Geographical Thinking from Esri Canada

Geographical Thinking Caps: Real Town or Movie Town

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pack your bags for a festive challenge! In this special Geographical Thinking Caps episode, we test your ability to separate fact from fiction. Contes...

Getting Technical: Fall 2025 GIS Update

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this edition of Getting Technical, we break down the latest updates across the Esri ecosystem. Jeff Petillion kicks things off with new capabilitie...

Exploring The Library of Lost Maps

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What makes a map “lost”? In this episode of Geographical Thinking, Michelle Brake welcomes Professor James Cheshire to explore The Library of Lost...

Inside the Esri Canada User Conference

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Esri Canada User Conference is back and it’s more than just maps! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, host Michelle Brake is joined by Mi...

Getting Technical: Summer 2025 GIS Update

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this first edition of Getting Technical, a new quarterly segment on the Geographical Thinking podcast, we explore the latest updates from the world...

A Young Generation of Conservation Leaders

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Geographical Thinking, host Michelle Brake dives into the inspiring story of Ontario Nature’s Youth Council and their growing imp...

Inside Overture Maps

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Accurate, interoperable map data is the backbone of everything from navigation apps to emergency response systems. In this episode of Geographical Thi...

The Hidden Village of Clementsport

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Once a bustling hub of shipbuilding and industry, the village of Clementsport, Nova Scotia, now holds much of its history in memory. But thanks to a p...

Map It, Share It - But First, Read the License

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Open data is meant to be shared, but it can quickly become a legal headache without a clear license. In this episode of Geographical Thinking, host Mi...

Zoom In on Renters’ Rights

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if renters had a map that helped them understand their rights? In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we dive into the story behind the Tenant...

Climate Action Plans with a Sunny Outlook

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Geographical Thinking, host Michelle Brake is joined by Sunny Fleming, Director of Environment, Conservation & Natural Resource...

A Hub for Change

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can data and mapping technology drive social change? In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we explore the Community Prosperity Hub, a powerful...

Whales or Whitecaps?

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Geographical Thinking, host Michelle Brake is joined by Dr. Mohamed Ahmed, Lead Data Scientist at Esri Canada, to explore how AI is...

The Community Map of Canada: Where Stories Meet Data

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Community Map of Canada is a living, breathing map built by and for Canadians! In this episode, Alex Miller, president and founder of Esri Canada,...

Icicle IQ

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bundle up and get ready to test your winter wisdom! In this frosty episode of Geographical Thinking Caps, we’re diving into the snowy world of geogr...

Bringing History to Life with GIS

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine blending history, culture, and technology to create an interactive experience that helps preserve memories and share untold stories—sounds l...

Data-Driven Destinations

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we’re joined by Joe Amati, Senior Executive Director of Global Market and Brand Intelligence for Destinati...

2024 Geospatial Reflections

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on 2024—a year filled with innovation, breakthroughs, and unforgettable moments in ...

Catching Up on Quiet

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we welcome back Ingrid Buday, founder of No More Noise Toronto, to discuss the organization’s remarkable g...

Changing the Landscape with Women+ in Geospatial

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready to explore how diversity is reshaping the geospatial field! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we’re sitting down with Dr. Julia Wa...

How One GIS Analyst Keeps a Region Running

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready to map out some new territory as we dive into the world of GIS in regional management! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we’re sit...

Maps, Myths, and Monsters

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for some serious brain-bending as contestants Mark Ho and Justin Brassard go head-to-head in Geographical Thinking Caps, our very own geospa...

Redefining Rurality in Healthcare Access

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us as we navigate the complex landscape of rural health care! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we’re talking with Tomoko McGaughey, a ...

Management Perspectives: Three Years of Geospatial Success in Medicine Hat

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for a retrospective! It’s time for Management Perspectives, a special series of the Geographical Thinking podcast where we discuss how geo...

Predicting Potential in Real Estate

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Grab your maps and let's embark on a journey through the world of real estate innovation! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we're expl...

Spotlight on Spatial Report

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this special crossover episode, Geographical Thinking shines a spotlight on its sibling podcast, Spatial Report. We sit down with hosts, Mark Ho an...

How GIS is Shaping Accessible Spaces

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Curious about how cities can become more accessible? In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we're talking with Kate Clark and Katherine Deturbi...

