BeSpatial Ontario upcoming events

Smart Maps, Smarter Markets (June 18, 2026)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

When: Thursday, June 18, 2026

Time: 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM

Where: Ted Rogers School of Management Commons, 55 Dundas Street West, 7th Floor, Toronto, Ontario

Unlock the Power of Location Intelligence -

Smart Maps, Smarter Markets

Get ready for a high impact in person experience as BeSpatial Ontario brings together the brightest minds in geospatial technology for a power‑packed day focused on commercial, and retail geospatial sectors. Note this is the first Commercially focused event we have undertaken and it should be a great experience for all.

This is your chance to connect with innovators, decision‑makers, and practitioners who are redefining what’s possible with location‑based technology. Environics Analytics and Esri Canada will highlight how AI is changing what is possible for large and small companies alike with live demonstrations of GEO AI based solutions. The day will also include several client led presentations highlighting practical applications.

Learn how firms are using cutting edge GIS technology and data to drive transformative insights when it comes to network planning, site selection and market analysis. Also see how GIS practitioners are adopting Geo AI to embrace big data and where the market is trending when it comes to simplifying workflows and improving efficiency.

Whether you’re a geospatial professional, a business leader, or simply curious about the next wave of geospatial innovation, this event delivers practical knowledge, inspiring case studies, and valuable networking opportunities.

Expect bold ideas, practical takeaways, and the kind of connections that move projects, and careers, forward. This is your chance to be in the room where Ontario’s geospatial future is being built.

Don’t just keep up. Geospatial intelligence and BeSpatial Ontario will keep you a step ahead.

Agenda

Store location decision-making: insights from practitioners in Canada and the UK - Tony Hernandez - Toronto Metropolitan University With the rapid growth of AI and spatial big data, hear the latest insights on how practitioners are integrating new data, techniques and technologies within their location decision-making activities.

Spatial Analytics: Leveraging Repeatable Workflows with Alteryx - Anna Greener and Daniel LeBlanc - McDonald's Canada Many organizations are discovering that the real barrier to spatial analytics isn't its value, but the struggle to move from isolated, manual GIS work to scalable, flexible systems that deliver consistent insight across every team and territory.

When Location Becomes Language: The Rise of AI‑Driven Geo Analytics - Casey Price and Dave Daniels - Environics Analytics See how Geo AI can be implemented to democratize access to big data while enforcing the need to make evidence-based decisions.

"We Don't Do Maps!" - Paul Voegtle - Esri Canada A single insight can upend a decade of assumptions, revealing that the real power of location intelligence isn't about the map itself but the spatial context that transforms ordinary organization data into sharper, more confident decisions.

How Do You Prove a Physical Location's Worth in an Increasingly Digital Landscape? - Lisa Beharry and Kevin Akyeampong - Cadillac Fairview Spatial intelligence is quietly rewriting the leasing playbook, turning what once relied on gut instinct into a data-driven engine for smarter prospecting, sharper strategy, and market-shaping decisions.

Smart Maps, Smarter Decisions: Applying Maps Where It Counts - Brad McCallum - Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Corporation The real power of GIS isn't in the map, it's in the how spatial insight changes the decisions organizations are willing to make.

Leveraging Spatial in Commercial Real Estate - Adam Jacobs - Colliers Canada When information is imperfect, how can spatial fill the gaps and beat the competition?

Designing a New Geospatial Paradigm for Land Use Allocation in Ontario (June 25, 2026)

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Dr. Barry Wellar, C.M.
Professor Emeritus, University of Ottawa
President, Information Research Board
Registered Professional Planner (RPP Ontario-Lifetime)

Date: Thursday, June 25th, 2026 - 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Broadcast and social media reports, academic publications, and research surveys reveal a surge of concern in recent years about the critical need for provincial and municipal politicians to have much more regard for the immediate and long-term spatial impacts of policy and planning decisions affecting Ontario’s built and natural environments.

Popular topics of concern include loss of agricultural land, loss of tree canopy, failing infrastructure (roads, sidewalks, sewers), excessive traffic congestion, loss of conservation land, forest fires, both floods and lowering of water tables, waste disposal conflicts, loss of housing type diversity, loss of heritage properties, excessive densification in areas of limited greenspace, and climate change impacts on weather patterns.

This webinar presents an update on research into how combining the Universal Law of Location (ULL), zero-sum logic (Z-SL), and the science and technology of geographic information systems (GIS) could assist citizens, politicians, and professionals in government and business make more informed decisions about how and where Ontario land resources are allocated for what purposes.

Sources of evidence include results from surveys of municipal and provincial politicians, scans of broadcast and social media productions, reviews of academic and government literature, and consultations with community activists and GIS and planning practitioners.

Webinar Slides

About Doctor Barry Wellar

Barry Wellar graduated from Queen’s University (Hon. B.A.) and Northwestern University (MSc., PhD). He is Professor Emeritus, University of Ottawa, President, Information Research Board, Past-President of URISA (1978), and former Director, Geography Awareness Week, Canadian Association of Geographers.

