"The SAG awards celebrate the achievement and vision of innovators in the GIS field," says Jack Dangermond, ESRI president. "Each winner brings benefits to their communities and influences others to do the same."

A GIS is a collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographic ally referenced information. With a GIS, users can link information to location data such as people to addresses, buildings to parcels, or streets within a network. This innovative technology enables users to layer the information and present a visual representation for analysis that leads to more informed decisions and a better understanding of their communities, businesses, and the environment.

The Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines' Mines and Minerals Division works to generate new wealth and benefits for Ontario residents by providing basic geological information gathering and interpretation in support of Ontario's exploration, mine development, and mining sectors. Following field activities, the data and maps are revised and analytical data is processed. Research reports are then generated and the new maps go to the Cartographic Unit for editing and publication. Throughout the year this information is released and published on a Web site for citizens and other agencies.

By developing GIS solutions that facilitate delivery of new geoscientific research, Ontario remains competitive and continues to rank as one of the top mineral exploration jurisdictions in the world. The mining and mineral exploration community uses the data to plan exploration projects and reuse existing data, which saves money. Community-based municipal land planners have access to current data that is necessary to long term community planning and development. Community organizations, such as Scouts Canada, also take advantage of the available GIS data to plan orienteering exercises and learning experiences.

Some of the other organizations being honored at the 2006 User Conference include The Royal Court, Kingdom of Bahrain; USGS National Wetlands Research Center; Geological Survey of Austria; City of Philadelphia Mayor Office; Library of Congress; Nova Scotia Community College Centre of Geographic Sciences; Missouri Botanical Gardens; and Charlotte County, Florida.

To learn more about all of the 2006 SAG Award winners as well as previous years' winners, visit www.esri.com/sag. Visit http://www.esri.com/ for more information about GIS technology and its applications.

About ESRI Canada:
Established in 1984, ESRI Canada is a Canadian owned company specializing in geographic information systems (GIS) solutions. We distribute the world's leading GIS software solutions from ESRI Inc., Miner and Miner, and Azteca. In order to provide organizations with complete industry-specific solutions we have established an extensive business partner program that includes more than 125 Canadian organizations. ESRI Canada also provides professional services including consulting, training, technical support, and enterprise GIS implementation. We are leaders in providing world-class enterprise GIS solutions for many industries including local government, utilities, public safety and defence, business demographics, education, natural resources, and transportation. ESRI Canada has thirteen regional offices across the country, with headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. For more information, please visit http://www.esricanada.com/ or call 1-800-447-9778.

Media Contacts:
Matt Down
GIS Marketing Specialist
ESRI Canada
T: 416-386-6463
E: mdown@esricanada.com
W: http://www.esricanada.com/