About the conference
Spatial Knowledge and Information (SKI) Canada brings together the practical and the theoretical, offering a forum for researchers, practitioners, and students to share experiences in the geospatial sciences across Canada. The conference highlights best practices and cross-disciplinary approaches to spatial knowledge, inviting contributions from a wide range of fields such as geoinformatics, remote sensing, health geography, transportation, urban planning, spatial statistics, geovisualization, location-based services, GeoAI, and smart cities, among many others. Held biennially in Banff, Alberta, the program typically runs in the late afternoons / evenings, deliberately leaving mornings and early afternoons free for networking, informal collaboration, and enjoying the great outdoors. Sessions are structured around academic-style presentations with opportunities for questions and plenty of time for discussion. The conference often hosts an up-and-coming researcher as keynote speaker and a number of social events.
Now in its 9th iteration, SKI Canada has been running for 18 years, building a tradition of collaboration and advancing GIScience in Canada. Established with the "work-hard, play-hard" mentra in-mind, the conference has provided a platform for emerging and established scholars to present cutting-edge work in a supportive and engaging setting. Over nearly two decades, SKI has grown into a cornerstone of Canada's GIS research community. We look forward to continuing this tradition and will see you at SKI 2026.
Programme
Thursday, February 19
Friday, February 20
-
Do Bike Lanes Reduce Collisions? Measuring the Causal Impact of Bike Lane Implementation on Road Safety in Montreal (2005–2024)
(Jia Yu, Jean Dubé, Marie-Soleil Cloutier) -
3 Months of Discounts: Access to Shared Electric Scooters in Laval, Quebec
(Jenny Zhu, Grant McKenzie, Kevin Manaugh) -
Car Usage for Possible 15-Minute Active Transport Trips: Understanding Patterns in Saskatoon, Canada
(Esraa Othman, Ehab Diab) -
Context-Specific Approaches to Measuring School Walkability and Supporting Active Travel
(Kerstyn Lutz, Matthew Adams) -
Who Shifts to Active Modes? Understanding Seasonal Travel Changes from Winter to Fall Among Car and Transit Users at the University of Saskatchewan
(Aleena Akram, Ehab Diab) -
Quantifying Urban Mobility Responses to Snowfall Using Aggregated OD Data and Route Classification
(Haorui Zhou, Jed Long)
-
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Landscape Fire Activity and Aerosol Trends in the Context of Urbanization
(Jack Cheng, Yuhong He, Matthew Adams) -
Ephemeral Wetland Detection from Time-Series Data Cubes
(Shane Timbers, Tarmo Remmel) -
A Review of Remote Sensing and Geospatial Applications for Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring in Alberta's Oil Sands Region
(Ahmad Frahmand, Irini Soubry, Zhibang Lv, Xulin Guo) -
Automating Stem Location Mapping and Attribution with iPad LiDAR
(Sven Huycke, Tarmo Remmel, Shweta Parajuli) -
Comparative Analysis of SAMSTS and CCDC Gap-Filling Methods for NDVI Time Series: A 35-year Assessment
(Ahmad Frahmand, Irini Soubry, Zhibang Lv, Xulin Guo) -
Spatial Patterns of Elephant Crop Raids within an Agro-Forested Landscape
(Matthew Morrison, Dipto Sarkar, Colin Chapman)
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Mapping Urban and Housing Change in Canada, 1990–2024: Insights from Housing and Land Cover Classification
(Iris Ka Ying Sit, David Wachsmuth) -
Geospatial Assessment of Urban Land Use
(Amelia Frazee, Mackenzie Dopf) -
Degrees of Belonging: Exploring Fuzziness in Urban Regions
(Seula Lee, Eric Heikkila) -
Evolving Patterns of Deprivation, Diversity, and Mode Share in Saskatoon’s Urban Core and Housing Accelerator Fund Areas (2006–2021)
(Olha Khrebtishcheva, Ehab Diab, Scott Bell) -
The Impact of the Housing Accelerator Fund on Population in Saskatoon
(Muqaiba Imtiaz, Scott Bell, Olha Khrebtishcheva, Ehab Diab, Marlo Edwards) -
Where Work Travels: Spatial Clustering and Distribution of Digital Nomads and Migrant Workers in World Cities
