Geomatics News

We have provided this Geomatics News section to allow our members and corporate sponsors the ability to share any geomatics related news or information with the geospatial community.  This page works much like a typical blog, so others can add comments to any news post, or include the information on their own website using the RSS feed

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  • 10 Apr 2018 10:26 PM | Anonymous

    Once a matter of debate, we know today the Earth is not flat. But the satellite imagery we’re most familiar with — taken straight down––flattens and obscures the visual cues we get from perspective, making the imagery appear like maps, not photos ... material from @planetlabs tweet

    https://twitter.com/DaveAtCOGS/status/979873034151526400



  • 26 Mar 2018 2:57 PM | Anonymous


    Land and Sea episode featuring NSCC / AGRG

    Tune into CBC's Land and Sea on April 1 at 11:30 a.m for an episode featuring NSCC / AGRG research and how they use geomatics for ocean science. After that date, it will be made available the CBC website for streaming ... 


  • 12 Mar 2018 2:24 PM | Anonymous

    “Oh the Places You will go!” Part 2: Continuing the “COGServation“

    Peggy March - March 10, 2018

    Everything is connected to everything else!

    I recently wrote an article on Ken Bragg of Safe Software & in the course of our conversation when Ken said he had attended COGS, I asked if he knew Dave MacLean. It turns out that he graduated before Dave started teaching, but that he had heard of him.

    For years, I have interacted with geospatialists in education, government, and industry from across Canada and from around the world at conferences, meetings, and on social media. A good number of them knew about (or asked if I knew) Dave MacLean at COGS, so it was natural to infer that Dave and COGS are synonymous ...

    As with all COGS’ faculty, Dave is well-revered in geomatics and education circles in Nova Scotia, and all have had the privilege to influence a great number of students. Those graduates have gone on to wonderful, fulfilling careers.

    In time, I met Jon Murphy from Ottawa of GoGeomatics through the Royal Canadian Geographical Society of which we are both Fellows. Jon later connected me with Ted MacKinnon. Sure enough, Jon and Ted had gone to COGS. They both knew Dave MacLean too, through COGS and GANS. Turns out that Ted and Dave are both Fellows, too. More connections!

    As an educator, one of my favourite quotes is, “A teacher affects the future.” Therefore, I could only conclude that Dave, as an instructor and role model, has been influential in mentoring countless students, leaving a valued legacy to his profession.

    continue reading ...


  • 28 Feb 2018 2:40 PM | Anonymous


    Early last year the Geomatics Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) Executive Director role became vacant . The GANS Board of Directors after several

     challenges and distractions over the past year, are delighted to announce the selection of Daniel Bryce as GANS new Administrative Coordinator.

    Daniel has worked with non-profits, professional associations, and political organizations for over a decade, as a volunteer, director, founder and employee. 

    He has organized numerous events from lunch & learns, to art & music festivals, to election campaigns. He hopes the experience he brings will help GANS promote the geomatics sector throughout the province.

    With a Master's in Planning from Dalhousie University and a certificate in GIS from the University of the Fraser Valley, Daniel also knows the importance of displaying and analyzing data spatially for successful planning.

    He has Planning and GIS experience in Western Kenya, Northern Alberta, Coastal Tanzania, British Columbia, and the Maritimes, Daniel has mapped and analysed information for the benefit of various government, private sector, academic and not-for-profit projects.

    In Halifax, Daniel has taught Introductory Geography at Dalhouise University and worked on projects for the Province of Nova Scotia, CBCL, Upland Urban Planning and Design Studio, Urban Perspectives Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning and TEAL Architects on topics related to lidar data collection, spatial data management, park master plans, subdivision development, active transportation, coastal climate change adaptation, social vulnerability and open space planning.

    As administrative Coordinator, Daniel will support GANS in achieving its mission and objectives through program development and administration duties. So please join us in welcoming Daniel to the GANS Board.



  • 04 Feb 2018 1:24 PM | Anonymous

    A new on-line tool will make it easier for people to find information on doing business in the Strait region. On January 22, the Eastern Strait Regional Enterprise Network (ESREN) celebrated the launch of their Economic Development Investment Mapper (EDIM). 

    ESREN’s new database allows users to access this information on-line in one place. The program also includes other information that would be pertinent to industry, such as forestry and agricultural data, and information on transportation. Users can view the information in a user-friendly map format.

    ESREN has worked with Bluejack Consulting Inc. to develop the database. Chris Turner, president and co-owner of Bluejack Consulting says the program is best described as an interactive Web map viewer for investors. He said that providing accessible data is crucial to demonstrating the Strait area is open for business.

    “It will be there for the public to use and I think you will find that there will be more than just investors using it,” said Turner. “We’ve developed a user guide as well that is going to be online with the system that explains exactly how to use the tool.”

    The investment database can be accessed by the public free of charge at: esren.ca.

    To continue reading full story ... http://porthawkesburyreporter.com/esren-launches-investment-database/



  • 29 Sep 2017 12:39 PM | Anonymous


    Hugh MacKay, ( a recent past president of GANS) was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as MLA for Chester-St. Margaret’s in 2017. 

    Photo: Hugh MacKay

    Before becoming a MLA, Hugh was as a consultant in the geomatics sector, served as  president of GANS in 2015-16was the Executive Director East of GeoAlliance Canada and the Founder and Director of Doors Open Halifax. 

    With the Liberal Government Hugh serves as the Ministerial Assistant to the Minister of Business, Vice Chair of the Economic Development Committee, and  member of the Private & Local Bills, Public Accounts, Resources and Veterans Affairs Committees.