From Pixels to Peaks on the PCT

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Grab your hiking boots and join us on a journey through the world of long-distance trails! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we’ll be explor...

The Cartographer’s Canvas

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready to dive into the vibrant world of mapmaking with Heather Smith on this episode of Geographical Thinking! Heather spills the beans on her car...

The Geography of Learning

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dust off those textbooks and sharpen your pencils because we're diving deep into the world of GIS education on this episode of Geographical Thinki...

Geographical Thinking Caps: Destination Discovery

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the sandy shores of secluded islands to the bustling streets of exotic cities, this special edition of geographical thinking caps will put our co...

From Expedition to Inspiration

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Grab your toque and prepare for an icy voyage to the ends of the Earth! In this episode of Geographical Thinking, host Michelle Brake speaks to Anais ...

Planting the Seeds of Change

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Grab your gardening gloves as we dig into the world of ecological restoration. In this episode of Geographical Thinking, we’ll explore innovative st...

Decoding Nature's Tiny Architects

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine a landscape where lichens are not just tiny patches on rocks and branches, but vibrant characters in a complex ecological story. In this episo...

Expanding GIS Adoption Inside and Outside the Classroom

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How are Alex Trebek, K-12 education, and GIS all connected? This episode of Geographical Thinking connects the dots as Michelle Brake talks with Jean ...

Finding Missing Children Using the Latest Location-Based Technology

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

40 thousand children go missing in Canada every year. Missing Children Society of Canada is leveraging the latest location-based technology to ensure ...

Harnessing Data for Purpose and Results

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Turning data into actionable insights is the superpower that most organizations dream of having. Jan Kestle founded Environics Analytics twenty years ...

Management Perspectives: Proving the Value of GIS at TD

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Geographical Thinking, Matthew Lewin, director of strategic advisory at Esri Canada, interviews TD’s associate VP of geospatial d...

How to Transform Your Community Risk Assessment Process for Less Than $100

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In very little time with very little money, Georgina Fire and Rescue Services transformed their community risk assessment process.  How did they do i...

Solving Toronto’s Urban Noise Problem with GIS and Mapping Tools

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know noise is the #2 Urban Environmental Health Hazard affecting our sleep, our bodies and our minds?  Making a ruckus about excessive noise ...

Southlake Regional Health Centre and their Geoanalytics Pilot Projects

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Southlake Regional Health Centre’s hyper-local interventions, tailored and targeted to the Northern York Region of Ontario, are gained through geoan...

How the Largest Commercial Real Estate Firm Uses GIS

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

CBRE is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm. They have a team of GIS professionals who understand the potentia...

The Case for Converting Commercial Real Estate

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Canadian Urban Institute’s new report examines the hurdles to converting empty downtown buildings in eight Canadian cities. CUI’s executive di...

An Eye for A.I.: From the Spatial Report Podcast

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Guan prepares for a new season of Geographical Thinking, we're pleased to share a conversation with Esri Canada’s Genevieve George about GeoA...

Geographical Thinking Caps: The Parks is Right

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Put on your hiking shoes and pack your picnic basket.  The funcast podcast is back, and this time we’re taking a leisurely stroll through your favo...

30 x 30 and The Science of the Possible

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Hardcastle, Associate Director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), discusses the significance of the global initiative...

Geography in the Corporate Boardroom

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

GIS has entered the boardroom of investment firms and is now seen as a game-changer with regards to better understanding climate change and the long-t...

Creating a More Climate-Adaptive City: LA's First Heat Officer

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marta Segura, Chief Heat Officer & Climate Emergency Mobilization Director for the city of Los Angeles, talks about using mapping and location tec...

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services and GIS

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An online app showing the locations of Naloxone kits in Newfoundland and Labrador became popular on social media in early 2023. Guan Yue spoke with Ma...

Demystifying GIS in the Canadian Armed Forces 

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know the vital role GIS professionals play in the Canadian Armed Forces? In this episode of Geographical Thinking, Guan Yue speaks with Lieute...

Commemorating Canada's Defining Moments With ArcGIS Storymaps

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Defining Moments Canada is a Canadian heritage organization dedicated to commemorating significant moments in our shared histories. In their efforts ...

Leveraging GIS to Gather Input from Citizens for a Municipal Urban Plan

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Edmundston, New Brunswick leveraged GIS to gather input from citizens for a municipal urban plan, an initiative they call Imagine Edmundston, Joining ...

