Program Awards More Than $2 Million in Scholarships, Software and Books to More than 40 Canadian Universities and Colleges

TORONTO – November 17, 2009 – Continuing on its commitment to advance geographic information systems (GIS) in education, ESRI Canada today announced the Canadian institutions selected to receive awards through the ESRI Canada Scholarship Award Program. The program recognizes universities and colleges with an exceptional GIS focus and is designed to promote innovation among Canada’s future leaders.

“We see it as an important investment to recognize schools with excellent GIS programs,” said Alex Miller, President, ESRI Canada. “Through our scholarship program, we encourage graduates of these institutions to bring new ideas and skills to the workforce.”

The program awards more than $2 million in scholarships and grants of software and books to more than 40 Canadian colleges and universities every year. The schools must use ESRI technology for education and administration and demonstrate a strong, multidisciplinary focus on GIS. Each chosen school then selects an outstanding student to receive the scholarship, a comprehensive package of the latest ESRI software, workbooks and access to ESRI training courses and conferences.

From coast to coast, ESRI technology is used by Canadian educational institutions to develop students’ geographic literacy, spatial awareness, critical thinking and analytical skills. Nearly 75% of higher education institutions and almost half of the K-12 schools in the country have access to ESRI Canada’s GIS solutions. Students have applied ESRI technology to address real-world concerns such as studying the impact of human development on the environment and assessing potential solutions including finding optimal locations for wind farms.

This year, the following Canadian universities and colleges have been selected to receive the ESRI Canada Scholarship Award:

• Eastern Canada
  New Brunswick Community College
  University of New Brunswick
  College of the North Atlantic
  Memorial University of Newfoundland
  Dalhousie University
  Saint Mary's University
• Central Canada
  Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology
  Carleton University
  Fanshawe College
  Lakehead University
  Laurentian University
  Nipissing University
  Queen's University
  Ryerson University
  Wilfrid Laurier University
  University of Ottawa
  University of Western Ontario
  Cégep Limoilou
  McGill University
  Université de Montréa
  l Université de Sherbrooke
  Université du Québec
  Université Laval
• Western Canada
  Manitoba Educational GIS Consortium (MEGIC)
  Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST)
  University of Regina
  University of Saskatchewan
  Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
  Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
  University of Alberta
  University of Calgary
  University of Lethbridge
  British Columbia Institute of Technology
  Simon Fraser University
  University of British Columbia
  University of Northern British Columbia
  University of Victoria
  Vancouver Island University
  Okanagan College
  Selkirk College
  Thompson Rivers University
  

For more information on the ESRI Canada Scholarship Award Program, educational institutions may contact Email Contact.

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Celebrate the Power of Geography on GIS Day
On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, thousands of people in Canada and around the world will celebrate GIS Day. Held each year during Geography Awareness Week (November 16-20 in 2009), GIS Day is a global event that promotes awareness of geographic information system (GIS) technology and its important application in areas including business, education, science and government. This year, more than 50 ESRI Canada customers across the country will host open houses, lectures, games and other activities to showcase real-world GIS applications on GIS Day. For information on GIS Day events near you, visit: www.esricanada.com/gisday.

About ESRI Canada
Founded in 1984, ESRI Canada provides enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solutions that empower businesses, governments, and educational institutions to make timely, informed and mission critical decisions by leveraging the power of geography. The company distributes the world's leading GIS software from ESRI, Telvent Miner & Miner, Azteca Systems and other technology partners. Headquartered in Toronto, the company serves over 10,000 customers from 16 regional offices across Canada. Information about ESRI Canada can be found at www.esricanada.com

Media Contact:
Joy Chan
PR Specialist
ESRI Canada
+1 (416) 386-6488
Email Contact
www.esricanada.com