News Roundup – November 2026
Is there an easier way to create a training budget for geographic information system (GIS) teams? How is Pomerleau leveraging GIS in their Digital Construction Hub—and what capabilities is it granting them that they didn’t have before? Is AI truly at the point where it can extract accurate planning data from zoning by-laws? Answers to all these questions and more in the November 2026 News Roundup from Esri Canada.
Feature Stories
GIS Day in Canada 2026: A celebration of Canadian GIS excellence
On November 17, 2026, Esri Canada’s annual showcase of Canadian GIS excellence returns. Discover how your peers are using maps, geospatial technology and spatial analysis to tackle Canada’s most pressing problems. This year’s event takes place virtually from 12 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Keynote announcement coming soon. Register now to secure your front-row virtual seat!
Join us for GIS Day in Canada 2026 on November 17, 2026 from 12 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time to celebrate GIS excellence across Canada.
How to budget GIS training for 2027: prepaid training from Esri Canada
If you’re planning your 2027 geographic information systems (GIS) training budget, you're likely facing competing priorities: improving staff productivity, keeping pace with ArcGIS innovations and controlling training costs. Prepaying for your team’s GIS training can help you train more employees, simplify budgetary approvals and reduce the per-day cost of professional development.
Pomerleau’s Digital Construction Hub: Making location the heart of project control
Pomerleau’s Digital Construction Hub uses ArcGIS to bring BIM models, drone imagery, schedules and field data together in a single digital environment. This approach enables teams to know not only what’s happening on major projects, but also where it’s happening. Here’s how they did it.
Part 3: Can AI extract planning data from zoning by-laws accurately?
In Part 1 of this three-part blog post series on whether AI can accurately extract planning data from zoning by-laws, Esri Canada GIS analyst Jocelyn Tang introduced the problem and examined different LLMs in search of the right model for the task. In Part 2, she explored different metrics to use when evaluating LLMs. She also concluded that using LLMs as a tool for extracting information from Zoning By-laws has an accuracy of around 70%. Now, in the final part of the series, Jocelyn concludes her investigation by fine-tuning one of the models she used in Part 2 to see whether it might improve the results.
Audreana Rossi’s experience in the Associate GIS Professional Program
Ever wonder what it’s like to start your GIS career at Esri Canada? Former associate GIS analyst Audreana Rossi shares why she pursued the Associate GIS Professional Program and how the experience shaped her career at Esri Canada.
Esri Canada News
John Houweling honoured with Roger F. Tomlinson Lifetime Achievement Award
October 26, 2026
Paul Giroux receives Esri Canada’s Making a Difference Award
October 27, 2026
Naz Ali named Esri Canada’s GIS Professional of the Year
October 28, 2026
Esri News
PwC and Esri expand alliance for AI-powered geospatial insights
October 6, 2026
Esri President Jack Dangermond Receives California 30x30 Champion Award
October 6, 2026
New Esri Press Book Helps Business Analysts Turn Location Intelligence into Action
October 13, 2026
Esri President Jack Dangermond Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
October 21, 2026
Esri Recognizes Partner Excellence in Serving Customers at Annual Infrastructure Management & GIS Conference
October 29, 2026
Resources
ArcNews: From blind spots to actionable maps: how UNESCO’s World Heritage mapping app helps monitor risk and respond to threats
For decades, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has worked to protect places of outstanding cultural and natural value. UNESCO recently partnered with Esri to develop the UNESCO Sites Navigator, which brings the organization’s World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks together in a single interactive geospatial platform.
Read the latest issue of ArcNews.
WhereNext: One city’s transportation overhaul raises questions of how to get around
New York City has redesigned its truck route network for the first time since the 1970s, updating a system created long before e-commerce and same-day delivery. When a city adjusts the rules for businesses, planners need location intelligence to remain compliant and keep operations moving at the speed of business.
Read the latest articles from WhereNext.
Video: UPS uses GIS to optimize their business
See how UPS uses geographic information systems (GIS) to reduce about $350,000,000 in costs annually.
Video: Better Data. Smarter Decisions. Stronger Communities.
Across Canada, people are using GIS to turn better data into better decisions and meaningful change in their communities. From reducing crime and modernizing paper-based processes to using AI, digital twins and community-generated data, these stories show how location intelligence can help solve real-world challenges and make information more useful and accessible.