(Ebenezer Narh, Michael Buzzelli)
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Potential of Volunteered Weather Data from Low-Cost Citizen Sensors in Micro-Scale Urban Heat Island Studies
(Priyadharshini Sakthivel) -
Shade Deserts: Mapping Shade Supply–Demand Gaps Using Hyperlocal Microclimate Simulations
(Naser Ahmed, Henry Shaver, Anastasia Soukhov, James Voogt, Jinfei Wang, Jinhyung Lee) -
Heat Stress and Diurnal Changes in Resident Presence During the 2021 Vancouver Heat Dome
(Hui Jeong Ha, Naser Ahmed, James Voogt, Jinhyung Lee, Jed Long) -
Everyday Urban Surveillance: The Semiotics of Surveillance Signage in Toronto
(Lindi Jahiu) -
The Street Divided: Dynamic Space Consumption in New York City
(Daniel Romm, Grant McKenzie) -
Urban Green Space Change in Canadian Metropolitan Areas: A Landsat–Sentinel Assessment
(Mackenzie Johnston, Grant McKenzie)
Saturday, February 21
-
2023 Wildfire Smoke Perceptions: A Spatial Mixed Methods Approach
(Amanda Norton, Amy Fernando, Jack Cheng, Matthew Adams) -
Visualization of Strava Runner Sentiment in Semi-Suburban Areas and on Trails
(Stella Harden, Nadine Schuurman) -
Participatory Mapping and Long-term Impacts
(Gaurav Thapa, Jon Corbett) -
Evaluating the Potential for Volunteer Geographic Information to Support the Humanitarian Localization Agenda
(Theresa Dearden, Jon Corbett) -
Mapping with, not just for, Nature: Exploring the Implications of More-than-Human Participatory Mapping for Environmental Stewardship
(Ayla De Grandpre, Jon Corbett) -
GIS for Labour Justice: The Del Monte Oshawa Case
(Christopher Sorio)
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Spatial Fairness in LLMs for Digital Agriculture: Trends, Limitations, and Research Gaps
(Yasaman Honarparvar, Ronnie De Souza Santos, Steve Liang, Sara Saeedi) -
Natural Language to DGGS-Aware Methane Insights with a Multi-LLM-Agent Framework
(Mingke Li, Steve Liang) -
From Real to Synthetic: Using CTGAN to Model Socio-Spatial Populations for AI and Policy
(Navid Mahdizadeh Gharakhanlou, Liliana Perez, Yan Kestens, Benoit Thierry) -
LLM-Driven Agent-Based Modeling Framework for Cost-Effective LDAR Program Design
(Jinya Wang, Steve Liang) -
Interactive GIS Reasoning: An Agentic Framework for Natural Language Spatial Queries
(Vivek Suresh Raj) -
A Multi-Modal GeoAI Framework for Climate-Linked Urban Crime Prediction in Canadian Prairies
(Naiyandikarige Chamathka Jayashankanie Thilakarathna, Varuni Jayasooriya)
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Mapping Mobility Barriers: A Comparative Evaluation of Five Accessibility Platforms
(Harrison Drew, Victoria Fast) -
Mapping the Urban Mobility Divide: Spatial Patterns of Transportation Poverty in Saskatoon
(Anu Yadav, Jacob Alhassan) -
Examining the Usability of a Geospatial Data Visualization Tool to Better Understand Transportation Choices
(Leandro Meneguelli Biondo, Stuart McGorman, Nicholas Blackwell, Jon Corbett) -
Pedestrian Level-of-Service (PLOS) and Walkability Equity in Saskatoon: A Gender-Based and Health Analysis
(Patricia Salazar-Ramirez, Meisam Ghasedi, Daniel Fuller) -
Engaging Disability in GIScience Curriculums
(Lisa Rotzal, Victoria Fast) -
Beyond Proximity: Socioeconomic and Health Contexts of Prenatal Care Travel Patterns
(Anastasia Soukhov, Ava Hudson, Justin Yu, Yuhao Kang, Hanqi Li, Peiyin Hung, Armita Kar)
Call for Papers
The 9th conference on Spatial Knowledge and Information (SKI) Canada will take place February 19-22, 2026, in Banff, Alberta. Since 2008, SKI has been the pre-eminent Canada-centric conference for geographic information science (and systems), spatial data science, remote sensing, geomatics and the geoweb research. The conference is aimed at researchers at all stages, from undergraduates to retired faculty and all types of educational institutions, from community colleges to universities and research institutes. SKI has been important to researchers, allowing them to share their research ideas and identify potential graduate students. This has been a great place to highlight your research and perhaps ski as well.
