The Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO) at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), in partnership with the Canadian Council on Geomatics (CCOG)
April 25, 2025
Disclaimer
Neither Natural Resources Canada nor any of its employees makes any express or implied warranty or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the contents of this report. Reference in the report to any specific commercial product, process, service or organization does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation or favouring by Natural Resources Canada. The views and opinions of round table participants expressed in this report do not necessarily state or reflect those of Natural Resources Canada.
This document was prepared or accomplished by TDV Global in their personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this summary do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Natural Resources Canada.
Table of Contents
Executive summary
Purpose
The Round Table on People convened as part of a collaborative effort co-led by the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO) and the Canadian Council on Geomatics (CCOG) to seek views form partners and stakeholders on how to modernize Canada’s Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). Participants from federal, provincial, municipal, Indigenous, academic, and private sector organizations were invited to gather virtually to explore three people-focused strategic pathways aligned with the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF):
- Capacity and education
- Partnerships
- Communication and engagement
This round table was one of eight round tables that also explored topics of governance, technology, infrastructure, public safety, and strengthening Indigenous participation.
Key insights
Round table participants identified the following strengths, areas for improvement, and recommendations:
Strategic Pathway 7: Capacity and education
- Canada must strengthen geospatial education by improving access to training, reducing cost barriers, and aligning academic programs with emerging sector needs.
- There is no coordinated national approach to workforce development in geospatial fields, limiting Canada's future readiness.
- Low spatial literacy among policymakers and non-GIS professionals hinders innovation; awareness campaigns and training are urgently needed.
- Municipalities, NGOs, and small communities need targeted support to understand, access, and apply geospatial data effectively.
Strategic Pathway 8: Partnerships
- Many geospatial partnerships are short-lived; renewing the Geomatics Accord could anchor strategic, sustained collaboration across sectors.
- Ambiguity around data custodianship undermines efficiency; clear frameworks are needed to coordinate responsibilities.
- Showcasing the real-world benefits of initiatives like LiDAR flood mapping can build broader public and political support.
- Increased funding for partnerships with academia, industry, and Indigenous organizations is essential to drive innovation and capacity-building.
Strategic Pathway 9: Communication and engagement
- CCOG and geospatial bodies need stronger public recognition through a national communication strategy and public-facing initiatives.
- Strengthen geospatial literacy early by connecting high schools, post-secondary institutions, and employers in a coordinated talent pipeline.
- Refresh the Geomatics Accord to reflect modern engagement, communication, and partnership expectations.
- Compile compelling use cases to build public trust, strengthen political support, and advocate for sustained geospatial investment.
Recommended actions
- Develop a five-year capacity and education roadmap with a national working group.
- Launch a national communications plan including multimedia and social content.
- Update and reframe the Geomatics Accord to align with modern partnership expectations.
- Begin compiling geospatial use cases to support public engagement and funding advocacy.
- Build stronger links between academia, industry, and local governments.
Conclusion
Participants in the Round Table on People underscored that modernizing Canada’s SDI is not only a technical effort—it is a people-centred endeavour. They indicated that empowering communities, aligning talent development, and increasing visibility of geospatial value are essential to building a resilient, inclusive, and responsive geospatial future.
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Acknowledgements
This report would not have been possible without the contributions of individuals and organizations who took the time to participate in the round table. We extend our gratitude to the participants from industry, academia, Indigenous organizations, NGOs, and federal, provincial, and municipal governments for their valuable insights into Canada's geospatial infrastructure.
Introduction
CCMEO and CCOG are using the global best practice model of the UN-IGIF as a framework for assessing of Canada’s geospatial data ecosystem - the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI). The CGDI is the collection of geospatial data, and the standards, policies, applications, and governance that facilitate its access, use, integration, and preservation in Canada.
Phase 1 entailed a stock-take exercise using three data collection methods: 1) individual/small group interviews with provincial/territorial and federal geospatial data producers and users; 2) a written inventory/survey to collect more detailed information from interviewee organizations; 3) a research-based desk study undertaken by a third party.
