Geographical Thinking from Esri Canada
90 episodes - English - Latest episode: 23 days ago -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.
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Episodes
Planting the Seeds of Change
March 28, 2024 11:00 - 20 minutes - 13 MBGrab 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.
Decoding Nature's Tiny Architects
February 29, 2024 12:00 - 27 minutes - 20.2 MBImagine 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.
Expanding GIS Adoption Inside and Outside the Classroom
January 25, 2024 12:00 - 25 minutes - 19.2 MBHow 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.
Finding Missing Children Using the Latest Location-Based Technology
December 21, 2023 12:00 - 24 minutes - 15.8 MB40 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.
Harnessing Data for Purpose and Results
December 07, 2023 12:00 - 27 minutes - 17.8 MBTurning 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.
Management Perspectives: Proving the Value of GIS at TD
November 23, 2023 12:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBIn 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 use...
How to Transform Your Community Risk Assessment Process for Less Than $100
November 09, 2023 12:00 - 19 minutes - 12.5 MBIn 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.
Solving Toronto’s Urban Noise Problem with GIS and Mapping Tools
October 26, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 18.8 MBDid 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 and their Geoanalytics Pilot Projects
October 12, 2023 11:00 - 28 minutes - 18 MBSouthlake 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.
How the Largest Commercial Real Estate Firm Uses GIS
September 28, 2023 11:00 - 16 minutes - 11 MBCBRE 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 Case for Converting Commercial Real Estate
September 14, 2023 11:00 - 25 minutes - 16.4 MBThe 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.
An Eye for A.I.: From the Spatial Report Podcast
September 01, 2023 15:33 - 19 minutes - 14.7 MBAs 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 ...
Geographical Thinking Caps: The Parks is Right
August 17, 2023 11:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBPut 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!
30 x 30 and The Science of the Possible
August 03, 2023 11:00 - 21 minutes - 12.4 MBJames 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.
Geography in the Corporate Boardroom
July 20, 2023 11:00 - 17 minutes - 11.1 MBGIS 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.
Creating a More Climate-Adaptive City: LA's First Heat Officer
July 06, 2023 11:00 - 20 minutes - 11.2 MBMarta 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.
Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services and GIS
June 22, 2023 11:00 - 19 minutes - 12.5 MBAn 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.
Demystifying GIS in the Canadian Armed Forces
June 08, 2023 11:00 - 22 minutes - 13.7 MBDid 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.
Commemorating Canada's Defining Moments With ArcGIS Storymaps
May 25, 2023 00:00 - 26 minutes - 15.9 MBDefining 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.
Leveraging GIS to Gather Input from Citizens for a Municipal Urban Plan
May 11, 2023 00:00 - 27 minutes - 16.3 MBEdmundston, 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.
Geographical Thinking Caps: I.M.G.D.B.
April 27, 2023 00:00 - 26 minutes - 17.5 MBLights! 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"!
Why can Uber find you but not 9-1-1?
April 13, 2023 00:20 - 18 minutes - 11.8 MBDid 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.
Qwhery: a voice interface for geospatial data
March 30, 2023 00:08 - 23 minutes - 14.4 MBIn 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.
GeoAI for damage assessment in the wake of a disaster
March 16, 2023 20:43 - 24 minutes - 15.3 MB"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.
A living encyclopedia embodied in an online map
March 02, 2023 14:36 - 20 minutes - 12.9 MBÁtl'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.
Management Perspectives: Finding success in potash mining
February 16, 2023 00:28 - 25 minutes - 16.3 MBJodi 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".
Management Perspectives: “We've gone from mappers to geospatial consultants”
February 02, 2023 01:20 - 28 minutes - 19 MBCarla 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.
Management Perspectives: "We've gone from mappers to geospatial consultants"
February 02, 2023 01:20 - 28 minutes - 19 MBCarla 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.
Management Perspectives: How to Bridge the Digital Divide
January 19, 2023 02:02 - 37 minutes - 23.6 MBAmar 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 broadba...
Geographical Thinking Caps: That Makes Census
December 15, 2022 00:17 - 25 minutes - 14.9 MBThe 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-...
Fire-Fighting Cattle: Using Cattle and GIS to Reduce the Risk of Forest Fires in B.C.
December 01, 2022 00:48 - 19 minutes - 12.5 MBRanchers 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.
Geoview - A Digital Map That May Change the Delivery of Health Services
November 17, 2022 00:00 - 30 minutes - 19.3 MBIn 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.
For Remembrance Day - Mapping Sunken War Ships
November 03, 2022 01:53 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBWe 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.
How the Toronto Humane Society uses GIS to address equity
October 20, 2022 19:48 - 21 minutes - 13.3 MBTegan 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.
GIS app challenge for Foodbanks Canada
October 06, 2022 00:48 - 26 minutes - 16.9 MBAbout 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.
A storymap of 19th century English clothing materials
September 22, 2022 00:09 - 22 minutes - 14.1 MB“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.
A storymap of 19th century English clothing materials
September 22, 2022 00:09 - 21 minutes - 14.1 MB"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.
Geographical Thinking Caps: The Domain Game
August 25, 2022 00:36 - 28 minutes - 17.3 MBDomains 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!
Geographical Thinking Caps: The Domain Game
August 25, 2022 00:36 - 28 minutes - 17.3 MBDomains 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!
Measuring a website's carbon footprint
August 11, 2022 02:01 - 23 minutes - 15.2 MBDevelopers 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.
Whales, Drones and Maps
July 28, 2022 01:15 - 20 minutes - 12.7 MBMarine 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.
The future of drone delivery
July 14, 2022 00:38 - 20 minutes - 13.4 MBMichael 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.
Geographical Thinking Caps: Reach for the Top Five
June 30, 2022 12:18 - 36 minutes - 23.5 MBEsri 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!
Geographical Thinking Caps: Reach for the Top Five
June 30, 2022 12:18 - 36 minutes - 23.5 MBEsri 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!
Drone project in Matawa First Nations
June 16, 2022 01:26 - 20 minutes - 13.3 MBMatawa 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 ...
Drone project in Matawa First Nations
June 16, 2022 01:26 - 20 minutes - 13.3 MBMatawa 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.
A Coroner's Map
June 02, 2022 12:35 - 25 minutes - 17 MBThere 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.
A Conversation with Esri’s Chief Scientist
May 19, 2022 13:55 - 38 minutes - 24.9 MBRenowned 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.
A Conversation with Esri's Chief Scientist
May 19, 2022 13:55 - 38 minutes - 24.9 MBRenowned 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.
A Conversation with Esri's Chief Scientist
May 19, 2022 13:55 - 38 minutes - 24.9 MBRenowned 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.