This interview is part of our GoGeomatics series exploring Canada’s infrastructure moment and the role of geomatics, BIM, and digital transformation in nation-building.

Canada’s infrastructure boom will not be defined by concrete and steel alone. Its success hinges on the digital foundations — how we design, model, and manage the data behind every build. BIM, digital twins, open standards, and sovereign Canadian solutions are no longer optional extras; they are the bedrock of efficiency, resilience, and long-term value.

That reality now meets a historic test. Ottawa has pledged 5% of GDP to defence and nation-building, with 1.5% earmarked for civil preparedness, industrial capacity, and core systems. Delivering on that scale demands not just physical capacity, but digital leadership and a commitment to Canadian sovereignty.

Few voices are better placed to address this than John Hale. As President of buildingSMART Canada and Chief of BIM/GIS at the Department of National Defence, Hale has spent decades pushing Canada to treat digital practice as strategic infrastructure. In this conversation, he explains why BIM and digital project delivery are foundational to nation-building, what Canada must do to ensure its sovereignty in the digital built environment, and where leadership is still missing.

With Ottawa’s 1.5% GDP commitment to infrastructure and civil preparedness, how prepared is Canada’s infrastructure and construction ecosystem — technically, digitally, and organizationally — for this scale of activity? 

The basic building blocks are in place, but a significant amount of work remains to be done. The National Research Council has been actively engaged through its Construction Sector Digitalization and Productivity Challenge program and its Platform to Decarbonize the Construction Sector at Scale.

At DND, we’ve established a vision for an Integrated Digital Built Environment that provides the foundation for a digital transformation and enables digital twin capabilities. The plan is to build and validate internal structures that allow us to scale. It’s about creating an environment where digital twins aren’t just pilots but part of everyday operations. We’re building the backbone first — data structures, governance, and validation — so that the technology actually supports operations.

Do you see this as a nation-building moment? What kind of leadership is needed to ensure Canada rises to the occasion?

Absolutely. We’re at a point where digital transformation is no longer optional. If we want to bridge the gap between reality and the digital space, we need to treat this as a nation-building effort. That means embedding digital standards, governance, and collaboration into every project from the start — not as an afterthought.

We need leadership to encourage collaboration between all sectors — public and private — towards innovation and digital transformation. Leadership has to create a culture that rewards collaboration instead of reinforcing silos. We need champions who can bridge the gap between government, industry, and academia, and who recognize digital transformation as essential to competitiveness.

Large-scale builds are increasingly dependent on digital foundations — surveying, mapping, reality capture, modeling, and BIM. Is the federal infrastructure push giving enough attention to these systems, and is collaboration where it needs to be?

There is a solid understanding of the value of digital practices and project delivery at the federal level. It is acknowledged that digital data is at its highest value during the operational phase of an infrastructure or asset’s lifecycle. The federal government often looks to industry for direction and validation of technological innovations and best practices.

It’s important to establish the knowledge base to support digital practice. Several federal government departments have identified the ISO 19650 standard as important to achieving digital project delivery and are currently working on establishing the digital framework for its implementation. It’s also critical that the federal government establish the contract language, technical specifications, and digital technology — common data environments and exchange platforms — to support truly digital practice. We’ve made progress, but awareness alone isn’t enough. The critical step is implementation — turning standards and intent into binding requirements in contracts and delivery models.

Collaboration is paramount, and removing silos is the optimal way forward. Geomatics, engineering, and construction must work from the same digital playbook if we want projects to succeed in the long term.

You’ve long advocated for wider BIM adoption through buildingSMART Canada. Has the infrastructure conversation caught up? How important is it that BIM and open standards are integrated from the start?

Not yet. The conversation is definitely gaining momentum, but we still need to continue driving awareness for change. People are starting to realize that without digital delivery, projects are slower, more expensive, and less resilient. Awareness is growing, but action still lags.

A part of our goal at buildingSMART Canada is open collaboration between the geospatial community and the AECOO [Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owners, and Operators] industry.

