, talks about using mapping and location technology to help bring relief to residents during heatwaves.
An online app showing the locations of Naloxone kits in Newfoundland and Labrador became popular on social media in early 2023. Guan Yue spoke with Mark Squires, the creator of the app, about his role as a GIS analyst in Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, as well as other projects that bridge data and health needs.
Did you know the vital role GIS professionals play in the Canadian Armed Forces? In this episode of Geographical Thinking, Guan Yue speaks with Lieutenant Colonel Denise Sweet about the many projects in Canada's Armed Forces using location data and GIS.
Learn more at Esri.ca.
Defining Moments Canada is a Canadian heritage organization dedicated to commemorating significant moments in our shared histories.In their efforts to engage young Canadians with their history, Defining Moments Canada has embraced diverse media, ArcGIS Storymaps being one of them. Joining Guan Yue to discuss this initiative is Louis Lebel, Digital Content Manager at Defining Moments Canada.
Edmundston, New Brunswick leveraged GIS to gather input from citizens for a municipal urban plan, an initiative they call Imagine Edmundston, Joining Guan Yue to share more about the initiative is the Coordinator of Geomatics for Edmundston's City Hall, Daniel Arsenault.
Lights! Cameras! Geo-Glory! This feature presentation of the funcast podcast goes to the movies. Join Maggie Samson and Michelle Brake as they guess film names based on short descriptions. The ironic twist? Each title contains a geographic place name. This game promises to be everything everywhere all at once (with an emphasis on the where). And be sure to stay for the dramatic conclusion where we will make a shocking announcement! Spoiler alert: it’s “spatial”!
Did you know that the current 9-1-1 emergency service was designed for the analogue phone system? It is undergoing a drastic change to support callers in this digital era. Hear from Joann Fox, industry manager of NG 9-1-1 at Esri Canada, as she unpacks layers of complexity in this transformation and the vital role that GIS plays in it.
In many cities and towns, 311 provides residents, businesses and visitors with access to non-emergency city services. Matt Pietryszyn, CEO and co-founder of Qwhery, has created another way for people to interact with municipalities: using their smart home devices, like Google Home or Alexa. In this conversation with Matt, hear about Qwhery’s voice interface for geospatial data.
“Training artificial intelligence (AI) model requires massive amount of data and patience.” says Maja Kucharczyk, a 2022 Esri Young Scholar Award winner and a PhD candidate from the University of Calgary. Maja talked about her research that automates assessment of roof damage after disasters, as well as how AI model building is a collaborative effort in the academic community.
Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound is a UNESCO Biosphere Region just north of Vancouver, BC. It is a place where the mountains meet the ocean. Bridget John is the Program Manager of the Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound Marine Stewardship Initiative. She talks about a living online map, and how it helps the communities build towards a sustainable future.
Jodi Derkach, senior manager of land and resource at Nutrien, talks about how “where” is the key to solving major challenges in Nutrien’s potash business. Among other things, mapping helps Jodi’s team reach executives and secure the millions of dollars needed to run capital-intensive seismic programs. Want to grow your geospatial strategy toolbox? Get a quarterly roundup of resources sent right to your inbox by visiting our Communication Preference Centre and selecting “GIS Strategy”.
Carla Evans, senior geospatial consultant and director of spatial information management and CAD and IM solutions with Golder Member of WSP’s Ontario - Earth & Environment division, talks about the importance of aligning your geospatial strategy with the overall company strategy to best effect change.
Amar Singh, executive vice president of Infrastructure Ontario’s (IO’s) Commercial Advisory and Strategy practice, talks about the strategy behind increasing Internet access in Ontario’s rural and remote communities. By streamlining processes, using innovative procurement solutions and using geospatial tools like IO’s Broadband One Window, IO has successfully helped Internet service providers, the electricity sector and municipalities work together. It’s all with the aim of improving broadband service in communities all over the province.
