Making the cut: the maps & apps of the 2015 Esri Canada calendar

Finally—something arriving in the mail you won’t throw right in the trash (junk mail) or dread opening (your January credit card statement). The 2015 Esri Canada Calendar is now hitting mailboxes and inboxes across the country. Once again, the calendar showcases a fine collection of maps and apps that is sure to impress and inspire.

Back cover of the 2015 Esri Canada calendar.

This year, we sifted through over 60 submissions as part of our annual Maps and Apps Calendar Contest to select 12 winners and three honourable mentions. All 12 winners will receive a custom map by artist Karen M. O’Leary, who has developed a unique map-making technique to depict urban centres.

Hand drawn, hand cut maps of Vancouver, BC created by artist Karen M. Leary..

The high-volume of submissions made the judging process, as always, a challenging task. We based our selections on interesting content, beautiful cartographic rendering, wide regional representation and impact. Let’s take a quick look at a few of the selections that were honoured in this year’s calendar.

First up is June’s map: the Bridgewater GeoPDF map from the Government of Nova Scotia. This interactive map is packed with information related to the Bridgewater region, such as hydrography, boundaries and recreation. Users can turn layers on and off, and also search, select and view the attributes of features. This map highlights the benefits of organizing and displaying a large amount of public information on a map.

The Bridgewater GeoPDF Map (non-interactive version).

Gracing the month of July is the Elgin County Vineyard Site Suitability map. Developed by Geospatial Niagara as part of a 10-month thesis project at Niagara College, this map indicates vineyard suitability in Elgin County by calculating a number of variables and then categorizing land areas accordingly. The map is an excellent example of the valuable role GIS can play in land-use analysis.

Elgin County Vineyard Site Suitability Map.

September’s map is courtesy of Transit Windsor, who took top prize in this year’s contest. The Transit Windsor Walking Distance Analysis map shows properties within a 400m walking distance of a Transit Windsor bus stop. Among the insights the map provides is a strong visual representation of hot spots in the city without bus service.

Transit Windsor Walking Distance Analysis Map.

Here’s a complete listing of the maps and apps that made this year’s calendar:

• January - United Way in Your Community by United Way Ottawa
• February - Interior Rainforest Stewardship by BC Provincial Government
• March - 3D GIS Modeling for Condo Assessments in Vancouver by BC Assessment Authority
• April - Alberta FMA Map with Land-Use Framework Boundaries by Silvacom Ltd.
• May - Development of the Ville de Repentigny by Ville de Repentigny
• June - Bridgewater GeoPDF by the Government of Nova Scotia
• July - Elgin County Vineyard Site Suitability by Geospatial Niagara
• August - Fibre Attribute Mapping of Newfoundland's Forest by the Newfoundland Fibre Project
• September - Transit Windsor Walking Distance Analysis by Transit Windsor
• October - Surficial Geology of Alberta by the Alberta Energy Regulator / Alberta Geological Survey
• November - Mapping the Daily Commute - Where Ottawans Live and Work by Environics Analytics
• December - Marine Resources - Howe Sound by Smart Map Services

Honourable Mentions:

• Garbage Routes by the City of Woodstock
• Archaeological Assessment Potential by the Region of Waterloo
• Red River Flooding Extents in Southern Manitoba by the Government of Manitoba

 Thank you for all your submissions. We hope to see many more of your maps and apps next year.