News Roundup – June 2026
How are planners and developers unlocking “missing middle” housing in large Canadian municipalities? What is Cree Nation Government doing to blend Cree knowledge with mapping technology in support of self-determination? What’s the philosophy behind the new GIS for Data Analytics post-graduate certificate program at Durham College? All this and more in the June 2026 News Roundup from Esri Canada.
Feature Stories
Get job-ready for a career in GIS with Durham College’s new program
In September 2026, Durham College will open the doors on its new Geographic Information Systems for Data Analytics program. The program is an opportunity for recent graduates, career changers and current geographic information system (GIS) professionals alike to learn GIS in a new way.
From open data to open infrastructure: what municipalities need to get right
Making data “open” is no longer the challenge. Providing “usable data” is. Based on my experience at Ratio.City and conversations with planning professionals across a variety of positions, this blog explores why access alone is not enough, how weak data foundations limit even the most advanced tools, and what municipalities need to get right next to make data truly work for planning.
Friction to feasibility: how Ratio.City can unlock missing middle housing
User research is a key tool to shaping features and updates we release at Ratio.City. Engaging with professionals is incredibly important to understanding needs, pain points and building useful products. Most recently, we have been discussing missing middle development in the city of Toronto. From townhouses to multiplexes, missing middle building types are now live on Ratio.City.
Cree Nation Government: mapping for shared understanding
The Cree Nation Government is blending Cree knowledge with mapping technology in support of self-determination. Culturally relevant geospatial information helps communities protect what matters and make decisions grounded in lived experience.
Turning property data into GIS power
What does it take to turn fragmented property sketches into a fully integrated GIS-based approach? Insights from the 2026 GIS ValTech Conference show how the Kentucky Department of Revenue is transforming how property data is created, managed and used.
Once upon a time…: how to tell compelling stories with ArcGIS StoryMaps
Discover how to use ArcGIS StoryMaps to create powerful multimedia narratives in this blog post by senior certified ArcGIS instructor Nigel Pereira.
Using Toronto's existing housing stock to help solve the housing crisis
Unlock Toronto’s "hidden housing inventory" by leveraging new as-of-right rules to turn large existing homes into profitable multi-unit housing.
Esri Canada News
Esri Canada named a Municipal Changemaker by Municipal World
May 27, 2026
Resources
ArcUser: Maps are memory
Through the African Built Heritage Hub, Northeastern University researchers are partnering with local organizations and using GIS tools such as ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Survey123, ArcGIS Field Maps and ArcGIS Hub—in conjunction with LiDAR scanning for the development of 3D digital models—to create a dynamic repository of imagery and knowledge about culturally and historically significant sites across Africa.
Read the latest issue of ArcUser.
ArcNews: A new, scalable system for nationwide biodiversity monitoring
Map of Life—a global initiative led by the Yale Centre for Biodiversity and Global Change—is building a geospatial data system to support biodiversity monitoring efforts across the United States. Working alongside Esri and with support from the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, Map of Life participants are collaborating with national government partners worldwide to develop the National Biodiversity Information System, a robust, private and flexible platform for managing, visualizing and analyzing biodiversity data.
Read the latest issue of ArcNews.
WhereNext: A GIS team embraces automation to speed up site selection
At Minneapolis-based US Solar, what began as a GIS site selection tool has evolved into an enterprise system delivering executive dashboards, monitoring project status and speeding up operations.
Read the latest articles from WhereNext.
Video: Integrating building permits with BIM in Vila Nova de Gaia
Marco Lima de Carvalho, head of the Geographic Information Division at Gaiurb in the Municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia, explains Gaia’s strategy for connecting building permits, BIM, GIS and 3D city modelling within an urban digital twin. The presentation focuses on how digital transformation can modernize permitting workflows and support more integrated city planning.
Video: From 10 hours to 5 minutes: how GIS modernizes municipal planning
“It’s very rewarding when you get feedback [like] ‘you helped me so much’.” As a GIS technologist, you sometimes don’t get to see the effects of your work on people. But when Jeff Norris at the City of Kitchener helped digitize a five- to ten-hour-long paper-based municipal permitting process using geographic information systems (GIS), the feedback he got came from the heart. Now, Jeff’s co-workers don’t have to drown in paper to process permits. Better yet, they can take care of each request in just minutes.