Honours received include the Horwood Award, the Anderson Medal, the Service to Government Award, the Ullman Award, induction into the GIS Hall of Fame (2011), Member, Order of Canada (2018) for his leadership in the field of geographic information science, and a pioneer in the use of GIS applications to help the public sector handle planning issues at all levels of government, and the BeSpatial Hall of Fame (2024). He was Director of the 1983 AutoCarto Six Technical Program and Editor of the Symposium Proceedings, Automated Cartography: International Perspectives on Achievements and Challenges. In 2012 he edited Foundations of Urban and Regional Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems and Science. In 2013 he organized and edited AutoCarto Six Retrospective. Details about his career record can be found at https://wellar.ca/informationresearch/

Interested in offering a Webinar? Contact Clifford for details.

This BeSpatial Program is brought to you by our Volunteers, our Sponsors and Members Like You. Thank You.

From Validation to Readiness: Operationalizing NG911 Address Management for Municipal Teams (July 09, 2026)

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Sabrina Tang, CTO, Qwhery Inc.

Date: Thursday, July 9th, 2026 - 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

As municipalities across Canada work toward the March 31, 2027 NG911 implementation timeline, increasing attention is being placed on the readiness of address and road data against evolving standards such as NENA and emerging Canadian NG911 frameworks.

While validation tools can identify compliance issues, many municipalities face a larger operational challenge: how to consistently interpret, manage, and resolve those issues across teams, systems, and ongoing data updates over time.

This presentation introduces Qwhery’s NG911 Address Management platform, designed to bridge the gap between data validation and operational readiness. Rather than treating validation as a one-time activity, the platform enables municipalities to work directly within their authoritative GIS environment to identify, group, assign, and resolve compliance issues through structured workflows.

Using real municipal scenarios, we demonstrate how common challenges — such as overlapping address ranges, inconsistent road naming, missing attributes, and cross-boundary discrepancies — can be transformed into actionable remediation tasks that multiple team members can participate in, not just GIS specialists.

About Sabrina Tang

Sabrina Tang is the Founder and CTO of Qwhery Inc., a Canadian AI-GIS company focused on transforming how municipalities deliver digital services. With a strong background in geospatial systems, software development, and enterprise architecture, Sabrina specializes in bridging authoritative GIS data with emerging AI technologies to create practical, citizen-facing solutions.

She leads the development of Qwhery Quest, a location-intelligent virtual assistant designed to make municipal data accessible through natural language, and Qwhery NG911 Address Management, a cloud-based platform supporting NG911 data readiness and governance. Her work centers on helping local governments modernize service delivery while preserving data integrity, transparency, and operational control.

Sabrina has collaborated with municipalities and regional agencies across North America, guiding projects that integrate GIS, AI, and secure API architectures into real-world public sector environments. She is particularly passionate about positioning GIS as a frontline digital service layer rather than a back-office system.

Through her leadership, Sabrina advocates for practical, governed AI adoption in the public sector — ensuring that innovation enhances trust, accessibility, and the long-term value of municipal geospatial investments.

Interested in offering a Webinar? Contact Clifford for details.

This BeSpatial Program is brought to you by our Volunteers, our Sponsors and Members Like You. Thank You.

Executive Influence Lab (September 29, 2026)

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Hosted by: Izabela Miller — Growing Curiosity

Cohort A: Sept 29th, 30th & Oct 1st
Tailored For Future Leaders and Managers

Cohort B: Oct 6th, 7th and 8th
Tailored For Current Leaders and Managers

About the Executive Influence Lab

The Executive Influence Lab is a hands-on, build-along training series designed specifically for GIS professionals who are ready to stop being the best-kept secret in their organizations — and start leading with the clarity, strategy, and influence their programs deserve. Built on the framework from The Science of GIS Leadership and 50+ interviews with GIS leaders across government, enterprise, and consulting, this program addresses the three patterns that hold GIS professionals back most consistently:

The Translation Gap — how to communicate GIS value in the language executives actually respond to.

The Isolation Problem — how to build a strategic roadmap that gives direction, protection, and focus.

The Hero Mode Trap — how to build a high-performing team without burning yourself or your people out.

This is not a passive training. Participants come to each session with pre-work and leave with finished drafts they can use in their organizations the very next day.

What to Expect

Three 90-Minute Live Sessions - three sessions per cohort, delivered virtually via Zoom by Izabela Miller. Hands-on build-along format with live hot seats and open Q&A.
Participant Workbook - a complete fillable workbook covering all three sessions - pre-work, build-along exercises, homework, and a signed 90-day commitment. Delivered digitally before Session 1.
Three Bonus PDFs - the Executive Influence Toolkit, the 90-Day Roadmap Builder, and the Burnout-Proof Leadership Blueprint - delivered to every participant.
Hard Copy Book - one copy of The Science of GIS Leadership per participant.
1-Hour Private Coaching Session - each registered participant receives a complimentary 1-hour 1-on-1 coaching session with Izabela, scheduled individually after the training series concludes

About Izabela Miller - Why I Lead This Work

Today, I use more than 20 years of experience in GIS and IT to help others make that same transition.