The last funcast podcast of 2022 looks back at 2021 – the 2021 Census of Population to be precise. Every five years, Statistics Canada invites Canadians to participate in the census to learn more about who we are and where we live. Andrea Zagar and Carson Smulders are quizzed about several key indicators revealed from the May 2021 census results. Learn about how your province or territory stacks up: in population, socioeconomics, housing and more. It’s a short form game for long form geo-glory!
Ranchers in BC are working with local officials to pilot an innovative wildfire mitigation project – using cows to graze on lands and lower the volume of forages around communities. Amanda Miller, an ecologist working on the project talked about how it’s a win-win situation.
In Halifax, Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan, a physician, is heading up a project to use GIS technology to help physicians across the province make better-informed decisions about their patients’ healthcare.
She is mapping out the social determinants, environmental factors and local healthcare services available across the province. Visualizing this data will enable doctors to make better recommendations for healthcare options as well as reducing travel and wait times.
We honour Remembrance Day with Paul Heersink who has been mapping the 20,000 ships that sank during World War II. His dashboard illuminates patterns and stories across the naval theater and through the progress of the entire war. He shared his 8 years journey of mapping the sunken ships on Geographical Thinking.
Tegan Buckingham, Director of Integrated Marketing and Development at Toronto Humane Society uses GIS to better understand who adopts pets and how her organization can serve them better. Tegan joined Geographical Thinking to talk about the spatial analysis done by Toronto Humane society and why it's a critical skill for other non-profits.
About 1 in 7 people in Canada do not have enough food to eat. A third of women heading households with children in this country are food insecure, as are a lot of people who live in northern Canada and climate change is making that worse. On this episode of ‘Geographical Thinking’ hear how GIS apps are helping Foodbanks Canada deal with a growing problem.
“Clothing has never been created in a vacuum,” says Sam Huckerby describing her storymap that connects the geography of the sourced materials for 19th century fashion with environment, economic and social movements. Hear her on Geographical Thinking.
Domains are in our brains as the funcast podcast returns for some late summer fun. GIS nerds know that a domain is a list or range of valid values. Hear Dawn Price and Arif Rafiq compete for geo-glory as they determine which geographic landmarks fall within this game’s domain – UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Is the Great Barrier Reef a world heritage site? The Rideau Canal? The White House? Play along to find out which famous locations are UNESCO or UNES-NO!
Developers Samuel Larsen-Disney and Yannis Panagis won first prize at an Esri Hackathon with DigitalFootprint.earth. It’s a web application that estimates how much carbon dioxide is produced each time you access a website. They told Guan about quantifying the cost of surfing the web and using a 3D globe to visualize that.
Marine biologist Dr. Vanessa Pirotta and location intelligence expert Brett Dixon discuss their collaboration to study humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean using drones and geospatial visualization.
Michael Healander, CEO of Airspace Link, talks about drone delivery technology and how robotic flight is improving efficiency in the logistics industry and how drones can complement existing industries in an environmentally positive way.
Esri Canada’s funcast podcast is back, and this journey to geo-glory will be taken five responses at a time. David Kossowsky and Jasmine Sohal battle each other to find the top five answers to geographic questions. What are the five fastest growing cities in Canada? Which five countries consume the most wine? Where are the five smallest U.S. states? Join us as we tackle these brain teasers and many more as the drive for five goes full throttle. Survey says – FUN!
Matawa is a tribal council that looks after 9 First Nation communities in northern Ontario. Their land covers an area more than twice the size of New Brunswick and is difficult to navigate. But they need to study the land to make informed decisions about its’ future use. So they taught themselves drone technology and mapped all their communities at 1cm accuracy, in six months. It’s an extraordinary feat and Sarah Cockerton, manager of the Four Rivers Environmental Group explains how they did it.