Phase 2 shifted from assessing the CGDI to gathering diverse perspectives to help shape the modernization and evolution of how Canada manages and uses spatial data. Using a round table approach, key stakeholders and partners were invited to share their perspectives to help guide Canada’s geospatial future to make it more responsive, innovative, and effective for all Canadians. The results of the round tables will be considered by the CCOG in the development of a collaborative geospatial strategy.
The Round Table on People convened on March 10, 2025. Hosted virtually, this round table invited stakeholders and partners to provide their perspectives on challenges and opportunities surrounding the use of geospatial data as it pertains to the foundational “people” elements underpinning the geospatial ecosystem.
The round table focused on the people-focused strategic pathways 7, 8, and 9, of the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF):
- Capacity and Education
- Partnerships
- Communication and Engagement
The following sections provided details on the systemic challenges and tangible opportunities for enhancing the role of people in Canada’s SDI identified by participants for each of the people strategic pathways.
Results
Strategic Pathway 7: Capacity and education
Key challenges identified
- Lack of national coordination: Academic programs operate in silos; there is no national framework aligning workforce development with industry needs.
- Barriers to Access: Software costs and limited training opportunities restrict access for smaller organizations, municipalities, and underserved communities.
- Underdeveloped geospatial literacy: Many professionals outside the GIS domain lack awareness of implicit geospatial data and its potential for evidence-based policy.
- Workforce gaps: Difficulty recruiting hybrid professionals with both domain expertise and geospatial knowledge (e.g., in energy, public safety, or climate).
- Education decline: Geography is no longer a mandatory subject beyond Grade 9 in most provinces, weakening the pipeline for future talent.
Solutions and opportunities
- Five-year national capacity strategy: Develop a strategy that addresses training, certification, and vocational education while respecting jurisdictional roles.
- Strengthen academic-industry-government collaboration: Incentivize research partnerships and co-op programs through federal funding agencies (e.g., Mitacs, Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF)).
- Promote geospatial literacy: Embed spatial thinking in public service training programs and build awareness of GIS as a problem-solving tool.
- Support municipal and community users: Engage local planners and smaller municipalities through professional associations and targeted programs.
- Modernize training delivery: Expand access to hands-on, low-cost training and explore alternatives to proprietary platforms (e.g., mapping portals without license barriers).
Participant voices
- Federal government participant: “Spatial literacy needs to be built across disciplines—not just among GIS professionals.”
- Not-for-profit participant: “Software access remains a major barrier. We built our own platform to overcome that.”
- Federal government participant: “There’s a real need to improve spatial literacy across all levels—from high schools to federal policy teams.”
Strategic Pathway 8: Partnerships
Key challenges identified
- Fragmented collaboration: Existing partnerships are often short-term, project-specific, and lack long-term planning or oversight.
- Outdated governance agreements: The Geomatics Accord exists but has limited influence; many don’t know about it or leverage it.
- Unclear roles and responsibilities: Ambiguity about who owns or produces key datasets leads to inefficiencies and duplication.
- Limited incentives for industry participation: Private-sector partnerships exist but are often unsupported by broader federal strategy.
Solutions and opportunities
- Renew and expand the geomatics accord: Formalize collaborative mechanisms with enforceable commitments, clear scope, and shared outcomes.
- Highlight success stories: Promote successful models (e.g., LiDAR data sharing for flood mapping) to build momentum and public support.
- Support multi-stakeholder collaborations: Expand funding opportunities for research partnerships that include academia, industry, and Indigenous organizations.
- Institutionalize Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Define frameworks and incentives for long-term PPPs to deliver public value.
Participant voices
- Industry participant: “The LiDAR flood mapping program is a great example—cost-sharing worked, and the data is still useful today.”
- Not-for-profit participant: “Successful partnerships should be visible. CCOG should show up, talk at events, and visibly support the sector.”
- Federal government participant: “We need to stop funding data piecemeal. Elevation maps aren’t just for floods—they support multiple domains.”
