Building a GIS Community - Alison Thorpe, Regional District of Kootenay Boundary

Join GIS professional Alison Thorpe as she shares insights on building and sustaining a powerful GIS community. In this video, Alison discusses the origins of the Interior GIS User Group (IGISUG), why networking is crucial for GIS professionals and how platforms like the Community Map of Canada and Kumospace help unify GIS practitioners across the country. Whether you’re a student, a seasoned professional or part of the BC public sector, discover how to enhance collaboration and harness the best tools available to drive meaningful geospatial solutions. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction Meet Alison Thorpe and learn about her role in IGISUG. 00:10 – About IGISUG What the Interior GIS User Group is and why it was formed. 00:20 – Importance of GIS Community Why collaboration and sharing solutions matters to local government and beyond. 00:39 – Collaboration & Networking How knowing who’s doing what can influence better decisions and upgrades. 01:21 – Community Map of Canada Why it’s a reliable, authoritative basemap and how it fosters national collaboration. 01:43 – National Happy Hours Using Kumospace to connect GIS professionals from every corner of Canada. 02:07 – Building Your Own GIS Community Tips for reaching out, attending conferences, and finding groups or forums. 02:38 – Conclusion & Final Thoughts The power of knowing the right people and how to get started. To learn more about the Community Map of Canada program, visit esri.ca/communitymaps