David Bigras
Sessions in which David Bigras attends
Tuesday 13 May, 2025
Mini Continental BreakfastGeoIgnite is delighted to offer a selection of chilled fruit juices, freshly baked croissants, muffins, and breakfast pastries, served with butter and preserves. Guests can also enjoy fruit cocktails and yogurt. Available beverages include coffee, tea, and decaffeinated coffee.
Dr. Nadine Alameh, the inaugural Executive Director of the Taylor Geospatial Institute, has been leading an ambitious effort to accelerate geospatial research for tackling today’s biggest challenges—climate, disasters, health, and national security. In this session, she will reflect on what it takes to build a truly impactful geospatial ecosystem, challenge assumptions about the roles of national mapping agencies, academia, and nonprofi...
The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) is Canada's agency for charting Canadian waters. Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world, with more than a third of its territory under water. As a maritime nation, global maritime transport traffic is significant. Hydrography supports safe navigation and shipping through the production of nautical charts and other publications including water levels. With opportunities provided by emerging technologies and the move to e-navig...
In 2006, British mathematician Clive Humby declared that data was the new oil. Soon after there was a significant rush around the world to embrace a data revolution to try and improve humanity’s social, economic and environmental well being. Twenty-years later, the hard work of data continues. Like Canadian oil and gas, it is for the most part – a landlocked asset; unable to push us to the next levels of productivity and innovation. This keynote looks at ...
Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we interpret and act on information—but what does that mean for the geospatial world? As AI models generate synthetic maps, infer locations, and automate analysis, geospatial professionals face a critical moment: will we shape the future, or be shaped by it?In this session, the CEO of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) will explore the complex relationship between AI and geospatial systems—from the risks of black-box models and data halluci...
Top technical performers are often promoted into leadership roles, yet many struggle. In AI-driven, data-intensive industries, expertise alone is not enough—leaders must also navigate complexity, inspire teams, and drive execution. Without these skills, organizations face decision paralysis, disengaged teams, and stalled innovation.Senior leaders know that competency is crucial—technical excellence is the foundation of succes...
At GeoIgnite 2025, Alexander will explore how Canada's geospatial community is uniquely positioned to lead in developing solutions to environmental challenges in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Drawing on compelling case studies from around the globe, including successful Dutch-Canadian collaborations, he will demonstrate how geospatial technologies are becoming indispensable tools for environmental monitoring, climate resilience planning, and sustainable...
Keith J. Masback is one of the most respected voices in the field of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT), with over three decades of leadership spanning the U.S. government, military, and private sector. His deep expertise in remote sensing, intelligence, and national security has positioned him at the forefront of how geospatial data is used for strategic decision-making.As the former CEO of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) and a senior leader at the National ...
A seasoned leader in geomatics and Earth Observation with two decades of experience in the federal government, Eric Loubier has vast expertise in developing and implementing national geomatics and Earth observation strategies. In his talk, Eric will explore the integration of AI with Earth observation, and how this powerful combination is transforming Canada’s approach to addressing critical national issues like climate change, natural resource management, urban planning, and disaster response.
Wednesday 14 May, 2025
Mini Continental BreakfastGeoIgnite is delighted to offer a selection of chilled fruit juices, freshly baked croissants, muffins, and breakfast pastries, served with butter and preserves. Guests can also enjoy fruit cocktails and yogurt. Available beverages include coffee, tea, and decaffeinated coffee.
The Oceans cover more than 70% of our Planet… with offshore, near shore and coastal waters including rivers and lakes that are navigable or not.This Keynote Address will kick off the Hydrospatial Track on Day TWO of the GeoIgnite 2025 - Ottawa. The presentation will articulate the context and the timing of WHAT is HYDROSPATIAL in the global Geospatial community? SO WHAT is important to Measure, to Monitor an to Model? THEN WHAT is the Strategy, the Challenges, t...
As the geopolitical landscape shifts and a new global space economy emerges, Canada must navigate complex international dynamics and seize opportunities in all facets of the space ecosystem. In this talk, we will explore how space can be part of the solution to geopolitical and national challenges—and what Canada must do to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
Presenting the CHN and highlighting how its new features leverage advancements in hydrography to improve both water-related models and their applications to support decision making. The Canadian Hydrospatial Network (CHN) was officially launched this past May, marking a significant milestone in the development of hydrospatial networks in Canada. Over the past year, the network has expanded and grown in importance, positioning itself as a key resource for the future of its field. CHN continues...
