York Region first in Canada to receive Esri President’s Award

Newmarkettoday.ca
July 14, 2020

The Regional Municipality of York is the recipient of the 2020 President’s Award from Esri, the global leader in location intelligence. The President’s Award is the highest honour given by Esri, recognizing one organization annually for making a positive impact by using data-informed decision-making.

York Region is honoured to be the first Canadian organization to receive this recognition.

“On behalf of York Regional Council, I am proud the Region has received such high recognition for its use of data to support better decisions and deliver more effective services,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson. “Our approach makes it easier for residents, businesses and municipal partners to interact with trusted data. This contributes toward our mission of working together to serve our thriving communities, today and tomorrow.”

The award recognizes York Region’s commitment to continuous improvement and using trusted data to inform decisions. It is the result of a 25-year focus on working collaboratively with partners and using data to solve problems and make a difference within our communities.

Recipients of this award are personally chosen by Esri Founder and President Jack Dangermond.

“York Region’s work represents a pattern that's worth repeating across Canada, as well as the world,” said Mr. Dangermond. “Their innovations exemplify how geospatial data can be shared and integrated, help improve communities and serve as important milestones for GIS users globally.”

“I’m thrilled York Region has been given this award because it’s a reflection of how they are ahead of the rest of the world -- ahead of the rest of the country -- in a level of collaboration that is not easy to do,” said Alex Miller, President, Esri Canada.

GIS is a framework for gathering, managing and analyzing data. GIS technology uses geography to organize and integrate data, revealing patterns and relationships to help users make smarter decisions, develop partnerships and communicate more effectively. York Region is a pioneer in the use of GIS to support regional planning and development and GIS is now used widely to support all regional service areas.

Find out more about how York Region is working closely with its partners to help build data capacity and capability across the Region, visit york.ca/puttingdatatowork

For more information on Esri, visit esri.com and visit esri.ca for more information on Esri Canada.