Ted MacKinnon has been recognized by the Canadian Cartographic Association (CCA) for his longstanding service and leadership within Canada’s cartographic and geomatics community.

The recognition highlights sustained contributions to the profession through volunteer leadership, community engagement, and long-term involvement in national geomatics initiatives.

The announcement was shared by the CCA and circulated through professional networks, including Ted MacKinnon’s LinkedIn profile.

Recognition for Long-Term Service to the CCA

The award recognizes individuals who have contributed over many years to the Canadian Cartographic Association and the broader profession. It is not tied to a single project, but instead reflects sustained leadership and service.

Ted MacKinnon has served the CCA in several leadership roles, including Vice-President in 2018 and President from 2020 to 2022. His presidency coincided with a period when professional associations across Canada were adapting to remote operations and changes in member engagement.

Leadership Across Canada’s Geomatics Community

Beyond his work with the CCA, MacKinnon is a founding advisory board member of both GeoIgnite and the GoGeomatics Expo ecosystem. These initiatives bring together government, industry, academia, and non-profit organizations to support collaboration across Canada’s geospatial sector.

He also serves as Chair of the Canada Maps & Poster Gallery program within the GoGeomatics Canada ecosystem, which showcases cartographic work from students and professionals across the country.

Work at Natural Resources Canada

Alongside his volunteer leadership roles, Ted MacKinnon has built a long career in federal geomatics at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), focusing on remote sensing, GIS applications, LiDAR processing, and geospatial analysis supporting environmental and terrain modelling.

CanadianGIS and National Open Data Infrastructure

In 2010, Ted MacKinnon founded CanadianGIS.com, an independent platform that has become a widely used directory of geospatial data resources across Canada.

The site brings together municipal, provincial, territorial, and federal open data portals into a single reference point, helping GIS professionals, students, and educators navigate a fragmented national data landscape.

Over time, CanadianGIS has become a practical tool within the Canadian geomatics community for discovering and accessing spatial datasets and is frequently used as an entry point for open data exploration in Canada.

He also maintains tMacKinnon.com, which provides curated resources and learning material for emerging geomatics professionals.

A Career Built Through Connection

The recognition highlights long-term contributions to Canada’s geospatial community, including volunteer leadership, open data infrastructure, and sustained engagement across national geomatics initiatives.

Ted MacKinnon’s work spans federal geomatics at NRCan, open data infrastructure through CanadianGIS, and leadership roles within the CCA, GeoIgnite, and the GoGeomatics Expo ecosystem.

Taken together, these roles reflect a consistent focus on improving access to geospatial information and strengthening collaboration across Canada’s mapping and geomatics community.

As geospatial data continues to play a growing role in infrastructure planning, climate resilience, and public decision-making, this type of long-term community and institutional leadership remains central to how the sector functions.

Closing Note of Appreciation

The GoGeomatics community extends its congratulations to Ted MacKinnon for his recognition by the Canadian Cartographic Association.

His work across the CCA, Natural Resources Canada, CanadianGIS, GeoIgnite, and the broader geomatics community reflects a sustained commitment to strengthening Canada’s geospatial ecosystem through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and long-term service.

Thank you, Ted, for your ongoing contributions to Canada’s geomatics community.