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  • March 15, 2024 8:00 AM | Hanna Sjostrom, GISP (Administrator)

    Announcing the BeSpatial & Canopy Mapping Co. Annual Data Architecture and Coding Competition!

    We're seeking your GeoSpatial solutions—models, scripts, geo-processes, and automations.

    The winner, revealed at BeSpatial ’24, earns a $500 cash prize and trophy, celebrating their skill and inspiring new frontiers in data architecture and coding. Sponsored by Canopy Mapping Co., this award will recognize the value in advancing data architecture and coding.

    Open to all BeSpatial members, this inclusive competition fosters learning and innovation. Shape the future of data with us!

    Let your coding prowess shine and bring forward the most innovative solution! Accepting submission until March 15.

    For more details visit: Data Architecture & Coding Competition

  • February 28, 2024 3:37 PM | Sandra Crutcher (Administrator)

    AI Packaged Solutions and the Road to Exponential IT

    This presentation will focus on AI strategy building, including maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks involved.

    It will also highlight the categories of packaged AI solutions that can drive both topline and bottom-line performance, including:

    · Lead Intelligence · Customer Experience · Productivity · Data & Analytics  ·  Employee Experience · Security & Privacy · and much more...

    Join us for an exciting presentation and discussion that will change your perception of AI implementations.

    Robert Garmaise, Vice President AI Research, Info-Tech Research Group

    Info-Tech is a research and advisory firm based in London, Ontario with an office in Toronto. Their services include digital transformation, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data management. The company has a goal to identify AI trends and opportunities for the clients to leverage, including industry-specific solutions. His previous engagements include senior positions at Fasken Martineau, TheGuarantors, McKensey and Microsoft. He excels at transforming operations by pinpointing products, process improvements and business model changes. Robert holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Harvard University and an MBA from Northwestern University.

    Register Here!
  • January 14, 2024 12:08 PM | Sandra Crutcher (Administrator)
    BePrepared will be held on May 1st & 2nd 2024 

    Technological developments in recent years are nothing short of remarkable. Geospatial disciplines are evolving along with many of the technological changes that present growth opportunities for individuals and businesses. Some of the developments, such as Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twins represent a quantum leap forward in the way we access, interact and use information.

    To stay relevant in the field, geospatial and information professionals should “BePrepared”.

    They should be aware of how these technological developments and trends can be applied to their work, continually learn new skills and adapt to the ever-changing work environment.

    Geospatial plays a crucial role in many industries and is also impacted by technological breakthroughs that are affecting designing and creating business solutions. Some of the skills the geospatial industry requires are:

    • Creative systems thinking
    • Analytical skills
    • Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
    • Understanding of ethical and privacy concerns
    • Service orientation and customer service
    • Remote Work and Collaboration

    The 2024 Annual General Meeting virtual conference BePrepared (May 1st and 2nd, 2024) will provide an opportunity for geospatial and information professionals to showcase their achievements, and best practices and discuss challenges in preparing for and adapting to the predicted and unpredicted changes in future.

  • January 07, 2024 2:10 PM | Sandra Crutcher (Administrator)

    BeSpatial Annual Event and EXPO

    May  1 & 2, 2024 Virtual

    Invitation to Sponsors and Exhibitors

    BeSpatial Ontario is inviting you to join us at its 37th AGM (Annual General Meeting), program event, executive session and EXPO.  By sponsoring or exhibiting at our annual event, you will be offered a number of benefits as per the details below.

    Theme: BePrepared 

    Date: May 1 & 2 ,  2024  - with 2 approximately 7 hour days - 8:30 am - 12:30 pm each day offering morning program presentations with special afternoon sessions, i.e., (workshop, Industry partner sessions, panel, seminar, etc.)

    In addition to program sessions (per sponsor level), Sponsors have an opportunity to participate in the Industry Partners (IP) speaking program on a first come, first serve basis. 

    Location: Virtual Conference

    Details on how to Sponsor or Exhibit!

    Take advantage of this opportunity to participate as a BeSpatial Annual Event and EXPO  Sponsors and Exhibitors! Contact Sandra at BeSpatial:  INFO for more details.

  • December 24, 2023 1:39 PM | Sandra Crutcher (Administrator)

    I hope this message finds everyone well, and that you are looking forward to spending some quality time with friends and loved ones over the holidays.


    As the year winds down, I love to look back on what we accomplished as an organization in 2023, as well as looking ahead to the New Year. Let’s start with a bit of a retrospective.

    For myself, as well as the BeSpatial Management Team, 2023 was somewhat of a milestone year, as it represented the fulfillment of our commitment to return in-person events. While we plan to we continue to plan to continue holding the AGM virtually, due to the ability to reach a much greater audience of members, we also pledged to hold live regional events, in response to our member’s and industry partner’s desire to reconnect with live networking opportunities. We staged two events since our 2023 AGM, one in Kingston at the end of June, entitled “Learn What I Learned”, as well as another event in Cambridge in late October, around the theme of “Leveraging Geospatial data for Health and the Environment”. We had a positive turnout for both, and I wish to thank not only those that attended and the Management Team members who organized and hosted, but also the great selection of speakers, panelists, and sponsors for their incredible support. 

