Geomatics News

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://lnkd.in/e8enpW84
(Keep in mind, you don’t need to be a GANS member!)

This week’s spotlight features Arwen Estrada Perez, recent graduate of the GIS Graduate Certificate Program at the Centre of Geographic Sciences, NSCC.

Q: What made you decide to study geomatics?
During my time as an Environmental Sciences undergraduate at Acadia University, I started to become keenly aware of the direct connection between environmental research and geomatics. Every single proposal or experiment had a critical spatial component. Every fish, every tree, every bug that was collected as part of a study was collected from somewhere. That somewhere had all sorts of specific characteristics in it of itself, which got me thinking that the next logical step in my academic and professional journey would be within geomatics!

Q: What area of geomatics interests you most right now?
I have recently picked up the habit again of taking a georeferenced picture of every tree that looks interesting to me, and uploading it to a project within iNaturalist! It's been a lot of fun to slowly populate the map of Nova Scotia (and beyond) with my observations. In the near future, I am planning on organizing a "bio-blitz" of sorts, where a group of friends and I try to catalogue the entire Halifax Public Garden in a single evening, should be fun!

Q: Is there a project or course you’ve especially enjoyed so far?
As part of my capstone project, I had the opportunity to work with Service Nova Scotia updating their point cloud LiDAR dataset by developing my own Deep Learning Model. It was a lot of fun to troubleshoot and improve my model, and weirdly enough I also enjoyed the process of creating documentation for that project, I guess it's the sort of thing that makes my brain tick!

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://lnkd.in/e8enpW84
(Keep in mind, you don’t need to be a GANS member!)

This week’s spotlight features Nicolas Beauchamp, Geomatics Technical Assistant with the Centre of Geographic Sciences.

Q: How do you use geomatics within your career?
I use a wide range of geomatics tools to help introduce students to the exciting world of GIS.

Q: How did you get involved with geomatics?
I stumbled upon geomatics in a roundabout way. After 22 years of cooking and working as a Chef, I decided that I wanted to go to university. While attending Dalhousie, I took a Data Analytics course that taught basic GIS skills and was instantly hooked. From there I worked towards Dalhousie's Certificate in Geographic Information Science, and landed an intern job assisting other GIS students at the Killam Memorial Library GIS Centre. Upon graduation, I was eager to take my GIS skills to the next level and enrolled in the Geospatial Data Analytics program at the Centre of Geographic Sciences. At COGS I was presented the opportunity to dive deeper into data visualization, coding, and machine-learning. From there, I made connections which resulted in an internship with the Applied Geomatics Research Group working with bathymetric LiDAR. Following my internship with the AGRG, I landed a job at COGS as a Geomatics Technical Assistant where I get to help students along their own geomatics journeys.

Q: What resources have you found to be the most helpful for professional development?
My colleagues at both Dalhousie and COGS have been the most valuable resources for my professional development. Whenever I'm stuck or need some advice, I have a friend close by to provide insight and support.

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://lnkd.in/e8enpW84

This week’s spotlight features Tiffany Chisholm, Senior GIS Analyst with WSP Canada.

Q: How do you use geomatics within your career?
At WSP, geomatics is about far more than maps. It is about transforming location-based information into insight that helps people make better decisions for communities and the environment.

I use geomatics to connect everything, everywhere, always across disciplines, creating a shared understanding of the complex relationships between the built and natural environments and helping deliver solutions that are more connected, resilient, and Future Ready®.

Q: What software do you use the most?
My work is primarily focused within the Esri and Autodesk technology ecosystems, which are becoming increasingly connected as GIS and BIM converge.

WSP’s long-standing relationship as an Esri Platinum Partner provides a strong foundation for applying GIS technologies to complex challenges, while Autodesk technologies are central to engineering design across the built environment.

I work with technologies including desktop and web GIS, and ArcGIS GeoBIM, alongside Autodesk solutions such as Civil 3D, Revit, and Forma. Together, these ecosystems help integrate geographic context with engineering and design information.

