News Roundup – August 2026
How has Transport Canada evolved from standalone tools into a secure, cloud-first enterprise GIS platform? Once your digital twin is up and running, how do you ensure its long-term sustainability? What resources are available to emergency-impacted communities through Esri’s Disaster Response Program? All this and more in the August 2026 News Roundup from Esri Canada.
Feature Stories
When capacity is exceeded: a reminder of Esri’s disaster response program
In emergency management, there is always a moment when demand outpaces capacity. It might be during a wildfire that escalates faster than expected, a flood that impacts multiple communities at once or a large-scale incident where the volume of information, coordination and public communication becomes overwhelming. When that happens, it’s important to remember: you are not alone.
Transport Canada's enterprise GIS: a blueprint for federal modernization
Transport Canada has evolved its GIS from standalone tools into a secure, cloud-first enterprise platform. This blog shows how that shift is strengthening coordination, accelerating insight and setting a model for federal modernization.
Digital twin success lies in organizational capability
Like a living organism, a digital twin is an ever-evolving, dynamic system that needs to be nurtured and maintained to ensure its health and longevity. Once your digital twin is up and running, how do you ensure its long-term sustainability? In this post, Esri Canada management consultant Alexandre Guy guides you through governance and process considerations for keeping your digital twin in top shape.
Future-ready approach to dam safety risk decisions at BC Hydro
In dam safety, the biggest risk is not having the full picture. BC Hydro unified its data, models and monitoring so engineers can act in minutes instead of days, enabling earlier detection and smarter decisions. See how they did it.
Get more from your investment in geo with a GIS workforce assessment: pt. 1
GIS tools and data management maturity will only get you so far. To leverage organization-wide location intelligence, your workforce needs to be structured, managed and trained. The GIS workforce assessment process that Esri Canada management consultant Darren Sutton describes in this blog post will help you organize your GIS workforce to maximize value delivery.
What’s new in NG9-1-1 Data Manager version 2.5
Your favourite NG9-1-1 preparation solution just got better. Let me introduce you to NG9-1-1 Data Manager version 2.5. This update includes new tools and functionality to make preparing your NG9-1-1 GIS data that much easier.
To AI, or not to AI: a GIS developer’s soliloquy
Automation using AI can certainly be powerful, but using it without exercising geographic discernment carries with it the same risks that copied code and inherited tools do. Modern GIS developers need to be comfortable not just with using AI tools, but also deciding when they are best used and assessing their output. In this blog post, Esri Canada senior certified ArcGIS instructor André Piasta discusses why it’s critical for GIS professionals to exercise their discernment in the age of AI.
Esri Canada News
Nova Scotia Power receives Esri Special Achievement in GIS Award
July 29, 2026
BC Hydro recognized for innovative dam safety information system
July 22, 2026
LTSA receives Special Achievement in GIS Award
July 16, 2026
Esri News
Esri President Jack Dangermond Named Among Forbes 250 America’s Greatest Innovators
July 31, 2026
Esri Press Releases 2027 Map Calendar
July 29, 2026
Esri Helps Bring Up-to-Date Road Closure Information to Google Maps and Waze
July 14, 2026
Esri Introduces ArcGIS for ServiceNow, Bringing Location Intelligence into Everyday Enterprise Workflows
July 14, 2026
Esri to Debut the Power of Where Collection at 2026 Esri User Conference
July 14, 2026
Esri Introduces ArcGIS Velocity for ArcGIS Enterprise to Power Real-Time GIS Operations
July 13, 2026
Esri and Global Partners Release HydroSHEDS v2 for the Americas
July 9, 2026
New Esri Press Book Shows That GIS Can Transform the Entire Campus, Starting at the Classroom
July 8, 2026
Resources
ArcNews: Oklahoma automates election data maintenance, improving accuracy
In Oklahoma, voting-related geographic information has been maintained for more than 20 years by a small team at the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Spatial Analysis (CSA). But by 2020, the extra effort introduced by the previous system combined with upcoming redistricting demanded a change. CSA modernized its GIS by moving from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro, allowing the team to automate QA processes and data processing workflows. Now, Oklahoma’s election data is easier to share and use.
Read the latest issue of ArcNews.
WhereNext: Trusting data: new guardrails for the AI era
AI’s ability to deliver quick answers creates a quandary for business executives: Take the fast answer or take time to vet the data first?
Read the latest articles from WhereNext.
Video: Esri UC customer snapshot: Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Precisely understand the relationships between rail stations, communities, people and services across the diversity of the Italian Rail infrastructure and the people of Italy.
Video: Community Spotlight – City of Fredericton
Jessica Borgal, a GIS consultant with the Community Map of Canada, presents a community spotlight on the City of Fredericton, New Brunswick. The city’s longstanding participation in the Community Maps program is highlighted, including its contributions of detailed map data. The video also emphasizes improvements to their airport mapping such as clearer bilingual labelling and more accurate feature details.