    I’m also pleased to announce that we have two in-person events planned for our Northern Section in 2024, but more on that in a moment. We did have some changes in our Northern Section, with James Dorland stepping down as Section Co-Manager. However, I’m pleased to announce that Karen Lehtonen with Acorn Information Solutions, a division of the Sault Ste-Marie Innovation Centre, has agreed to take up the mantle, and joins Angela McEachern as a Co-Manager of this large and relatively sparsely populated, but mighty, region. Karen and Angela are already very busy planning our northern in-person live events. Given the geography of this section, we are committed to holding two events. The first will be held in Sudbury on January 30th, 2024 (details can be found at https://www.bespatialontario.ca/Events), and another planned for early June in Thunder Bay. Please keep an eye on our website and enewletters for more details. 

    In addition to Karen joining the Board, we were delighted to have some new members join the board over the course of the year. Jax Vollmer and Jenn Gross have agreed to co-manage our BeSpatial Annual Event, while Jackie Smith has taken on the Communications role. All three are employed at GM BluePlan, who is a Silver sponsor for the coming year. We are incredibly grateful to them and GM BluePlan for the support. We also welcomed Jessica Hobbins as our new YPN Manager. Jessica works as a GIS Analyst with Peterborough County, and is a recent YPN member as well. She understands the challenges with being a recent grad and pursuing a passion for GIS; she is doing a great job guiding our Young Professionals Network members.

    BeSpatial Ontario is also excited to announce that we have entered into a new partnership with Pathfinders Exploration Community to sponsor a year of engaging Pathfinder’s podcasts. This collaboration brings our members 24 episodes (2 a month for 2024) packed with expert insights, fostering professional development and innovation in the geospatial sector. It's an opportunity for our community to connect, learn, and make informed decisions using knowledge shared openly by GIS leaders across the globe. Check out pathfinders. Social for a journey of growth and discovery in the world of GIS!

    All of us on the Management Team are already deep into the planning stages for 2024. In addition to our AGM in early May, we have also agreed to work with the Faculty and Students Association at Seneca College to provide a 1-day event in late February at one of their campuses, to help students within the School of Environmental and Civil Engineering technology, as well as other faculties, understand the power of geospatial analysis and how it can be a springboard to a rich and rewarding career.

    As for our AGM, taking place on May 1-2, 2024 the Management Team has agreed to the theme of BePrepared – Bracing for Technological Breakthroughs and the World of Work. This theme has a dual connotation:

    1.       Geospatial preparedness – understanding how new tools, datasets and technological innovations can help us, and…

    2.       Preparing for the business opportunities that will arise from this understanding.

    Registration is now open, and we hope to “see” many of you there.

    In the meantime, we’re still staging our regular webinars, which continue to be a popular forum for sharing tips, tricks and trends in the GeoSpatial domain. I would just like to remind everyone that we still have a couple of webinars planned, both this week and next, where you can test your GIS and holiday trivia knowledge, and have some fun before many of us wrap up for the year.

    On that note, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank our amazing community of members and sponsors for your continued support, and also take a moment to offer my humble thanks to everyone on the Management Team and associated committees that do the heavy lifting to keep you informed, enlightened, and coming back for more. From all of us (see below), to all of you, we wish you a joyous Christmas and happy holiday season with your loved ones, and much health, happiness and prosperity for the coming year.

    Sincerely,

    Peter Hettstedt, President, BeSpatial


  • December 20, 2023 1:12 PM | Sandra Crutcher (Administrator)

    Pathfinder's Sponsorship/Partnership Announcement

    Exciting News for Our Members!

    BeSpatial Ontario has teamed up with Pathfinder Exploration Community to sponsor a year's worth of engaging podcasts. This collaboration will bring 24 insightful Pathfinder episodes to our community, aligning with our shared mission of fostering networking and professional growth in the geospatial sector. 

    Why This Matters:

    • Shared Goals: BeSpatial Ontario and Pathfinders are committed to enhancing professional development within the geospatial community.
    • Valuable content: Episodes will focus on sharing expertise, driving innovation, and supporting evidence-based decisions in geospatial information.
    • Community Impact: The partnership will enrich our community's  knowledge and skills, offering fresh perspectives and expert insights.

    Your Call to Action:

    Valuable Content: Episodes will focus on sharing expertise, driving innovation, and supporting evidence-based decisions in geospatial informatioCommunity Impact: The partnership will enrich our community's knowledge and skills, offering fresh perspectives and exDon't miss out on this unique opportunity to expand your professional horizons. Visit Pathfinders.social  pathfinders.social to access these enriching podcasts and join us in this exciting new journey of learning and growth!

    Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to expand your professional horizons. Visit pathfinders.social to access these enriching podcasts and join us in this exciting new journey of learning and growth!


  • December 19, 2023 9:01 AM | Hanna Sjostrom, GISP (Administrator)

    MApps (Maps and Applications) People's Choice Award & Gallery

    It's not too early to start thinking and planning to exhibit in the Gallery! 

    You've worked hard to create a map or application for your organization and now is your chance to show it off to other GIS professionals and colleagues from around the Province at the annual BeSpatial program event! 

    Show off your best traditional Map design or create a layout to display your latest Web Application. Open for submissions until April 12th.

    Plan now for your submission of a mapping, poster or App for this annual award!

  • December 01, 2023 12:01 PM | Sandra Crutcher (Administrator)

    BeSpatial'24 Annual Program event, workshops and EXPO to be held May 1 &2, 2024

    BeSpatial’24 is virtual! 

    The Theme is BePrepared

     February 24, 2024 at 11:50PM - Your Intent to Present must be  emailed to Wendy 

    March 5, 2024 11:59PM is the deadline for abstract submission(s) - all abstracts to be considered must be  submitted online 

    Day 1 – Geospatial Creativity in Real Places 
    Day 2 – Creative Ways to Tackle Business Problems with Geospatial Data and Technology

    Be Spatial is inviting you to present at its 37th AGM (Annual General Meeting), program event and EXPO. Virtual presenters for each session are offered complimentary registration.

    Industry Partners - please note that presentation opportunities for our IPs, who are exhibitors, will be offered in the IP session tracts on a first come, first served basis.  Sponsors, depending on their level, will have guaranteed speaking opportunities. 

    Topics include but are not limited to:

    • Geospatial applications use of spatial and not spatial data
    • Extracting value from data through increased access and legal compliance.
    • Business applications using Open Data.
    • 5G and IoT.
    • Data access technologies and business growth.
    • Ideas for eliminating the geospatial divide through cooperation and collaboration.
    • Multi stake-holder cooperation models.
    • Challenges and opportunities in public-private partnerships.
    • How to improve executive understanding of the business value of geospatial? What works and what doesn’t?
    • How to address geospatial illiteracy in a business environment?
    • How to prepare for the next wave of geospatial technologies?
    • How prepare for a new type of jobs which will require new skills and a high degree of adaptability.
    Contact Wendy by email asap with your Intention to present.

    Abstract Submission - Please complete the online form.

    Note: abstracts will be posted online in the program highlights area as approved.  

    The preliminary agenda with designated speakers and presentation times will be posted once  presentation timeslots are confirmed .

  • October 26, 2023 3:34 AM | Sandra Crutcher (Administrator)

    Now accepting proposals for Winter and Spring 2024. 

    Some great webinars continue as we rollout planned webinars for the upcoming year.  

      Some of these webinars may sound familiar to BeSpatial annual event attendees and you would be right! These amazing presenters from BeSpatial's annual event have agreed to provide a more detailed presentation from their BeSpatial event session.  Stay tuned for more information and registration details!

      Interested in offering a Webinar? Contact Wendy Programs


    • September 30, 2023 5:12 PM | Sandra Crutcher (Administrator)
      Board of Directors
      • Executive Director,  Sandra Crutcher
      • Immediate Past President,  Susan Muleme Kasumba 
      • Director, President, Peter Hettstedt
      • Director, 1st Vice President,  Wendy Baldin
      • Director, 2nd Vice President,  Melanie Wawryk
      • Director, Treasurer, Brooke Hewitt
      • Director, Secretary,  Hanna Sjostrom
      • Director, Andrew Lyszkiewicz
      • Director, Jeff Norris
      • Director,  James Burn
      Standing and Ad Hoc Committee Managers
      • BeSpatial/AGM Project Management: Jax Vollmer & Jenn Gross
      • Communications: Jackie
      • Education: Courtney Dunn
      • Finance: Brooke Hewitt
      • Membership: Hanna Sjostrom
      • Programs: Wendy Baldin
      • Strategy & Outreach: Susan Muleme Kasumba & Andrew Lyszkiewicz
      • Web: Jeff Norris
      • Eastern Section: Your name goes here!
      • Western Section: Melanie Wawryk
      • Northern Section:  Angela McEachern & Karen Lehtonen
      • Young Professional Network (YPN): Jessica Hobbins

      Welcome 2023 Board Management Team!

      We're excited to have such talented professionals join us in moving BeSpatial forward. Stay tuned for their director profiles to come in future eNews.

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    About Us

    We are recognized as the premier geospatial and information non-profit organization in Ontario. where members share their experiences through networking and program events for the use and integration of spatial data, information, applications and technologies that provide solutions and solve challenges in both the public and private sectors.


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