For me, that integration is very exciting because it is helping lay the foundation for digital twins.

Q: What do you see changing in geomatics over the next decade?
I believe the next decade will see geomatics evolve from a discipline focused on understanding the world to one that helps predict, simulate, and optimize it.

Digital twins will be central to that transformation. As GIS, BIM, reality capture, sensor networks, AI, asset information, and real-time data continue to integrate, we will move beyond static maps and models toward dynamic digital representations of infrastructure and the environments in which they operate.

This changes the questions we can answer. Rather than simply asking where an asset is located, we can understand its condition, performance, risk, and potentially its future behaviour. We can model scenarios, anticipate challenges, and support more informed decisions throughout the infrastructure lifecycle.

For WSP, this represents a significant opportunity. Our work sits at the intersection of the built and natural environments, and geomatics can become the digital thread connecting them. Digital twins can support projects from planning and design through construction, operations, maintenance, resilience, and renewal, creating value throughout the entire lifecycle.

The future of geomatics will not simply be about producing better maps. It will be about creating a living digital understanding of our world, helping us move from mapping what exists to anticipating what comes next.

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://lnkd.in/e8enpW84
(Keep in mind, you don’t need to be a GANS member!)

This week’s spotlight features Yijian Fu, recent graduate of Marine Geomatics Graduate Certificate program at the Centre of Geographic Sciences, NSCC.

Q: What made you decide to study geomatics?
Before COGS, I studied Environmental Science and oceanography at Dalhousie, and I love to work in a field where I could spend some time outdoors and also work with technology. I came across geomatics and thought it was a really good combination of fieldwork, surveying, mapping, and data. I decided to go into Marine Geomatics because I was especially interested in the ocean and marine environment. I liked that the program gave me the chance to work with real survey equipment and data instead of only learning things in a classroom.

Q: What did you work on for your final project?
For my final project, we worked on a simulated nearshore cable and pipeline landfall project. We collected hydrographic data using multibeam and side scan sonar, along with RTK GNSS, and then combined that with LiDAR and topographic data we and remote sensing group collected. We processed the data using different software, including QINSy, CARIS, SonarWiz, ArcGIS, AutoCAD, and Fledermaus. One of the things I found really interesting was looking at the Side Scan Sonar data and finding fish traps along part of the proposed route. Based on what we found, we recommended looking at a different route and doing some additional surveys before moving forward.

Q: What are your goals for after graduation?
My main goal is to start working in hydrographic surveying, preferably in a nearshore or offshore position. I want to get more field experience and become comfortable working with different survey equipment and systems. I’m still pretty open to where my career takes me, but I’d like to build a strong foundation in hydrographic surveying first and eventually become someone who can work both in the field and with the data processing side of a project.

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://lnkd.in/e8enpW84
(Keep in mind, you don’t need to be a GANS member!)

This week’s spotlight features Eric Purcell, recent graduate of the GIS Post-Graduate Program at the Centre of Geographic Sciences, NSCC.

Q: What are your future goals in geomatics/geography?
My goal is to find meaningful ways to contribute to the geographic community, particularly through work that supports environmental and climate research. I’m interested in using geography and geomatics to make information more accessible and understandable to a broader audience. Maps and other visual tools can take complex environmental data and present it in a digestible format, helping people better understand issues such as climate change. Ultimately, I hope to apply my skills in a way that contributes to research while also helping connect geographic information with the people who can benefit from it.

Q: What aspects of geomatics/geography peaked your interest most?
I’ve been particularly interested in using mapping and geospatial data to understand how our physical environments are changing. Changes in glacial, Arctic, and mountainous environments are especially fascinating to me because they provide an opportunity to see the effects of environmental and climate processes over time. I’m also interested in the communication side of geography, such as taking complex datasets and turning them into clear, accessible maps that can reach audiences beyond the traditional geographic or scientific community. I think there is a lot of value in using geomatics not only to collect and analyze information, but also to communicate that information effectively.

