Ernest Blair Experiment

This morning, I attended a workshop at CORAH, Middleton. It combined asset mapping, community and student learning. Topics included environmental stewardship, life-long learning, economic and business opportunities.

There were six stations. At each station, participants were encouraged by Ed Symons’ students to update the community map using their expertise and local knowledge. The feedback will result in a revised set of community maps.

I arrived with my iPad and a hard copy set of my blog posts over the last ten years (see my post Applying AI to Geography Mapping). Quickly, I recognised that my interest in combining two technologies (AI and GIS) was irrelevant to the workshop task at hand. Check out my blog theme in that post Community Mapping with Purpose:  Identifying local resources and challenges through the lens of a geographer.

Thanks to Ed, Jennifer and Jaime for hosting the event. I look forward to seeing the revised maps in the weeks ahead.

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The ultimate objective of Maker Geography is the construction of a resilient human network where technology and social infrastructure overlap. Technology alone cannot solve the vulnerability of rural life; it requires a “human network” to provide context and support. When technical expertise at COGS is paired with the physical hubs of community halls, the digital divide is bridged, and regional social capital is strengthened.

Examples of local resources that communities might map include:

Participant Networks: As seen in the CORAH-NSCC collaboration, maps may also track the distribution of community participants across a region to better understand engagement and needs.

Community Halls: These are described as the “heartbeat of rural life” and essential for fostering a sense of community,. Specific examples include the halls in Centrelea, Granville Ferry, Lower Granville, Paradise, and Inglisville,.

Gathering Places and Cafes: Local social hubs such as the Bees Knees in Lawrencetown, Aroma Mocha Café in Bridgetown, The Green Elephant in Kingston, and the ArtCan Kitchen and Studios Cafe in Canning,.

Educational and Technical Institutions: The Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS) and NSCC campuses, which provide geomatics technology and human resources to the region,.

Public Libraries: Specifically mentioned is the Merritt Gibson Memorial Library in Canning.

Recreational Areas and Trails: Local parks and trails like Middleton Riverside Park, the rails-to-trails loop, and Kejimkujik National Park (specifically the Peter Point trail),.

Local Businesses and Specialized Services: Small businesses that support the community, such as Stoney Beach Computers, Bridgetown Watch and Clock Repair, and Valley Flaxflour Ltd.,,.

Postscript

Edward is away in Ontario, checking out AI adventures in the Niagara area.Thank you, Edward, for adding the Maker Geography graphics.

Edward has been helping me understand the potential of AI in the conversion of my blogs into geographic topics and locations.

Below, he has used AI tools to identify common themes from over our ten years of blog posts. Based on a quick “digital flyover” of the ErnestBlairExperiment, ten preliminary themes were found. The AI explainer video, below, takes up, for example, the “Maker Geography” theme.

1. Maker Geography: 
   The shift from passive observation to active “making” (art, maps, and community projects).
2. The COGS Legacy: 
   Reflections on the Centre of Geographic Sciences and the evolution of Geomatics education.
3. Plein Air & Extended Memory: 
   Your journey with art as a way of imprinting landscape onto the soul.
4. Connecting the Dots: 
   How disparate ideas—like a walk in Kejimkujik and a technological shift in GIS—are linked.
5. Community Mapping with Purpose: 
   Identifying local resources and challenges through the lens of a geographer.
6. The “Ernest Blair” Philosophy: 
   Exploring the interplay between George Orwell (Eric Blair) and the local literary spirit of Ernest Buckler.
7. The Rural Creative Economy: 
   How hidden gems in Nova Scotia (and beyond) sustain culture and economy.
8. Technology vs. Ground Truthing: 
   The balance between high-tech (AI, Lidar, Drones) and the “boots on the ground” reality.
9. Environmental Stewardship: 
   Reflections on climate change, the Acadian forest, and “walking the talk.”
10. A Shared Journey: 
    The story of a 50-year collaboration between two geographers/artists.

The next step would be to map the post locations and perhaps add interactivity. We hope that this can be achieved in collaboration with the students in David MacLean’s GIS program at COGS.

When we interrogate the COGS LEGACY over all these posts, several defining characteristics emerge.

• Technological Evolution:
  • The curriculum at the Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS) has continuously adapted, now heavily integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), GIS, and Geospatial Data Analytics to enhance the analysis of complex geographic information.
• Industry Leadership:
  • A core component of the legacy is its Industry Expo, an annual event that connects students with major organizations like Esri Canada to address the shifting needs of the geomatics sector.
• Community Integration:
  • The legacy is not confined to the lab; it extends into the “human network” of the Annapolis Valley. This is exemplified by initiatives like “community mapping with purpose,” where instructors and students help rural residents map local resources and identify community challenges.
• Academic Stewardship:
  • The author’s personal connection to this history is cemented by his role as Geographer Emeritus at COGS, where he continues to document the institution’s impact on the “creative rural economy”.