This talk will highlight method innovations in water research using satellite earth observations (SEO) in the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO) of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). They include dynamic surface water mapping and modelling for water areas and water volume changes, terrestrial water storage variations, groundwater recharge evolution and storage changes, water extreme events (drought and flood) characterization, and environmental and climate impacts on the w...
The successful implementation of the S-100 suite hinges on various factors, with final product specification and comprehensive testing of route monitoring layers being paramount. Canada is proposing an international designated area for these tests, underscoring its commitment to the S-100 suite's success and global maritime safety. Canada has selected the St-Lawrence River in Québec as the S-100 sea trial area for 2025. The trial aims to evaluate the S-100 system's ability to ingest and displ...
Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Emergency Geomatics Service (EGS), under the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO), supports the national and international emergency response efforts by providing rapid disaster mapping services. This presentation will give an overview of the service and highlight examples of how it uses satellite imagery and advanced remote sensing technologies to assess the impact of natural disasters like floods, geohazards, and wildfires, enhancing sit...
In 1976 the Canadian Hydrographic Service was the first hydrographic agency to recognize and display a satellite-discovered feature on a nautical chart. This was the discovery of Landsat island off the coast of Labrador.In the time since the capabilities of satellites to survey coastal waters have grown exponentially yet the use of satellite based depth information on nautical charts has not. Satellite based surveying offers a multitude of benefits to the safety of operations, empowering ...
Unlocking the Power of EO and AI through Collaboration and PartnershipsThis panel will explore the transformative power of Earth Observations (EO) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), emphasizing the critical role of collaboration and partnerships in unlocking the full potential of these technologies. As global challenges continue to evolve, th...
Aerial thermal infrared (TIR) surveys have been a crucial tool supporting river restoration project across the North America as many salmonid-bearing rivers are projected to warm in the coming decades due to increases in atmospheric temperatures and concomitant decreases and earlier melt of snowpack. The objectives of collecting TIR imagery are to assess the current summer thermal state and the distribution of cold-water refuges within the river system, and to identify opportunities and...
The results of the assessment reflected in the 2024 report “Gold Rush: Commercial Remote Sensing Rankings” clearly indicate a duopoly in the market between the United States and China. With the rapidly increasing proliferation of space capabilities across various domains, do nations not represented in the report need to consider prioritizing investment in sovereign capabilities and/or public private partnership with indigenous industry partners to avoid being left behind? This session will dr...
Enjoy a fresh and satisfying lunch featuring a house blend of baby spinach, kale, and mesclun greens with feta cheese, pumpkin, chia, and poppy seeds, dried cranberries, and golden raisins. A tomato and cucumber salad with lime and avocado dressing adds a refreshing touch, alongside a medley of mixed greens with assorted dressings.For the main course, savor freshly roas...
SIKU: THE INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE APP supports Indigenous self-determination and environmental stewardship through geospatial tools, products and services that enable individuals, communities and organizations to collect, process, analyze and use data. SIKU is created by The Arctic Eider Society, an Indigenous-led charity, and is designed to be accessible: it is available in multiple Indigenous languages, uses icons and a user-friendly design, and works offline and in low-bandwidth regions. SIKU...
Foundation models represent a transformative shift in the utilization of EO data, historically limited by data complexity, and the manual preparation and analysis required to employ the data. By using foundation models with forthcoming AI-ready EO datasets, users will be able to efficiently develop solutions for diverse sustainability applications without extensive labeling efforts. This approach greatly expands the practical value and accessibility of EO data, driving innovations across envi...
The Open Building Population Layer for Canada has emerged as a transformative resource in the geospatial community, providing unprecedented access to population estimates at the building level across the country. Since its release, the dataset has garnered significant attention, reaching 8,000+ professionals on LinkedIn, and achieving thousands of downloads. This enthusiastic reception underscores its value for applications in urban planning, disaster management, and environmental assessments...
Join us as we wrap up another incredible edition of GeoIgnite with a celebration on the tradeshow floor. We’ll raise a glass of champagne and come together for a group photo of all our amazing participants, partners, and friends.This final moment is our way of saying thank you to everyone who helped make GeoIgnite a success — from speakers and sponsors to delegates and volunteers. Let’s end on a high note and capture the spirit of Canada’s national geospatial leadership event, together.