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GIS Day in Canada 2025: Celebrating the geo-generalist era

Published Date
Author Michelle Brake

This year, GIS Day in Canada took place on Tuesday, November 18—and it was a packed and plentiful day! Together, we celebrated the GIS profession, the work of GIS users across Canada and the bright future that lies ahead for geo-generalists everywhere.

GIS Day in Canada is more than just an event—it’s a celebration of the power of geographic information systems (GIS) and the professionals who use them to make a difference. Each year, Esri Canada kicks off Geography Awareness Week with our GIS Day in Canada celebration, setting the stage for a week of activities held by Esri, our customers and GIS users across the globe that highlight the importance of geospatial technology. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the GIS profession, showcase innovation and inspire people to see the world through a geographic lens.

The geo-generalist era

This year’s event theme was “The Geo-Generalist Era: Where Spatial Meets Everything”. Today’s geospatial thinkers are increasingly “geo-generalists”—professionals who apply spatial thinking across diverse disciplines. From public health to marketing, climate science to logistics, GIS is becoming a core competency for solving complex, real-world challenges.

This year’s theme celebrated the expanding influence of GIS and the professionals who bridge disciplines to create innovative solutions. GIS is no longer confined to mapping departments—it’s shaping strategic decisions, empowering communities and transforming how we understand the world.

As the emcee and event lead, I was proud to see this vision come to life. Now that the event is behind us, let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

A blue sign set on the floor next to a downward staircase says “DO NOT ENTER: Live event in progress” with the Esri Canada logo.

Esri Canada virtual events are no joke—we block off whole sections of our office to produce them!

Agenda highlights

Our lineup featured inspiring presentations from organizations across Canada, each demonstrating how GIS is helping improve human life everywhere:

  • Ottawa Police Service (OPS): A/Sgt. Paul Stam showcased how hotspot maps and real-time officer tracking help the OPS respond to community concerns.

  • Chartwell Resource Group Ltd.: Nick Reinhardt shared how forest managers on Haida Gwaii moved from scattered spreadsheets to smart maps, improving collaboration to protect sensitive watersheds.

  • Acadia University & Government of Nova Scotia: Mitch Maracle explored how mapping helps us better understand the effects of Gaspereau Valley soils on the flavour of local wines.

  • BC Hydro: Forrest Wagner and Alejandro Mari reflected on BC Hydro’s decade-long journey of using GIS to streamline dam safety operations and centralize data from diverse systems.

  • Ville de Montréal: Irena Nedeva demonstrated how Montréal uses GIS to support its Vision Zero goals, making transportation safer and more accessible.

     

Keynote moments

Alex Miller delivered a powerful keynote on the importance of the GIS profession in Canada today. During his talk, he announced a groundbreaking collaboration between Esri Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation: a $1 million contribution in GIS software and consulting services over five years to support species and habitat conservation. I can’t wait to see where this collaboration goes!

Mary Jane Maher followed with “A Day in GIS Across Canada”, a presentation during which she told the story of how GIS touches every aspect of daily life in Canada.

A busy image featuring audiovisual equipment on the left, and a podium and speaker on the right. The speaker standing at the podium with notes in front of him is Alex Miller, a man with white hair who wears a dark blue blazer. He is looking at two screen with the words “GIS Day in Canada” in front of him next to a camera. Behind this main scene, Esri Canada manager of public relations & corporate communications Joy Chan sits at her laptop working.

Behind the scenes at GIS Day in Canada with Alex Miller.

Celebrating our user community

We were thrilled to present the Making a Difference Award to Maximum City, a Toronto-based company transforming youth civic education and engagement through advanced mapping technology. They’re doing wonderful work, and it’s privilege for us to be a small part of it as a technology provider.

Community connections

One of the most joyful parts of the broader GIS Day celebration is seeing how communities celebrate across the country. Here are a few standout posts we loved:

Customer of Esri Canada? Want your GIS Day-themed StoryMaps story, blog post, public-facing ArcGIS app or social media post added to this list? Write to us at press@esri.ca.

Or, explore more by checking out #GISDayInCanada and #GISDay on LinkedIn!

Behind the scenes

Pulling off an event like this takes teamwork and energy. Our production team worked tirelessly on-site, coordinating Q&As and managing live segments from a bustling conference room. We were joined by Josh Fullan of Maximum City, and yes—there were plenty of snacks and baked goods to keep spirits high! It was a true celebration, both on-screen and behind the scenes.

A diverse group of ten people in Esri Canada’s Toronto office. There are two rows of people: eight people standing in the back, and two people sitting in front. The two people sitting in front are Michelle Brake, wearing a green dress, and Alex Miller, wearing a dark blue blazer. They are each holding one side of a blue sign that says “GIS Day in Canada”.

The GIS Day in Canada team, full of smiles on the day!

Looking ahead

Another GIS Day in Canada is in the books, and what a day it was! We saw firsthand how GIS is shaping industries, empowering communities and helping Canadians tackle challenges with spatial insight. Thank you to everyone who attended and celebrated with us—you make this day what it is!

Stay connected

If you missed the event or want to revisit your favourite moments, stay tuned for the full proceedings. Follow us on LinkedIn for live event coverage and sign up for email reminders by accessing the Esri Canada Communication Preference Centre and selecting “Technical Events”. And mark your calendars: GIS Day in Canada returns on November 17, 2026—your yearly dose of GIS inspiration!

About the Author

Michelle Brake is an Enterprise Solutions Specialist for Esri Canada. She focuses on demonstrating the wide range of possibilities with Esri’s ArcGIS Enterprise technology. Michelle discovered digital mapping at university, which led her to pursue an Advanced Diploma in Geographic Sciences at the Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS). Michelle recently finished a Master of Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan, where she explored how communities can strengthen regenerative ecological and social systems. When not at a computer, you can find her outside hiking, kayaking or camping.

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