There are 180 cases of unidentified human remains in BC. These are cases that have been cold for years, some for decades. Ian Charlton, a spatial analyst with BC Coroner's Services at the time, thought by putting the information about the remains on an interactive map he might engage the public and spark some new leads. The success of the map was beyond Ian's expectation. He talked to Guan about the journey and how GIS helped solve a missing person case.
Renowned oceanographer and Esri’s Chief Scientist, Dawn Wright talked to Guan about her role at Esri, as well as the importance of GIS in ocean conservation.
Twenty percent of the debris in the ocean is lost fishing gear. Leah Fulton's storymap 'The tale of lost fishing gear’ won 1st place in a StoryMaps Challenge for restoring our ocean hosted by Esri and the National Geographic Society. Leah tells Guan why abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear in Nova Scotia is a huge environmental problem and the challenges to solving it.
Team Rubicon Canada, a volunteer team of veterans, first responders and tough civilians, uses GIS in their efforts to help the underinsured and the uninsured when their community has been struck by natural disasters. Greg McGrath convinced the team that using GIS would ease their efforts. He joins Geographical Thinking to share that journey.
Ian Williams with the Toronto Police Service on how the police have evolved their use of GIS.
Brad Connatty, Manager of Upstream GIS at Suncor Energy, talks about how the use of GIS and location analytics is evolving in the energy industry.
News outlets now reach audiences using interactive maps, dashboards, podcasts. Amy Luft’s an award-winning digital content producer with the CTV network. Hear how she helps reporters tell stories in new ways.
Helping indigenous and First Nations people build their GIS capacity cartographer Steve DeRoy of The Firelight Group, wants to indigenize maps.
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-2-episode-12-indigenous-mapping-in-canada?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcasts-2022
Paul Shaffelburg is in charge of the GIS and geospatial services at Halifax Regional Municipality. Hear how he spearheads new processes and solutions in a complex municipality.
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-2-episode-11-management-perspectives-with-matt-lewin?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=%23ref!&utm_campaign=podcasts-2022
Tune in to hear how the role of GIS in managing a big city’s water has evolved over the last decade. In this special interview with guest host Matt Lewin, Esri Canada’s director of management consulting, Bill Shea is thoughtful about how GIS managers can effectively collaborate with upper management, who often don't know all the capabilities of GIS and location analytics.
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-2-episode-3-management-perspectives-part-1-of-4?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcasts-2021
To help our battle against COVID-19, public health’s need for location analytics was obvious. Meet two members of the Esri Canada’s new public health team in this episode and hear how two GIS enabled Canadian projects in this field – HIV self-testing kits and getting COVID vaccines to the homebound- have made a difference.
We’re making some lists and checking them twice. We’re gonna find out who wins geo-glory! The funcast podcast returns with the ultimate game of knowledge and strategy. Play along with Esri Canada’s Lakshmy Vasanthamohan and Mark Nguyen as they itemize geographical lists – one location at a time. It’s harder and funnier than you think. They better not pout and better not cry if they’re wrong!
GHGSat - a start up in Montreal - owns the first satellites that detect greenhouse gases at the facility level. They use Esri software to present the results so the emitter can respond effectively. Listen to a fireside chat amongst founder of Esri Jack Dangermond, Richard Cooke Esri’s Director of Remote Sensing and CEO of GHGSat Stephane Germain on monitoring climate change from space.
Alex Miller, President of Esri Canada, is a pioneer in GIS technology. He knows this subject in his bones and has travelled all over this country showing it to others. He wants GIS to help make this country a better place to live. On this episode of Geographical thinking he reflected on the pivotal moments of GIS in the past and what its future may entail.
"Geographic knowledge plays a role in nearly every decision we make at Ducks Unlimited Canada". When Guan saw this statement, she knew she needed to hear their stories. For decades, Ducks Unlimited Canada has been using GIS. Initially it was to map wetlands, but it’s gone far beyond that. They use it for research into waterfowl, and study the effect habitat conservation has on water quality and even to raise funds. Guan invited Andrew Pratt - Manager of Information Technology at Ducks Unlimited Canada to share the story of how they leverage GIS across departments.
