News Roundup — February/March 2020
What’s the best way to share your organization’s open data in one location? What are the key components of better water services and delivery? What GIS resources are available for tracking the coronavirus outbreak? Find out in this latest issue of News Roundup.
Feature Stories
March's App of the Month: Open Data Prince George
March’s App of the Month – Open Data Prince George – is a hub site that the City has built to share all its data in one location. Not only does it provide access to open data, it also showcases maps and apps relevant to the public and dashboards monitoring the progress of municipal projects and events that are occurring in the city.
February's App of the Month: Caribou of the boreal
February’s App of the Month – Caribou of the boreal – is a story map by the David Suzuki Foundation. It uses rich multimedia to illustrate how Caribou are threatened with extinction across Canada with 37 out of 52 boreal caribou ranges unlikely to survive unless action is taken to reduce disturbances to their habitats. By taking this cross-Canada tour, you’ll go deep inside the boreal forest to live the caribou’s experience and find out what you can do to protect this species’ critical habitat.
Why Canada needs to continue developing its spatial data infrastructure
The Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) is Canada’s national spatial data infrastructure and while it ranks well around the globe, it’s important for the CGDI to continually be improved–not just by governments but by the private sector as well. Read this blog post to see how Canada can build and improve on its existing SDI investments and what benefits this additional investment will bring.
4 Key Components for Better Water Service and Delivery
Organizations responsible for the treatment and delivery of potable water need the ability to analyze asset maintenance and network design criteria to reduce water leaks and outages, which ultimately leads to better service to the customer.
NG9-1-1: How do you know that your GIS data is ready?
The first step in the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1(NG9-1-1) takes place this June. By June 2023, the ESInet will completely replace the existing 9-1-1 analogue networks, and the Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG) has specified that GIS technology will be used to route mobile calls to PSAPs.
The Community Map of Canada and the Living Atlas of Canada are warehouses of great data, contributed by authoritative sources in the GIS community across the country and around the world. This community-contributed data is then curated, assembled and published to the cloud for all to use. These datasets are also continuously updated by Esri Canada with the latest information from the same authoritative sources.
What can GIS give you besides a great map
Developing a full-fledged GIS solution is complicated and requires niche expertise, but to take advantage of some GIS apps you don’t need a degree. If you are digitally savvy, you can build or use GIS apps to tell captivating stories, perform analysis, and build virtual communities. Unlike the traditional GIS technology that relies on specialists to model issues and make sense of data, today, GIS has evolved and expanded to reach a much wider audience and serve a variety of purposes.
Educate and entertain your audience with story maps
Story map technology is continuing to improve so it’s important to be aware of the latest uses and technology for story maps to make sure that your medium conveys your message. Read this blog post to learn how to make story maps focused, entertaining, and informative so users stay on point with your message.
Make a difference in the new decade with these Esri Canada training courses!
Do you remember what you did in 1990, 2000 or 2010? Was it pivotal to the rest of the decade that followed? What are you planning to do differently this year to make your mark in 2020 and beyond? On our end, we will start this new decade with the release of many new courses that will help you be even more successful.
Story Map: EMBC and GeoBC: Enhancing Emergency Management with GIS
The success of any emergency response hinges upon government agencies’ ability to make timely decisions on resource allocation. This requires coordination across different levels of government and with Non-Governmental Organizations, private companies and the public. Find out how Emergency Management BC (EMBC) and GeoBC developed a common operating picture portal to provide situational awareness across provincial emergency operation centres.
Esri News
2020 Esri Federal GIS Conference Highlights | View the Plenary and Keynote Sessions
February 12, 2020
Esri Partners With Saint Louis University To Advance Geospatial Research And Innovation
February 11, 2020
Esri Partners With OSI To Provide Advanced GIS Capabilities And Real-Time Monitoring to Utilities
January 24, 2020
Esri Announces StoryMapper Of The Year Contest Winners
January 15, 2020
Resources
Mapping the novel coronavirus outbreak
Esri’s StoryMaps team, with support from Johns Hopkins, has put together a series of maps and data that puts the coronavirus in perspective, including animated maps showing the early spread of the virus and how it progressed. The data is updated daily. Also, visit Esri's COVID-19 GIS Hub.
WhereNext Magazine: Coming In Sick Versus Calling Out Sick: How Different Cities Rate
WhereNext is Esri’s digital magazine for business leaders. In this article, a new study reveals that the likelihood of a worker coming in while unwell can actually be tracked geographically, creating data that helps companies build location-based strategies to keep employees healthier. With coronavirus taking its toll worldwide, such insight on health habits has taken on new significance.
Esri & The Science of Where Podcast: Conservation in the Era of Data and Analytics
Hear Sean O’ Brien, NatureServe president and CEO, discuss the importance and abundance of data and analytics in driving decision-making in large-scale conservation efforts.
Video: How the U.S. Census Bureau is preparing for the 2020 Census
As the countdown to the 2020 Census continues, the U.S. Census Bureau is preparing for the largest peacetime mobilization of GIS-powered enumerators. With exactly 50 days until Census Day on April 1, the Census team goes behind the scenes to share the science being used to deliver 2020 Census invitations to Americans. Also, get a sneak peek at the 2020 Census already underway in Alaska, where local census takers got a head start in January as the frozen ground allows for easier access to some of the most remote locations in the US.