This year, as in previous years, we are inviting submissions on a range of topics such as papers and abstracts for peer-review and publication. Early career researchers and graduate students in particular are encouraged to apply.
The conference mixes practical and theoretical aspects of geographic information science. Come share your experiences in using GIS in academia in Canada and around the world. Learn from others on best practices and ways of accommodating different domains of knowledge.
We invite submissions on a range of topics including (but not limited to):
- GIScience
- Remote sensing
- Spatial Data Science
- Geomatics and Geomatics Engineering
- GeoAI, spatial big data, and machine learning
- Participatory GIS
- Spatial qualitative and mixed methods
- GIS in health and epidemiology
- GIS in transportation
- GIS in hydrology
- Geoprivacy
- Planning Support Systems and land-use planning
- Digital Earth and the Geospatial Web 2.0 (geoweb) (e.g., Google Earth, Virtual Earth, Google Maps) Research
- Neogeography, Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and crowdsourcing
- Geovisualization and cybercartography
- Spatial Business applications
- Spatial statistics
- Location based services
- GIS and spatial modeling in Earth Sciences
- Urban simulation and modelling
- Computer dimensions of GIS (e.g., data modelling)
- Big Data, machine learning, Geo AI
- Smart Cities & Artificial Intelligence
Who should attend?
Students of all levels (undergraduate, masters, and PhD) and researchers who identify as GIScientists, Spatial Data Scientists, Remote Sensors, Geomatics Researchers or GIS Applications users from across Canada. We invite participants from academia, industry, and government. We are particularly interested in students attending the conference so please share this call for papers within your departments.
How to participate
There are three main avenues for researchers to contribute to the SKI 2026 conference: i) full paper submissions, ii) abstract submissions for early-stage students, and iii) faculty research synopses.
Paper Submissions
Papers can be up to 2000 words in length and a maximum of 10 pages (including figures and references). Each paper will be reviewed by the Program Committee and feedback will be provided to the authors. Accepted papers will be published in the SKI conference proceedings via Zenodo. In addition to gaining experience with the review process, students should be aware that each paper is given a persistent identifier (DOI) and indexed, which may be useful for their CV.
Download the paper template here
Submissions are closed
Abstract Submissions
For students who have been registered in their programs for less than six months (as of the deadline of abstract submission), we invite submission of a short abstract (200–300 words). Short abstracts will not be included in proceedings but are an opportunity to discuss and receive feedback from your peers. Short abstracts should include the research context, goal, methods, anticipated results, and expected impacts. Short abstract submissions must be accompanied by an email or letter from the student’s supervisor indicating they have reviewed and approved the submission and confirmation that the student has been in their program of study for less than six months. If new students have sufficient results, a comprehensive literature review or a well-developed methodology, we encourage them to submit to the paper stream.
Download the abstract template here
Submissions are closed
Research Synopsis
Faculty are alternatively invited to participate by providing a short research synopsis and a written summary of their research program. During the conference, each faculty will give a 2-minute elevator pitch highlighting the general scope of their research and submit a 300-word summary that will be posted on the conference website (note: summaries will not be part of the peer-reviewed proceedings).
Submit synopsis here
Schedule
The full conference event will be held from Thursday, February 19 to Sunday, February 22, 2026. The conference begins with an icebreaker and social on Thursday night, with paper presentations commencing Friday, February 20 and continuing Saturday, February 21. Further details will be posted following the submission deadline.
Structure
The conference will be structured as a series of plenary sessions: each hosted by a moderator. Conference sessions will be designed around a rapid-communication format successfully used in medicine, neuroscience, and other disciplines. Each presentation will be 5-10 minutes (depending on paper format) with a short, shared opportunity for public questions. Additionally, each evening of the conference will include a dinner reception offering ample time for interaction and discussion. The two dinner receptions will also include a keynote address (Friday) and a Conference photo “competition.”
