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GeoConnections and GIAC conduct geomatics policy seminars across Canada
To get a strong sense of regional geomatics priorities and the future of geomatics policy in Canada, GeoConnections and the Geomatics Industry Association of Canada (GIAC) have partnered with provincial and territorial agencies to conduct a series of cross-Canada workshops. These workshops cater to a variety of stakeholders, including members of industry, federal agencies, the provinces and territories, municipalities, academia, and emerging end-user communities.
By better understanding these stakeholders’ priorities, challenges, and opportunities, GeoConnections and GIAC will have a stronger sense of how the geomatics community across Canada could play an important role in using and developing geomatics in this country, as well as in developing plans for the follow-on to GeoConnections.
These all-day workshops typically include presentations in the morning and roundtable discussions in the afternoon. However, with the help of local geomatics representatives, the organizers have designed each workshop’s agenda to highlight regional interests and enhance the value of the dialogue. The resulting input has shown that different regions, not surprisingly, have different geomatics priorities and concerns. For example, roundtable discussions in some cities focused on data access; in others, discussions concentrated on how to use geomatics to improve public health and safety; and yet in others, discussions dealt with how private industry could grow with emerging geomatics markets.
As well, at each seminar held so far, the Deputy Minister responsible for geomatics in that province or territory has described their organization’s geomatics vision during a speech to attendees.
To date, workshops have been held in Victoria, Edmonton, Regina, Halifax and Quebec City, and additional workshops are planned for Calgary, Toronto, St. John’s, and Yellowknife in late summer and early fall.
By the time all of the policy seminars end, GIAC and GeoConnections will have learned first-hand about the key challenges facing the geomatics community across the country. This insight will prove invaluable in charting future geomatics policies in Canada, as well as the follow-on plans for GeoConnections.