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-2-episode-5-from-habitat-conservation-to-fundraising?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=s2ep5&utm_campaign=podcasts-2021
Mapannapolis is a non-profit that maps local cultural history, but this is not a traditional group of historians. It is a silo-busting, cross-discipline, award-nominated group that uses GIS to map structures, graveyards and churches to understand their community better. Guan talks to one of their founders, Heather LeBlanc, about how it works and what it means to the people living in one of the most famous parts of this country, the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia.
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-2-episode-4-mapping-history-in-nova-scotia?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcasts-2021
GHGSat, a Montreal-based, leading-edge space and data technology company, is the first in the world to monitor greenhouse gases from space. According to the World Meteorological Organization, 26 of the 50 essential climate variables can only be effectively observed from space. Guan invited Adina Gillespie, the Director of Business Development at GHGSat, to share their journey. Tune in to hear about this important work on the eve of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-2-episode-3-monitoring-greenhouse-gases-using-satellites?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcasts-2021
Dr. Este Geraghty is the chief medical officer and health solutions director at Esri. In Season 1, Episode 1 of the Geographical Thinking Podcast, she shared her insights about what a geo-enabled public health system might look like. Now, in Episode 2, she continues her conversation with Guan by exploring the implications of geo-enabled public health systems. Could this approach teach us how to address bigger challenges within health systems, as well as other global issues like social equity or even climate change? Tune in to this episode to find out.
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-2-episode-2-global-collaboration-beyond-covid-19?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcasts-2021
Welcome back to Season 2 of the Geographical Thinking Podcast! Our first guest of the season is Dr. Este Geraghty, chief medical officer and health solutions director at Esri and former deputy director of the Center for Health Statistics and Informatics with the California Department of Public Health. Having spent many years working at the intersection of public health and GIS—a space now changed forever by the spread of COVID-19—Este shares her insights about what a geo-enabled public health system should look like and why the Science of Where is critical to its mission.
The conversation continues in Episode 2, where Este talks about the far-reaching impact of GIS beyond the domain of public health.
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-2-episode-1-a-geo-enabled-public-health-system?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcasts-2021
We have a Young Professional Network (YPN) for those starting out in this business. It encourages discussion amongst young professionals on how to grow their careers. We are running a 3 part summer series to share a YNP round table discussion.
This is the first episode of our summer series. Four experienced GIS professionals are answering questions from our young professionals. The question is - what they know now that they wish they’d known earlier in their GIS career and how might it have changed their career choices?
Our honorable panel members:
Joann Fox - Manager of Business Analytics Intelligence and Reporting, Edmonton Police Service
Jeff Lamb - Partnerships and Special Projects, York Region (Ontario)
Will Caddell - CEO and founder of Sparkgeo Consulting
Chris North - Director of Technology Adoption, Esri Canada
Visit our podcast page at:
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-1-episode-18-advice-to-young-gisers?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=ep-18&utm_campaign=podcasts-2021
We have a Young Professional Network (YPN) for those starting out in this business. It encourages discussion amongst young professionals on how to grow careers. We are running a 3 part summer series to share conversations in a YNP round table discussion.
This episode is part 2 of our summer series, with four experienced GIS professionals answering questions from our YPN. They wanted to know what would be the best geospatial technology investment for organizations and businesses post pandemic.
Our honorable panel members:
Joann Fox - Manager of Business Analytics Intelligence and Reporting, Edmonton Police Service
Jeff Lamb - Partnerships and Special Projects, York Region (Ontario)
Will Caddell - CEO and founder of Sparkgeo Consulting
Chris North - Director of Technology Adoption, Esri Canada
Visit our podcast page at:
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-1-episode-17-imagining-the-industrys-future?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=ep-17&utm_campaign=podcasts-2021
We have a Young Professional Network (YPN) for those starting out in this business. It encourages discussion amongst young professionals on how to grow their careers. We are running a 3 part summer series to share a YNP round table discussion.