    On September 25th Hugh had a chance to address the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly, and took the opportunity to put in a plug for the geomatics sector. Below is part of the  September 25th proceedings from the Hansard Transcripts containing some of Hugh's comments on geomatics.

    Thanks to Hugh for continuing to help GANS advocate for educating others about geographic information and further promoting the geomatics sector in Nova Scotia.

    "Mr. Speaker, after studying at Dalhousie, I attended the College of Geographic Sciences in Lawrencetown, Annapolis County.  This renowned college, known by the acronym COGS, was founded in 1949 as the Nova Scotia Land Survey Institute. COGS has trained generations of Nova Scotians, in the fields of land and marine surveying, mapping and geographic information systems, or GIS.  Surveying, mapping and GIS, are collectively referred to as the geographic sciences, or geomatics, and this has been the basis for my professional carer until my entry into politics.

    Mr. Speaker, I enjoyed a very satisfying and rewarding career in the ever increasing high tech world of geomatics.  For many years I worked in the Ottawa office of an international mapping company.  Although my activities were primarily focused in Europe and North America, I worked in Senior Project Management and Business Development roles from Kazakhstan to Indonesia, from Argentina to China, and from Yemen to India.  Mr. Speaker, I have had the good fortunate to work in 40+ countries spanning the globe. 


    Mr. Speaker, the siren call of Nova Scotia finally called to Mary Lynne and me and we returned to our native province, taking up full time residence in Glen Haven, on the shores of beautiful St. Margaret’s Bay.  

    Upon arrival in Nova Scotia, I opened my own geomatics consultancy, representing a mix of national and international clients, with particular emphasis on Asian and European clients.  I became an active member of the Geomatics Association of Nova Scotia, or GANS, and I am a proud Past-President of that organization. I also took on the position of Executive Director of GeoAlliance Canada, the umbrella association for geomatics organizations across the country, representing both industry and the public sector.

    Image result for Joseph Howe statue HalifaxMr. Speaker, it is from my previous geomatics career, I bring to your attention, a somewhat different perspective on a position of this House. 

    44 degrees, 38 minutes north; 63 degrees, 34 minutes west.

    That, Mr. Speaker, is the geographic position of this House, as noted on the commemorative plaque located on the south west corner of the grounds of Province House.  Many of our members may not realize that directly behind the statue of Joseph Howe, there lays a plaque titled, “Surveying for the Future”.

    Dedicated 50 years ago, during Canada’s Centennial celebrations, the plaque states, “This survey monument and plaque is dedicated to the Surveyors of Canada, whose skill and industry contributed so greatly to the exploration, mapping and development of our nation. It is symbolic of the beginning of the second century of surveying in Canada, and is a first post in a unified system of precisely co-ordinated survey points.   With eleven other Centennial Survey Monuments erected across Canada, it signifies the contribution by surveyors, both past and present, to the charting of our Nation’s future.”

    Mr. Speaker, the survey and mapping professions, have an unparalleled history in Canada. From the early French explorers who accompanied Samuel Champlain, followed by the British Royal Navy that first charted the waters and headlands of the New World’s coastline, to modern day ocean mapping, and satellite imaging of our province and the world beyond, Canada, and Nova Scotia in particular, have been global leaders in the adaptation and application of geomatics to support our nation’s development and protection of our global environment."


  • 25 Sep 2017 7:52 AM | Anonymous

    The biosphere reserve includes the counties of Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth, Digby and Annapolis, and its contents have been the subject of intense study by no fewer than five universities, a half dozen NGOs and numerous others agencies and government departments. 

     Shown above, from left to right, are Ian Manning, Cliff Drysdale and Bill Livingstone. (CONTRIBUTED)

    Speaking as someone who’s witnessed many of these scientific endeavours up close, I assure you there’s no shortage of extremely intelligent people doing very important work.

    To be frank, the significance of the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve is impossible to summarize in any one article and that’s my point. A culmination of its ecological, cultural and scientific assets couldn’t be contained in any one atlas, encyclopedia or well meaning web page, or so I thought before meeting the people doing exactly that. (Zack Metcalfe )

    continue reading ...


  • 12 Sep 2017 2:09 PM | Anonymous

    GANS GeoGolf Tournament 2017 Winners

    It was another great day at Afton Golf and Country club this year as members of GANS came together to have some fun. 

    The 2017 GANS GeoGolf Tournament winning team Rob Hodder, Mark Hebert, Jim Verran, & Troy Greene; presented by Dave MacLean; photo by Kathleen Stewart.


    GANS GeoGolf Tournament 2017. Longest Ball by Jim Verran; presented by Dave MacLean; photo by Kathleen Stewart

  • 06 Sep 2017 8:50 AM | Anonymous

    Recently a list featuring the top GIS Blogs and websites has been circulating around the web.

    Image result for Canada GIS

    The top 60 GIS Blogs and websites were selected from thousands of GIS sites in their index using a combination of search and social metrics.  

    These blogs were ranked based on Google reputation, Google search ranking, influence and popularity on Facebook, twitter and other social media sites, the quality and consistency of content and review by Feedspot’s editorial team and expert reviews.

    Among the top 60 sites was the Canadian GIS and Geomatics geographic information resources site (CanadianGIS.com) which was also the highest ranked Canadian site featured in the list. CONGRATULATIONS!

    The  top 60 GIS Blogs list contains many great resources that all help promote the GIS industry - Click Here to check out what other great sites made the list

    http://blog.feedspot.com/gis_blogs/

  • 17 Aug 2017 12:15 PM | Anonymous
     

    Halifax artists and sketchers are posting works to an interactive storymap - explore the map at arcg.is/2h0oQl5



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