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“Stories create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims of others.” – Peter Forbes, Founder at New Learning Journey

What is the most inspiring GIS story you’ve heard?

I am astonished by Code Red, a 10-year study using GIS to expose disparities in neighbourhoods in Hamilton, Ontario.

I am inspired by Missing Children Society of Canada, which employs location technology to help find missing children and reunite families.

I am energized by teachers like Tony Cushman, who equips our young generation with digital geospatial tools to explore the environment, document observations and ask insightful questions.

The list goes on.

Stories like these make me feel proud to work in a community of great people who make impactful changes. These stories keep us closer together despite different tools we use or industries we work for. These stories invigorate us to look for new and better ways of examining problems and finding solutions through the lens of geography. These stories attract our peers who may not understand GIS fully to think how The Science of Where can help them move further.

To hear more of these stories, and to share it widely so more can join us, we are launching an Esri Canada podcast – Geographical Thinking. This podcast focuses on you – our user community. Whether you’re a public servant, professor, an NGO operator, doctor, student, journalist or business owner, we want to hear how you’ve applied spatial thinking to your projects and the differences it made.

Join our first conversation with Esri Canada’s transportation expert Arif Rafiq to learn about the trends in the industry post pandemic and how geographical thinking plays an integral part in the evolution of transportation planning.

What is your GIS story? Write to us at podcast@esri.ca

This post was translated to French and can be viewed here.

About the Author

Guan Yue is Esri Canada’s Manager of Community Outreach. She works with a wide variety of communities to learn about their evolving needs and help them see the benefits of integrating spatial thinking into solutions. Her journey with GIS started over 10 years ago when she came from China to pursue a master’s degree in Environmental Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, where she used GIS to map traditional knowledge on urban bird habitats. She sees spatial insights as vital to better understanding businesses, organizations and more broadly, our world, but believes their value is under-recognized across sectors. Guan loves trying different food, going on hikes, exploring art events and reading to her daughter at bedtime.

Profile Photo of Guan Yue