Geographical Thinking Caps: I.M.G.D.B.

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lights! Cameras! Geo-Glory! This feature presentation of the funcast podcast goes to the movies. Join Maggie Samson and Michelle Brake as they gue...

Why can Uber find you but not 9-1-1?

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that the current 9-1-1 emergency service was designed for the analogue phone system? It is undergoing a drastic change to support callers...

Qwhery: a voice interface for geospatial data

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In many cities and towns, 311 provides residents, businesses and visitors with access to non-emergency city services. Matt Pietryszyn, CEO and co-foun...

GeoAI for damage assessment in the wake of a disaster

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Training artificial intelligence (AI) model requires massive amount of data and patience." says Maja Kucharczyk, a 2022 Esri Young Scholar Award winn...

A living encyclopedia embodied in an online map

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Átl'ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound is a UNESCO Biosphere Region just north of Vancouver, BC. It is a place where the mountains meet the ocean. Bridget John is ...

Management Perspectives: Finding success in potash mining

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jodi Derkach, senior manager of land and resource at Nutrien, talks about how "where" is the key to solving major challenges in Nutrien's potash busin...

Management Perspectives: "We've gone from mappers to geospatial consultants"

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Carla Evans, senior geospatial consultant and director of spatial information management and CAD and IM solutions with Golder Member of WSP's Ontario ...

Management Perspectives: How to Bridge the Digital Divide

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Amar Singh, executive vice president of Infrastructure Ontario's (IO's) Commercial Advisory and Strategy practice, talks about the strategy behind inc...

Geographical Thinking Caps: That Makes Census

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The last funcast podcast of 2022 looks back at 2021 - the 2021 Census of Population to be precise.  Every five years, Statistics Canada invites Cana...

Fire-Fighting Cattle: Using Cattle and GIS to Reduce the Risk of Forest Fires in B.C.

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ranchers in BC are working with local officials to pilot an innovative wildfire mitigation project - using cows to graze on lands and lower the volume...

Geoview - A Digital Map That May Change the Delivery of Health Services

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Halifax, Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan, a physician, is heading up a project to use GIS technology to help physicians across the province make better-in...

For Remembrance Day - Mapping Sunken War Ships

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We honour Remembrance Day with Paul Heersink who has been mapping the 20,000 ships that sank during World War II. His dashboard illuminates patterns a...

How the Toronto Humane Society uses GIS to address equity

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tegan Buckingham, Director of Integrated Marketing and Development at Toronto Humane Society uses GIS to better understand who adopts pets and how her...

GIS app challenge for Foodbanks Canada

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About 1 in 7 people in Canada do not have enough food to eat. A third of women heading households with children in this country are food insecure, as ...

A storymap of 19th century English clothing materials

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Clothing has never been created in a vacuum," says Sam Huckerby describing her storymap that connects the geography of the sourced materials for 19th...

Geographical Thinking Caps: The Domain Game

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Domains are in our brains as the funcast podcast returns for some late summer fun. GIS nerds know that a domain is a list or range of valid values. H...

Measuring a website's carbon footprint

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Developers Samuel Larsen-Disney and Yannis Panagis won first prize at an Esri Hackathon with DigitalFootprint.earth. It's a web application that estim...

Whales, Drones and Maps

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marine biologist Dr. Vanessa Pirotta and location intelligence expert Brett Dixon discuss their collaboration to study humpback whales in the Pacific ...

The future of drone delivery

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Healander, CEO of Airspace Link, talks about drone delivery technology and how robotic flight is improving efficiency in the logistics industr...

Geographical Thinking Caps: Reach for the Top Five

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Esri Canada's funcast podcast is back, and this journey to geo-glory will be taken five responses at a time. David Kossowsky and Jasmine Sohal battle ...

Drone project in Matawa First Nations

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matawa is a tribal council that looks after 9 First Nation communities in northern Ontario. Their land covers an area more than twice the size of New ...

A Coroner's Map

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are 180 cases of unidentified human remains in BC. These are cases that have been cold for years, some for decades. Ian Charlton, a spatial anal...

A Conversation with Esri's Chief Scientist

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Renowned oceanographer and Esri's Chief Scientist, Dawn Wright talked to Guan about her role at Esri, as well as the importance of GIS in ocean conser...

