Canada’s geospatial environment is one of the most complex in the world, spanning provinces, territories, Indigenous lands, critical infrastructure systems, Arctic regions, inland waters, and multiple levels of government.

Making geospatial data work seamlessly across those boundaries is not optional. It is becoming essential national infrastructure.

That challenge sits at the centre of the OGC Canada Forum, returning to GeoIgnite 2026 on Monday, May 11th in Ottawa as part of the National Geospatial Forum Day.

The session, titled “OGC Canada Forum: Implementing Canada’s Collaborative Geospatial Strategy”, will bring together leaders from government, industry, academia, Indigenous organizations, and the standards community to examine how Canada moves from geospatial strategy discussions toward implementation and execution.

The forum will be available both in person at the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre and virtually for participants joining from across Canada.

Building a Better Connected Canada

Established in 2017, the OGC Canada Forum serves as an open collaborative platform where government, industry, academia, and Indigenous organizations work through practical interoperability and geospatial coordination challenges facing Canada.

The forum has become an important venue for advancing discussions around standards adoption, spatial data infrastructure, Earth observation, digital infrastructure, and geospatial interoperability across jurisdictions and sectors.

At GeoIgnite 2026, the discussion increasingly shifts from strategy toward execution, examining how Canada aligns standards, infrastructure, governance, and investment to strengthen national geospatial capability.

The forum will explore how interoperability, open standards, and collaborative governance can support national priorities including digital infrastructure modernization, Earth observation, Arctic and northern coordination, data sovereignty, and resilient spatial data infrastructure.

As Canada increases focus on digital sovereignty and national coordination, geospatial interoperability is increasingly being recognized as foundational infrastructure supporting decision making across government, industry, defence, environmental monitoring, and critical infrastructure systems.

Forum Agenda Highlights

The afternoon forum includes presentations, discussions, and collaborative dialogue involving leadership from the Open Geospatial Consortium, Natural Resources Canada, the Department of National Defence, and the broader Canadian geospatial community.

• Opening Remarks – Richard Estephan, OGC
• Collaborative Geospatial Strategy for Canada – Update and Next Steps – Jeremy Coad, Canadian Council on Geomatics Strategy Implementation Task Team
• Collaborative Strategy and the Canada Forum: Potential Alignment and Opportunities – Richard Estephan, Paul Churcher, and Ryan Ahola
• Open Discussion: The Role of Standards and Interoperability in Strategy Implementation
• Why Mapping is So Hard – Lightning talks and panel discussion featuring Peter Rabley, Marc-André Faucher, and Catherine Robin

A featured session titled “Why Mapping is So Hard” will examine the ongoing challenge of maintaining accurate and trusted geospatial information in a rapidly changing world while highlighting the importance of sustained collaboration between government, industry, academia, and standards organizations.

Be Part of the Conversation

The OGC Canada Forum is designed as an open and collaborative environment intended to bring together the full spectrum of Canada’s geospatial community.

Participation spans students, practitioners, researchers, standards leaders, Indigenous organizations, industry, and senior government decision makers working to shape Canada’s evolving geospatial ecosystem.

Whether attending virtually or in person, participants are encouraged to contribute perspectives, identify implementation gaps, and help shape how interoperability and standards are applied in practice across Canada.

Registration Options

This session is open to both in person and virtual participants. Registration is required.

Please select the correct registration option depending on how you plan to participate:

Part of Canada’s National Geospatial Leadership Discussions

The OGC Canada Forum forms a core component of GeoIgnite’s National Geospatial Forum Day and contributes directly to broader discussions around Canada’s geospatial future, interoperability, standards coordination, Earth observation, and digital sovereignty.

GeoIgnite 2026 brings together leadership from government, defence, infrastructure, Earth observation, academia, utilities, engineering, and the private sector to examine the technologies and collaborations shaping Canada’s geospatial future.

The GeoIgnite team would like to thank the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Council on Geomatics (CCOG), and the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO) for their continued leadership and support in advancing collaborative geospatial coordination, interoperability, and standards development across Canada.

As Canada’s geospatial sector increasingly moves from discussion toward implementation, the OGC Canada Forum provides an important venue for national collaboration and practical coordination across jurisdictions and disciplines.

Related Links

• GeoIgnite 2026 Conference Website
• Full GeoIgnite 2026 Schedule
• Conference Registration
• Previous OGC Canada Forum Article
• GoGeomatics Magazine

[1]: https://gogeomatics.ca/mapping-our-future-the-ogc-canada-forum-is-building-a-better-connected-north/ “Mapping Our Future: The OGC Canada Forum Is Building a Better-Connected North – GoGeomatics”