- Not-for-profit participant: “Smaller NGOs and municipalities are doing planning work but don’t have access to the same resources or training. That’s a problem.”
- Federal government participant: “IP issues can slow things down if not addressed upfront. We need to be careful and respectful in how we involve people and organizations in data collaboration.”
Strategic Pathway 9: Communication and engagement
Key challenges identified
- Low awareness of key institutions: Most outside the GIS community are unfamiliar with the CCOG.
- Lack of a national communications strategy: No cohesive messaging or outreach exists to promote the societal value of geospatial data.
- Fragmented stakeholder engagement: Associations and user groups are underleveraged. There is no central stakeholder database.
- Insufficient youth outreach: Geography and geomatics are not widely promoted in high schools or post-secondary recruitment.
Solutions and opportunities
- Develop a national geospatial communications strategy: Define audiences, craft targeted messaging, and use accessible formats like video and social media.
- Leverage associations for outreach: Partner with interested partner associations (e.g., GoGeomatics, Canadian Institute of Planners, etc.) to amplify messaging and outreach.
- Create impact-focused use cases: Highlight real-world applications (e.g., energy efficiency, wildfire risk, overheating in buildings) that resonate with the public.
- Engage youth early: Develop high school programs and competitions (e.g., hackathons) that make GIS accessible and relevant.
Participant voices
- Federal government participant: “We’re not connecting with youth. Most still use the Atlas of Canada, and that’s where the learning ends.”
- Federal government participant: “We need short, engaging videos. Reports don’t resonate with broader audiences.”
- Industry participant: “Associations are trying, but they need help. We should work together more strategically.”
- Not-for-profit participant: “We have amazing initiatives—but no one knows about them. We need a national voice and presence.”
Cross-cutting themes
Geospatial literacy and trust
- Spatial awareness expansion: Spatial thinking should be encouraged across policymakers, educators, planners, researchers, and the general public to strengthen geospatial literacy.
- Data concepts: Non-specialists require support to distinguish explicit and implicit spatial data and to apply spatial analysis in decision-making.
- Ethical principles: Transparent, respectful data practices rooted in sovereignty and ethics are critical to building long-term trust in geospatial initiatives.
Inclusion and coordination
- Community engagement: Indigenous governments, small municipalities, and underrepresented groups require meaningful engagement to shape Canada's geospatial future.
- Roles clarification across sectors: Clear definitions of roles and responsibilities for data collection, maintenance, and sharing are essential for collaboration and capacity-building.
- National visibility: Greater awareness of CCOG and other geospatial governance bodies is needed to unify efforts and strengthen national coordination.
Data as a core infrastructure
- Authoritative data: Reliable, up-to-date, and reusable geospatial data must be recognized and funded as essential public infrastructure.
- Equitable access: Closing gaps in software licensing, broadband access, and training opportunities will ensure broader participation in geospatial initiatives.
- Maximum impact through effective coordination: Federal, provincial, and municipal governments need to align efforts to maximize investments and drive shared geospatial priorities.
Next Steps
Suggested actions
- Develop a five-year capacity and education roadmap with a national working group.
- Launch a national communications plan including multimedia and social content.
- Update and reframe the Geomatics Accord to align with modern partnership expectations.
- Begin compiling geospatial use cases to support public engagement and funding advocacy.
- Build stronger links between academia, industry, and local governments.
Open questions raised by round table participants
- How should geospatial education be embedded across policy, planning, and civic engagement streams?
- What specific incentives can drive long-term partnership alignment, particularly with the private sector?
- How can the federal government better coordinate with provinces and municipalities to address capacity gaps?
- What metrics should be used to measure geospatial literacy and partnership success?
Conclusion
Participants in the Round Table on People emphasized that geospatial modernization requires more than technology—it demands empowered people, strong partnerships, and clear communication. They recommended coordinated national action to train future professionals, engage underrepresented communities, and strengthen the visibility of geospatial data across all sectors of society. They further indicated that renewed investment in collaboration, capacity, and communications will be critical to building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready CGDI.
For continued engagement, visit: Let's Talk Natural Resources.