2005 Map Gallery
It is my pleasure to introduce you to ESRI Canada's sixth Map Gallery calendar. The 2005 calendar contains a small selection of the many superb maps created by ESRI users across Canada. I want to thank everyone who submitted an entry; the numerous, high quality entries made the decision a difficult one for the selection committee. Geography continues to grow in importance as a framework for modeling, visualizing, and understanding our world. Geographic information systems (GIS) allow us to build spatial databases, analyze data, and make maps. GIS is emerging as a language of geography, helping us communicate knowledge through maps and globes to a wide spectrum of users. GIS is being used as a tool to support decisions on issues facing our society such as managing population growth, reducing poverty and crime, maintaining biodiversity, sustaining economic growth, and securing our safety. Maps are the primary tool to visualize information geographically and communicate geographic knowledge to decision makers and the public. ArcGIS continues to evolve as a powerful tool for analyzing geographic information and making better maps. Tools are improving for describing geography and also for understanding the processes of geography. The new geoprocessing framework, introduced at ArcGIS 9, allows users to model complex processes and share these with other users along with the resulting maps. In 2005, new tools will be introduced for temporal modeling and simulation of processes over time. New tools will also be introduced for more intelligent cartography such as representation of multiple scales of maps in a single geodatabase and automatic generalization through predefined rules. The geodatabase will be enhanced to store maps and map components allowing users to share common map elements. The Internet continues to grow as an important medium for sharing data and publishing maps. In 2005, ESRI Canada will continue to expand the range of services and data offered on the Geography Network Canada. This portal - http://www.geographynetwork.ca/ - is closely integrated with the GeoConnections Discovery Portal and links users to a wide array of data needed to make high quality maps. Geobase - the free basemap for Canada - is now available on the Geography Network. The Ontario Base Mapping (OBM) is also available for free download in a number of different formats. As ESRI Canada celebrates its 20th anniversary, my colleagues and I are more committed than ever to serving you by better understanding your needs and helping you understand our products. This coming year we will be hosting 17 user group meetings, attending many conferences, and holding dozens of seminars across the country. GeoConnections is holding a series of policy workshops across Canada in 2005 with the goal of making it easier to connect Canadians through geography and better sustain our GIS data infrastructure. I look forward to personally meeting many of you at these events. On behalf of all of us at ESRI Canada, I want to thank you for your support and look forward to serving you for many years to come. From our families to yours, Happy Holidays and best wishes for 2005. Yours truly, Alex Miller President ESRI Canada Limited |