This is the first episode of our summer series. Four experienced GIS professionals are answering questions from our young professionals. The question is - what they know now that they wish they’d known earlier in their GIS career and how might it have changed their career choices?
Our honorable panel members:
Joann Fox - Manager of Business Analytics Intelligence and Reporting, Edmonton Police Service
Jeff Lamb - Partnerships and Special Projects, York Region (Ontario)
Will Caddell - CEO and founder of Sparkgeo Consulting
Chris North - Director of Technology Adoption, Esri Canada
Visit our podcast page at:
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-1-episode-16-things-they-wish-they-knew-earlier?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=ep-16&utm_campaign=podcasts-2021
Geographical Thinking Caps, our funcast podcast, is back! To celebrate Canada Day, Mark Ho welcomes Dan Mallett and Susie Saliola of Esri Canada to uncover the truths and lies of Canadian geography. From largest islands to bathtub racing, you'll learn more about your country with fun conversation along the way. Bring the sunscreen and wave the maple leaf – it’s time to battle for geo-glory!
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-1-episode-15-real-fake-news-eh
Spatial literacy doesn’t need to be hard and complex as it sounds. Two parents made it into a fun family activity with their two boys mapping out their Disney World Trip before COVID-19. Guan talked to Colleen Raymond and Mike Gregotski, both long time GIS professionals, about how they are engaging their small children in geography projects and impressing their sons’ friends! Looking for ideas to engage your little ones at home? This episode is for you.
Resources:
Podcast webpage
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-1-episode-14-making-geography-fun-at-home-for-children
Story map of family trip to Walt Disney World
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/cd3514db3b0a481097240e1e894c0680
Story map created for Nolan’s grade 1 class visit
https://www.entertainmaps.com/
Carter’s Chile story map project for grade 2
https://resources.esri.ca/education-and-research/gis-ambassadors-supporting-their-kids-learning-at-home-with-arcgis
Blog post: GIS Ambassadors supporting their kids’ learning at home with ArcGIS
https://resources.esri.ca/education-and-research/gis-ambassadors-supporting-their-kids-learning-at-home-with-arcgis
Esri Canada's 2022 Map Calendar Contest (Deadline July 16)
http://esri.ca/calendar
Register for 2021 Esri User Conference (July 12 - 15)
http://esri.com/uc
Skills Ontario runs a contest for high school students to practice their spatial analysis skills with the hope that they may use it professionally. Join Guan's conversation with one of the winners - Jaden Noronha, a Grade 12 student who one judges described as doing ‘amazing work’ and the teacher supporting him - Joey Raso from Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Dufferin Peel.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
https://resources.esri.ca/geographical-thinking-podcast/season-1-episode-13-students-gis-work-wowed-judges?utm_source=apple%20podcasts&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=podcasts-2020s1
Every year more than 40,000 children go missing in Canada. Less than one per cent are broadcast through AMBER Alerts due to its specific criteria and high threshold. With GIS and technology, Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) created a search network connecting police and the community in real-time when kids go missing. Amanda Pick, CEO of MCSC talks to Guan about the mobile app MCSC rescu (rescu.mcsc.ca) and its story in bringing home two missing children.
When they hear “oh so you make maps”, many GIS professionals just quietly agree, though they know it’s not close to describing what they do or explaining the ‘Science of Where’. It is a problem if your upper management also thinks you just make maps. That misperception can stall your career. Explaining the many rewards of using GIS software – without having the non GIS person run from the room – is tricky. That’s why Guan asked two experts in that field to help. Matt Lewin is Director of Management Consulting at Esri Canada and Adam Carnow Is a Community Evangelist with Esri in the US.