These digital layers are foundational to digital transformation. If you bolt them on later, you’re simply creating digital silos that are more expensive to manage and undermine trust in the data. The goal is to achieve a seamless flow — bridging reality and digital space across the entire lifecycle.

Are we seeing enough cross-departmental or inter-agency coordination when it comes to digitally enabled infrastructure?

Not really. Unfortunately, there isn’t a single agency or department with a mandate to drive this change. There is solid effort within several federal departments; however, we need to drive digital transformation across all levels of government. The challenge is leadership fragmentation. We have bright spots, but no single champion. That’s why buildingSMART Canada’s role as a neutral convener is so important.

What progress or roadblocks are you seeing in embedding BIM and open standards into public-sector procurement and delivery models?

Progress has been slow but steady within a few federal departments. The biggest roadblock is the lack of a common industry-endorsed framework for BIM and digital twin. This is something that the NRC has identified and is working with federal departments and industry stakeholders to improve. Without that framework, every department or project reinvents the wheel. That wastes time and resources and discourages industry adoption.

There’s a growing sense that Canadian-developed technologies and platforms are undervalued, with foreign providers prioritized even when local options meet or exceed requirements. What do you think is driving this?

Agreed. Our relationship with the U.S. has often limited our ability to establish Canadian solutions. Due to shifts in policy from the U.S., the landscape has shifted significantly. The need for sovereign, made-in-Canada digital technology and data management solutions has never been greater. Canada often defaults to importing solutions instead of scaling our own. That undermines sovereignty and makes us dependent on decisions made outside our borders.

Do you think procurement culture in Canada is too risk-averse? What would a more innovation-friendly environment look like?

I’m not a procurement specialist, so I won’t claim to have all the answers. Current public procurement could be improved, but implementing proper checks and balances, as well as ensuring transparency, is crucial. There are good innovation programs in place; we just need to leverage them more effectively.

Risk aversion often manifests as sticking with what’s known rather than trying new approaches. We need to build confidence in innovation by making pilot programs easier to access and scale. Procurement should also reduce friction for innovators — a digitally enabled platform for proposals and evaluation could open the door for smaller players.

In your role at DND, how do you see the defence infrastructure agenda aligning with civil sector needs — especially around digital delivery, resilience, and sovereignty?

Enabling digital delivery is essential; however, data and technology sovereignty are critical elements. DND has a role and responsibility to provide direction and leadership in establishing sovereign Canadian digital solutions. Defence infrastructure has unique requirements, but it also sets a standard for resilience and sovereignty that the civil sector can benefit from. Alignment ensures lessons learned are shared both ways.

What would it take for Canada to truly lead the next generation of nation-building infrastructure — not just in physical terms, but in digital leadership?

Establish the foundation — a digital exchange framework — for an integrated digital built environment and digital twin, driving further innovation. That framework is the cornerstone. Without it, you can’t scale digital twins or trust the data. With it, we can innovate confidently and lead globally.

Workforce shortages are a major constraint across infrastructure and geomatics. What gaps are you seeing, and which skills are most in demand?

Yes, we’re experiencing real challenges. We often rely on the college-level technology programs. However, with the shift towards BIM/GIS integration and digital twins, a unique, integrated skill set has become more in demand. Unfortunately, many college programs have been reliant on foreign students, and with a shift in immigration policy, many of these programs have been cut.

We’re seeing demand for hybrid skillsets that combine BIM, GIS, and IT. Traditional programs aren’t producing enough of these graduates, and program cuts exacerbate the issue. Spatial information specialists who can move between disciplines — understanding BIM, GIS, and IT, and are able to work across platforms and lifecycles — are in particular demand.

What strategies are you pursuing to attract, train, and retain the talent needed?

We try to offer opportunities for innovation, skill development, and seek individuals who are self-motivated. Providing people with meaningful challenges and opportunities to innovate is key. Retention comes from making sure people feel they are growing as the technology grows.