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Resources & Tools
For Communities of Interest, a Source of Help
Joanne Frappier, head of Policy and Partnerships Development at GeoConnections, remembers when she first saw the movie, Field of Dreams. “I was especially struck by the line, ‘build it and they will come,’” she recalls. “Certainly, it came to mind in the late 1990s when GeoConnections and its partners decided it was time to build a new and innovative infrastructure designed, in part, to assist like-minded organizations across Canada.”
Indeed, GeoConnections did build it. And today, organizations with similar needs and objectives – or "communities of interest" – are coming to the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) in growing numbers.
Through the network of data, and service and technology suppliers accessible via the CGDI, GeoConnections is offering communities of interest across Canada the tools and resources they need to become more effective and efficient. “Through their dealings with stakeholders, GeoConnections staff have acquired the experience and expertise they need to fully appreciate the requirements of our users,” says Joanne. “And the CGDI has now grown to the point where it can support those requirements.”
As a result, GeoConnections is now working with groups whose members share an interest about a particular topic or issue, who interact on an ongoing basis, and who accumulate and disseminate knowledge. More specifically, Joanne says, GeoConnections assists communities whose common concerns or problems can be addressed and supported through the CGDI.
Typical of a community of interest are organizations or groups concerned with disaster management, species at risk or the spread of disease. For example, groups or individuals in the disaster management community can range from the Department of National Defence to individual scientists and insurance companies. To effectively manage their critical infrastructure systems, communities of interest such as disaster management require immediate access to geospatial information and geo-processing services.
“We provide guidance on technical specifications and standards that these groups can use to achieve their objectives, no matter how diverse their needs appear to be,” says Joanne. “For example, if an organization or municipality requires an environmental assessment before beginning construction, they may have to adhere to municipal, provincial and federal rules and regulations. Before the CGDI, there was simply no easy way for people to access large and diverse amounts of information.”
The activities of GeoConnections that involve communities of interest focus on the end user – the person or group of people who benefit directly from the projects and will use the applications enabled through the projects. For their part, these end users must not only be committed to participating in a project, but they must also demonstrate an ongoing requirement for the proposed application. And they must have the resources to utilize the application when the project is completed.
The key is the CGDI, an evolving geospatial data infrastructure with the technology, standards, access systems and protocols necessary to harmonize and make available Canada's geospatial information – such as topographic maps, air photos, satellite images, nautical and aeronautical charts, census and electoral areas, and forestry, soil, marine and biodiversity inventories.
Joanne and her team welcome the participation and contribution of communities of interest. “And as more communities of interest get involved,” says Joanne, “we will do our best to ensure that the CGDI continues to meet their evolving requirements.”