I do not just teach leadership. I teach stewardship - how to lead systems, people, priorities, and vision with clarity and courage.

My work is grounded in:

Experience - 20+ years leading cross-functional teams and enterprise business systems.
Education - dual Master’s degrees in Geography and Public Administration, where science meets policy.
Mission - helping GIS professionals move from being the best-kept secret in the organization to becoming trusted leaders within it.

I am not here to help you chase a title. I am here to help you step into your role as an architect of clarity.

Whether you are mapping your career or shaping an organization’s digital future, the path is the same.

It’s time to Lead Beyond the Map.

Interested in offering a Webinar? Contact Clifford for details.

This BeSpatial Program is brought to you by our Volunteers, our Sponsors and Members Like You. Thank You.

Executive Influence Lab (October 06, 2026)

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Hosted by: Izabela Miller — Growing Curiosity

Cohort A: Sept 29th, 30th & Oct 1st
Tailored For Future Leaders and Managers

Cohort B: Oct 6th, 7th and 8th
Tailored For Current Leaders and Managers

About the Executive Influence Lab

The Translation Gap — how to communicate GIS value in the language executives actually respond to.

The Isolation Problem — how to build a strategic roadmap that gives direction, protection, and focus.

The Hero Mode Trap — how to build a high-performing team without burning yourself or your people out.

This is not a passive training. Participants come to each session with pre-work and leave with finished drafts they can use in their organizations the very next day.

What to Expect

Three 90-Minute Live Sessions - three sessions per cohort, delivered virtually via Zoom by Izabela Miller. Hands-on build-along format with live hot seats and open Q&A.
Participant Workbook - a complete fillable workbook covering all three sessions - pre-work, build-along exercises, homework, and a signed 90-day commitment. Delivered digitally before Session 1.
Three Bonus PDFs - the Executive Influence Toolkit, the 90-Day Roadmap Builder, and the Burnout-Proof Leadership Blueprint - delivered to every participant.
Hard Copy Book - one copy of The Science of GIS Leadership per participant.
1-Hour Private Coaching Session - each registered participant receives a complimentary 1-hour 1-on-1 coaching session with Izabela, scheduled individually after the training series concludes

About Izabela Miller - Why I Lead This Work

Today, I use more than 20 years of experience in GIS and IT to help others make that same transition.

I do not just teach leadership. I teach stewardship - how to lead systems, people, priorities, and vision with clarity and courage.

My work is grounded in:

Experience - 20+ years leading cross-functional teams and enterprise business systems.
Education - dual Master’s degrees in Geography and Public Administration, where science meets policy.
Mission - helping GIS professionals move from being the best-kept secret in the organization to becoming trusted leaders within it.

I am not here to help you chase a title. I am here to help you step into your role as an architect of clarity.

Whether you are mapping your career or shaping an organization’s digital future, the path is the same.

It’s time to Lead Beyond the Map.

Interested in offering a Webinar? Contact Clifford for details.

This BeSpatial Program is brought to you by our Volunteers, our Sponsors and Members Like You. Thank You.

BeSpatial Ontario upcoming events

Smart Maps, Smarter Markets (June 18, 2026)

Designing a New Geospatial Paradigm for Land Use Allocation in Ontario (June 25, 2026)

Designing a New Geospatial Paradigm for Land Use Allocation in Ontario

Research Update on How Combining Universal Law of Location, Game Theory, and GIS Could Contribute to More Informed Land Use Decisions.

From Validation to Readiness: Operationalizing NG911 Address Management for Municipal Teams (July 09, 2026)

From Validation to Readiness: Operationalizing NG911 Address Management for Municipal Teams

Executive Influence Lab (September 29, 2026)

BeSpatial Leadership Academy is pleased to offer:
The Executive Influence Lab

Executive Influence Lab (October 06, 2026)

BeSpatial Leadership Academy is pleased to offer:
The Executive Influence Lab

BeSpatial Ontario upcoming events

Smart Maps, Smarter Markets (June 18, 2026)

Designing a New Geospatial Paradigm for Land Use Allocation in Ontario (June 25, 2026)

Designing a New Geospatial Paradigm for Land Use Allocation in Ontario Research Update on How Combining Universal Law of Location, Game Theory, and GIS Could Contribute to More Informed Land Use Decisions.

From Validation to Readiness: Operationalizing NG911 Address Management for Municipal Teams (July 09, 2026)

From Validation to Readiness: Operationalizing NG911 Address Management for Municipal Teams

Executive Influence Lab (September 29, 2026)

BeSpatial Leadership Academy is pleased to offer: The Executive Influence Lab

Executive Influence Lab (October 06, 2026)

BeSpatial Leadership Academy is pleased to offer: The Executive Influence Lab

Designing a New Geospatial Paradigm for Land Use Allocation in Ontario

Research Update on How Combining Universal Law of Location, Game Theory, and GIS Could Contribute to More Informed Land Use Decisions.

BeSpatial Leadership Academy is pleased to offer:
The Executive Influence Lab

BeSpatial Leadership Academy is pleased to offer:
The Executive Influence Lab