Q: What advice would you have for people studying geomatics/geography?
Find something within geography or geomatics that genuinely interests you and take advantage of the resources available to you. There are so many different areas to explore, and you don’t necessarily have to know exactly where you want to end up. Ask questions, talk to people in the field, and take every opportunity to learn from others. Just as importantly, share what you learn. Geography is a collaborative field, and exchanging ideas and information can open doors to opportunities you may not have otherwise considered.

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://lnkd.in/e8enpW84
(Keep in mind, you don’t need to be a GANS member!)

This week’s spotlight features Aycha Tammour, recent graduate of the GIS-Remote Sensing Graduate Certificate program at the Centre of Geographic Sciences, NSCC.

Q: What made you decide to study geomatics?
I have a background in astrophysics (PhD) and work experience as a data scientist. I became increasingly interested in challenges related to climate change and environmental monitoring, and in the role that machine learning and AI can play in addressing them. I realized that GIS and remote sensing provided an important part of the spatial and Earth observation knowledge I needed to complement my existing technical background. The graduate certificate program at COGS was a great fit because it offered a compact, online program that I could complete while living in Ontario.

Q: What did you work on for your final project?
My capstone project was an automated end-to-end pipeline that ingests Earth Observation (EO) data for a user-provided area of interest (AOI), extracts time series data, feeds it into a machine learning forecasting model, and displays the results in a live web app. The pipeline runs automatically on a scheduled basis and is designed to be extensible and scalable, using open-source tools and open-access data. It is currently live and continues to run beyond the completion of the capstone project.

View it here: https://lnkd.in/eudm3SjR

Q: Do you have any advice for future students?
The field is undergoing a lot of change, driven by things like the abundance of data and rapid advances in AI. Embrace the change and don't let it intimidate you. Your domain knowledge and understanding of the problems you are trying to solve are still extremely valuable; technology is a tool that helps you build better solutions. It is an exciting time to be working in this space!

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://lnkd.in/e8enpW84
(Keep in mind, you don’t need to be a GANS member!)

This week’s spotlight features Edan Tzadok, recent graduate of the GIS Graduate Certificate program at the Centre of Geographic Sciences, NSCC.

Q: What made you decide to study geomatics?
I first discovered my passion for GIS during my Bachelors in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, where I used GIS as a Research Assistant to explore the potential impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security. As I learned more about the GIS world, I came to understand its imperative role in supporting environmental conservation, resource management, and decision-making. What really solidified my decision to pursue a certificate and career in GIS was the opportunity to combine technical, analytical, and creative skills to solve complex problems and visually communicate information.

Q: What are your goals for after graduation?
Currently, I support the Geographic Names team at the Ministry of Natural Resources by creating custom tools and products. These products synthesize spatial and tabular data, and allow the team to visually interact with their data, create queries, view statistics, and present information to the Ontario Geographic Names Board. The GIS Certificate program at COGS gave me the skills needed to do this kind of work, and offer solutions to challenges that are brought up by the team. I hope to continue using the skills I gained in this program to support meaningful projects that contribute to environmental conservation and resource management. I also plan to continue working on my cartographic skills and continue exploring GIS applications in the environmental conservation field.

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://lnkd.in/e8enpW84
(Keep in mind, you don’t need to be a GANS member!)

This week’s spotlight features Deena Shirkool, recent graduate of the GIS Graduate Certificate program at the Centre of Geographic Sciences, NSCC.

Q: What made you decide to study geomatics?
As an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, I studied archaeology and was fascinated by the spatiotemporal patterns. I completed a minor in GIS alongside my archaeological courses to understand the foundation of geomatics. The majority of my coursework separated the applications of GIS from other archaeological methods, so I completed the graduate certificate at COGS to immerse myself in the software and techniques associated with GIS. As I grew more confident in the technical aspects, I was able to incorporate them into heritage and archaeological applications through my coursework.

