Canadian Geospatial Briefing May 16th: 1. Correlation between BC wildfires and floods 2. NG9-1-1 GIS Validator 3. NRCan migrated petabytes of geo data to the cloud 4. Aerial Imagery Cost-Sharing 5. RCMP using aerial images for missing people

Satellite mapping finds correlation between B.C. wildfires and floods

Data scientists at SparkGeo, a geospatial company based in Prince George, BC, produced a series of maps to point out 2021 wildfires and damaged highways by November floods. Check out the maps on the Sparkgeo Wildfires and flood damage Story Map

A Sparkgeo Story Map shows part of Trans-Canada Highway damage by Flood. Source: https://sparkgeo-fireflood-blog-full.netlify.app/

These maps helped SparkGeo team to find a likely correlation between the wildfires in 2021 and the November flood damage. They also believe that more analysis is required to definitively demonstrate the wildfire impact on the costliest flood damage in the province’s history. Read more about this story here

Esri Canada releases free app to help municipalities get ready for NG9-1-1

NG9-1-1 GIS Validator application has been released on May 10th by Esri Canada. This free online application helps Canadian municipalities complete the 9-1-1 new location data requirements in Canada. In other words, The NG9-1-1 GIS Validator is used to compare location and geographic information system data against the nationally adopted standards for next-generation 9-1-1 to efficiently determine data for revision.

NG9-1-1 GIS Validator is a partnership between Canada’s Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG) and Esri Canada. Source: https://www.esri.ca/en-ca/products/specialized-applications/ng911-gis-validator

This application is created due to the Canadian municipalities’ demand in the Emergency Services Working Group. Read more details about this free app here.

How Natural Resources Canada migrated petabytes of geospatial data to the cloud

Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO) at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has got an Earth observation data archive exceeding two petabytes since 1971. Now, NRCan has four satellite antennas in Inuvik, Prince Albert, and Gatineau and, the Earth Observation Data Management System and Emergency Geomatics Service. NRCan has decided to use Amazon Web Services to respond to clients’ requests faster and in an efficient way. The geospatial data migration to the cloud has been possible using Amazon Web Services Snow Family

More information is available here

Aerial Imagery Cost-Sharing Program 2022

One of the challenges of aerial data acquisition is its expensive cost. The Integrated Cadastral Information Society and BC Assessment are collaborating on a platform for the aerial imagery cost-sharing program 2022 in which each local government, and other organizations that receive aerial images, can work together for joint benefit.

This program will be beneficial for both BCA and local governments. BCA will be able to keep a precise list of developed properties and local governments will get help to expand their essential local projects’ tax revenue.

Read more here

These are the areas BCA has flown since 2012. Areas captured most recently are shown in blue with the oldest inventory in yellow. Source: https://maps.icisociety.ca/ici_portal/apps/storymaps/stories/6476d094235c4ee8a65f2c84ed454195

For the first time, the RCMP’s National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains is using satellite and hyperspectral imaging technologies to help find human remains. These imaging technologies gather and analyze data from across the electromagnetic spectrum from reflected sunlight, getting information that is not visible to the human eye. These technologies help identify places, where human remains, may have been discarded, partially buried or hidden in shallow graves.

A British Columbia highway is seen from the air in a photo from Shutterstock.com

In the week of May 9, The pilot has begun with an aircraft that covers two areas in British Columbia. Read more information on the RCMP website and CTV News