Some patients travel more than two hours to spend 15 minutes with their family doctors. That’s not unusual in Nova Scotia. How can geospatial technology help people get easier access to medical care? In this episode, Guan talks to Ajantha Jayabarathan, also known as Dr. AJ, a family doctor practicing in Halifax. She shares her stories and vision for how GIS can underpin a more accessible, efficient and inclusive health care system.
It shouldn’t be hard to find information on Indigenous role models or community successes. How about a vast number of them? Denali YoungWolfe, a PhD researcher at the University of British Columbia, collects Indigenous success stories across Turtle Island and maps them to show their presence, abundance and diversity. In this episode, she talks to Guan about her story “We Rise: The Âhkameyihtamowin Project: Mapping Indigenous Assurgency Across Turtle Island” and the reasons why mapping Indigenous success is critical to bolstering cultural identity. If you'd like to nominate an Indigenous success story, here is Denali's online survey.
If you could visualize the location of all crimes in your region, would you do anything differently to stay safe or make it safer for others? Debbie Verduga from the Toronto Police Service (TPS) talks to Guan about TPS’s Public Safety Data Portal, its evolution and impact, and Debbie’s own personal GIS journey to becoming a senior crime analyst.
Caroline Arnouk, founder and CEO of OPA Technologies, decided to challenge the status quo of traffic closure planning while working for the City of Montréal. The civil engineer founded OPA Technologies six years ago to help cities minimize the effects of traffic obstructions using GIS. Caroline speaks to Guan about how to sell to the public sector, the benefits of circulating business ideas and the evolution of her company during COVID-19.
What will the role of GIS be in the future? And what will this mean for GIS professionals? Guan chats with Chris North, director of technology adoption at Esri Canada, about the shift he is seeing in the geospatial business and the opportunities this transformation can bring. Chris shares his views on how the industry is evolving from specialization to mainstream, why organizations need to bring geography back into GIS and what impact these trends will have on the GIS community and beyond.
Centraide of Greater Montréal and United Way Greater Toronto released a special edition of their Radar—an innovative mapping tool—in response to increased community needs and an influx of emergency funding during COVID-19. The Radar geospatial tool profiles poverty in Canadian communities and helps local United Way organizations prioritize resource allocation. Listen to Guan's conversation with two executive leaders from the United Way and learn how this GIS-enabled project is helping to uncover critical insights about the Canadian communities that are in greatest need.
Twelve years ago, Dovercourt Recreation Association decided to try something new by mapping the community they serve. What the maps revealed validated their assumptions and provided them with the confidence to take on new challenges. Join Guan and her co-host Emilie Rabeau for an inspiring conversation with John Rapp, the Executive Director of the Dovercourt Recreation Association. John shares what he learned from that first mapping exercise and tells us why it was worth doing it all over again.
Geography is fun! In that spirit, Mark Ho hosts the first edition of Geographical Thinking Caps – our trivia-based funcast podcast. Join Erica Corbett and Jonathan Nowlan from Esri Canada as they share their geographical journeys and answer holiday-themed questions. Play along and find out who wins the ultimate prize – geo-glory!
How can Artificial Intelligence (AI) be applied to geospatial problem solving? Enter GeoAI. Join Guan as she dives into the power of GeoAI with Esri Canada’s Higher Education Developer Tasos Dardas. Tasos shares his thoughts on how we’re just at the tip of the iceberg in applying GeoAI and explores its exciting possibilities.
The pandemic has drastically changed personal vehicle use, public transit ridership and the role of curbside spaces in our cities. Join Guan Yue in our inaugural episode as she explores these trends with Esri Canada’s Transportation Industry Manager Arif Rafiq. Arif presents an energetic view that will leave you thinking about how transportation planning will evolve during and after the pandemic.
The importance of geography cannot be understated: everything is somewhere. Almost every challenge that our society faces has a spatial component to it. Subscribe to our podcast, where you will get timely stories and insights about how people are making a difference by applying geographical thinking.