Q: What did you work on for your final project?
I explored the use of QGIS and LANDSAT imagery in evaluating the patterns of anthropogenic disturbances in heritage sites located in the Akkar Governorate of Lebanon. I classified areas of potential disturbance through a combination of spectral indices for imagery spanning four decades and examined their spatial and temporal changes. The results highlighted both geographic locations of interest, as well as the connections to demographic and historical data that could be further explored in future research.

Q: What are your goals for after graduation?
I will begin my master’s in Archaeological Science at Leiden University in Fall 2026. Through my specialization in computational archaeology, I intend to incorporate the skills I developed at COGS to further examine the use of GIS in archaeology. In particular, I aim to harness the limitations of open-source software and data to make heritage conservation more accessible. In the future, I hope to contribute to the task forces that monitor endangered archaeological sites around the world.

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://lnkd.in/e8enpW84
(Keep in mind, you don’t need to be a GANS member!)

This week’s spotlight features Danielle Fife, recent graduate of the GIS Graduate Certificate program at the Centre of Geographic Sciences, NSCC.

Q: What made you decide to study geomatics?
Since completing an MSc at Acadia University, much of my work has been related to ecology and conservation (especially related to seabirds). In that work, knowing where animals go (e.g., during migration or foraging) is an important piece of the puzzle and is something that fascinates me. While I had experience deploying tracking devices on seabirds, I wasn’t familiar with the visualisation or analysis side of things. So, the GIS program at COGS seemed like a great opportunity to develop those skills. Plus, it seemed to fit both my love of organizing and of creating things!

Q: What did you work on for your final project?
I worked on tidying and mapping Eastern Loggerhead Shrike migration data for a non-profit NGO called Wildlife Preservation Canada. They provided me with multiple years of radio tag detections and resight data (i.e., reports of where banded birds have been spotted) that give an indication of where the birds are going in winter. It was a great project because I ended up using a lot of the different elements of what I had learned in each of my courses.

Q: Do you have any advice for future students?
Be as engaged as you can be! Ask the ‘dumb’ questions, participate in the classes, and don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Even though I wasn’t there in person, I found the instructors were all very approachable and supportive when I chatted with them online. Also be prepared to do a lot of troubleshooting and understand that this work can often be time-consuming and a little (ok a lot…) frustrating but so satisfying when you figure out how to do something and make something cool!

Our GANS Social Spotlight continues, showcasing the people shaping Nova Scotia’s geomatics community.

Interested in being featured? Visit: https://gans.ca/GANS-social-spotlight
(Keep in mind, you don’t need to be a GANS member!)

This week’s spotlight features Marie-Ève Côté, Forest Resource Worker (Summer Student) at the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

Q: How do you use geomatics within your career?
I have used ArcGIS in a variety of ways, including infield data collection, remote location planning and land assessments.

Q: What is the weirdest or most interesting thing that you have mapped?
The weirdest / most random thing I have mapped was for a GIS class in university. For a various different exercise, we mapped diseased dogs in Brazil, based on different criteria like spatial distribution, dog names and vaccination status. It was very interesting to see the different way the data could be display using these factors. I also mapped the spatial distribution of gas stations in Alberta for a project, that was very cool.

Q: What has been your favourite project to work on?
For my undergraduate honours thesis titled: “Kejimkujik’s Fire Disturbance History and Suggested Management Plan Through the Lens of Dendrochronology”, I used a combination of ArcGIS and Field Maps to map my data collection sites within the National Park. I used satellite imagery, park boundaries and forest inventory layers to determine where I needed to go to collect the data I was looking for. In this case, I was searching for white pine, red spruce and/or eastern hemlock stands in locations that had and hadn’t experienced fires in order to determine the differential growth rates between the species. This data would then be used to identify which species retained fire history the best! It turned out to be red spruce. Feel free to find my thesis on Saint Mary’s website to read more about my research: https://library2.smu.ca/handle/01/33274