Saving Ghost Fishing Gear

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty percent of the debris in the ocean is lost fishing gear. Leah Fulton's storymap 'The tale of lost fishing gear' won 1st place in a StoryMaps Ch...

Team Rubicon Canada

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Team Rubicon Canada, a volunteer team of veterans, first responders and tough civilians, uses GIS in their efforts to help the underinsured and the un...

Management Perspectives with Matt Lewin

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Williams with the Toronto Police Service on how the police have evolved their use of GIS.

Management Perspectives with Matt Lewin

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brad Connatty, Manager of Upstream GIS at Suncor Energy, talks about how the use of GIS and location analytics is evolving in the energy industry.  ...

Journalism and GIS

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

News outlets now reach audiences using interactive maps, dashboards, podcasts. Amy Luft's an award-winning digital content producer with the CTV netwo...

Mapping in Canada

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Helping indigenous and First Nations people build their GIS capacity cartographer Steve DeRoy of The Firelight Group, wants to indigenize maps. https:...

Management Perspectives with Matt Lewin - Part 2 of 4

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Shaffelburg is in charge of the GIS and geospatial services at Halifax Regional Municipality. Hear how he spearheads new processes and solutions ...

Management Perspectives with Matt Lewin - Part 1 of 4

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tune in to hear how the role of GIS in managing a big city's water has evolved over the last decade. In this special interview with guest host Matt Le...

Reaching Isolated Populations

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

To help our battle against COVID-19, public health's need for location analytics was obvious. Meet two members of the Esri Canada's new public health ...

Geographical Thinking Caps: List It or Lose It

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're making some lists and checking them twice. We're gonna find out who wins geo-glory! The funcast podcast returns with the ultimate game of know...

How GIS Helps Monitor Greenhouse Gasses

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

GHGSat - a start up in Montreal - owns the first satellites that detect greenhouse gases at the facility level. They use Esri software to present the ...

The history and the future of GIS

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Miller, President of Esri Canada, is a pioneer in GIS technology. He knows this subject in his bones and has travelled all over this country show...

From Habitat Conservation to Fundraising

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Geographic knowledge plays a role in nearly every decision we make at Ducks Unlimited Canada". When Guan saw this statement, she knew she needed to h...

Mapping History in Nova Scotia

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mapannapolis is a non-profit that maps local cultural history, but this is not a traditional group of historians. It is a silo-busting, cross-discipli...

Monitoring Greenhouse Gases Using Satellites

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

GHGSat, a Montreal-based, leading-edge space and data technology company, is the first in the world to monitor greenhouse gases from space. According...

Global Collaboration Beyond COVID-19

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Este Geraghty is the chief medical officer and health solutions director at Esri. In Season 1, Episode 1 of the Geographical Thinking Podcast, she...

A Geo-enabled Public Health System

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to Season 2 of the Geographical Thinking Podcast! Our first guest of the season is Dr. Este Geraghty, chief medical officer and health so...

Advice to young GISers

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We have a Young Professional Network (YPN) for those starting out in this business. It encourages discussion amongst young professionals on how to gro...

Imagining the Industry's Future

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We have a Young Professional Network (YPN) for those starting out in this business. It encourages discussion amongst young professionals on how to gro...

Things They Wish They Knew Earlier

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We have a Young Professional Network (YPN) for those starting out in this business. It encourages discussion amongst young professionals on how to gro...

Real Fake News, Eh!

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Geographical Thinking Caps, our funcast podcast, is back! To celebrate Canada Day, Mark Ho welcomes Dan Mallett and Susie Saliola of Esri Canada to u...

Making Geography Fun at Home for Children

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Spatial literacy doesn’t need to be hard and complex as it sounds. Two parents made it into a fun family activity with their two boys mapping ou...

Student's GIS Work Wowed Judges

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Skills Ontario runs a contest for high school students to practice their spatial analysis skills with the hope that they may use it professionally. Jo...

A Game Changer of Searching for Missing Children

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Every year more than 40,000 children go missing in Canada. Less than one per cent are broadcast through AMBER Alerts due to its specific criteria and ...

Explaining GIS to Others

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When they hear "oh so you make maps", many GIS professionals just quietly agree, though they know it's not close to describing what they do or explain...