Important Dates
Submission deadline: November 21 November 29 (End of day AOE)
Paper notifications: December 19
Resubmission of papers on Easychair (after addressing comments): January 16 January 30
Conference dates: February 19-22
Keynote
Community Co-Developed Satellite Systems
While climate change is affecting every community on Earth, northern communities are experiencing its effects at a rate four times faster than everywhere else. As these communities rely on the land, air, and water for food, travel, and wellness, the threats from climate change and geopolitical tensions across the Arctic jeopardize their security. Satellite technology promises solutions to many challenges with potential to deliver remote sensing, situational awareness, and high-bandwidth communications, but making these solutions accessible to isolated northern communities remains elusive. The Space Technology and Advanced Research Laboratory (STARLab) at the University of Manitoba has been working with Inuit communities in the Arctic (e.g., Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut), to co-develop space systems that will provide enhanced communications and security for community members out on the land and on the sea-ice. The co-development nature of our research provides a platform for respectful bi-directional knowledge transfer, blending Indigenous Knowledge with Western science to improve community safety and security. The communities own, operate, and maintain their space systems with support as required from the University of Manitoba. By working and learning together, we are able to foster enhanced community in the face of accelerated climate change and security tensions for Canada’s north.
Philip Ferguson is a space systems engineer and Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Manitoba. He is the Director of the Space Technology and Advanced Research Lab (STARLab) in the Price Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba where his research focuses on making aerospace technology accessible to northern communities in Canada to make them more resilient and secure.
Venue
This year's conference on Spatial Knowledge and Information Canada will be held at the Banff Park Lodge.
Accommodation
We have reserved blocks of rooms at the hotels listed below. Reserve your rooms early!
- Banff Park Lodge - The same building as the conference
- Bow View Lodge - Next door to the conference venue
- Peaks Hotel & Suites - Across the street from the conference venue
Travel
The Banff Park Lodge is located in Banff, Alberta and is roughly 1.5 hours from the Calgary International Airport. From the airport, the best option for getting to Banff is via shuttle. There are a few options including:
- The Banff Airporter - Use code SKIC2026 for a 15% discount.
- Brewster Express
Check out the top things to do in (and around) Banff before or after the conference.
Social Events
On Thursday evening (February 19) at 7:00pm, we will kick off the conference with a Meet & Greet in the Taproom (ground level) at Banff Ave Brewing Company. This is a great opportunity to meet other participants in a casual environment and set the tone for the days to come.
Registration
Registration comes with two catered banquet dinners and coffee and refreshments throughout the conference.
Early bird (Register by January 9)
Register as a Student
$250
Register as a Postdoc
$350
Register as Faculty or Other
$550
Regular (Register by January 29)
Register as a Student
$300
Register as a Postdoc
$400
Register as Faculty or Other
$600
Organizing Committee
General Chairs
Scott Bell, University of Saskatchewan
Renée Sieber, McGill University
Nadine Schuurman, Simon Fraser University
Grant McKenzie, McGill University
Program Chairs
Ehab Diab, University of Saskatchewan
Jed Long, Western University
Liliana Perez, Université de Montréal
Local Arrangements
Victoria Fast, University of Calgary
Steve Liang, University of Calgary
Stella Harden, Simon Fraser University
Program Committee
Luke Bergmann, The University of British Columbia
Jonathan Cinnamon, The University of British Columbia
Jon Corbett, The University of British Columbia
Tim Elrick, McGill University
Daniel Fuller, University of Saskatchewan
Jason Goetz, Wilfrid Laurier University
Xulin Guo, University of Saskatchewan
Varuni Jayasooriya, University of Saskatchewan
Peter Johnson, University of Waterloo
Brian Klinkenberg, University of British Columbia
Jinhyung Lee, Western University
Agnieszka Leszczynski, Western University
Karim Malik, University of Windsor
Kevin Manaugh, McGill University
Tarmo Remmel, York University
Claus Rinner, Toronto Metropolitan University
Dipto Sarkar, Carleton University
Raja Sengupta, McGill University
Michael Sawada, University of Ottawa
David Wachsmuth, McGill University
Jue Wang, University of Toronto Mississauga
Michael Widener, University of Toronto