By putting the AI results in the ErnestBlairExperiment blog, we hope to demonstrate the potential of combining these technologies. As usual, both Edward and I would appreciate any comments and feedback.

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Time flies. Next week, Ed Symons hosts ‘ Love where you live’ . A seminar on Community Mapping with his students at CORAH.

This week, there was a rally at the Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal on ‘Nova Scotia’s Arts, Heritage and Culture’ under threat. I was running late, but did enjoy the videos produced by MapAnnapolis.

The question for our MLA, David Bowlby, centres on the ‘creative rural economy’. In the Annapolis Valley, we are fortunate to attract artists, writers, musicians. This stems from our long history and culture. This, in turn, attracts tourists to the region.

The other unique institutional feature is the Center of Geographic Sciences in Lawrencetown. This provides access to the latest technology in both AI and the Geographic Information Sciences. This should be recognized and promoted at the international level.

Last week, I stopped in at COGS in Lawrencetown. I found two items of interest.

1. Frequently asked Questions on the Joint NSCC/Acadia University M.Sc in Applied Geomatics. Contact: Stephen Edwards
2. Esri Inc. Spring visit, February 24 and 25. Because of weather, scheduled to be delivered on Teams.

I remember well, establishing the joint M.Sc between NSCC (myself) and Acadia University (Ian Spooner). I also remember, each year Esri Redlands would send their recruiting staff to interview students in the graduating class.

As usual, I visited the COGS Library to check out new publications.

This time, I signed out Peter Stark’s The Last Empty Places. A Journey through the blank spots on the American Map. Part1 is ‘Where the Acadians disappeared in North Maine’.

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After COGS, we stopped at Bees Knees. There, I bumped into Larry Powell, retired reporter and writer for the Annapolis Valley Register. I asked him ‘what are you doing in retirement ?’. He mentioned that he had been writing blogs for MapAnnapolis. Thus I contacted Heather Leblanc. She forwarded the web site and the link to Larry’s blog ‘Mapping Matters’.

Notable articles by Powell on the site include:
Standing stones gather moss… (about Garrison Graveyard)
Uncovering the Past (about gravestone conservation)
And then what happened? (about Black Loyalist descendants)

From the perspective of the ernestblairexperiment, this connection highlighted the need to go through my ten volumes of blogs, and identify the location of the resources in our regional geography. This could prove to be an excellent student project.

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Final point, it is wonderful to see Bees Knees acting as a community hub for citizens in the Lawrencetown area. It also provides a close link to the people and resources at COGS.

References

Peter Stark, 2010, The Last Empty Places: A Journey through the blank spots on the American Map, Part1, Mountaineers Books.

Link to MapAnnapolis and Larry Powell’s Mapping Matters and MapAnnapolis Blog.

“Most of his writing is on Facebook which is posted about three times per week. Not sure if this will open if you are not on Facebook. To date we have 6,785 followers and an average of over 225,000 views per month.” : Project Designer, Heather Leblanc.

Postscript

In walking the COGS corridor, I noted a new map by David MacLean. It is a map of the world, with pins indicating the location of known COGS graduates. Good work!

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Edward for persisting with the graphics and links. Sometimes, a bit of a thankless task.

On Wednesday, February 18th, Heather and I attended a community workshop titled ‘Avoiding Scams and Phishing’ at Granville Ferry hall at 2 pm.

It was hosted by Stoney Beach Computers from Annapolis Royal. Three employees attended the Social Engineering workshop. There were ten attendees, likely, mostly ‘seniors’.

Heather and I made the drive from Middleton. We arrived early, around 1:30 pm. Based on our experience at other events at the Lower Granville hall, this seemed reasonable. As we waited in the parking lot, by about 1:50 pm, we wondered whether the event was a scam. Fortunately not, Stoney Beach Computers arrived to set up the projector by 2 pm..

Living in rural Nova Scotia, having worked and lived with computers for decades. Today, without access to technical support staff , there is a sense of vulnerability. We did pick up a couple of useful handouts.

Next month, Stoney Beach Computers is offering a workshop on ‘Understanding your Smart Phone and Tablet’ same location : Granville Ferry Hall on Wednesday, March 18 at 1:30 pm.

This happens through community halls through the Annapolis Valley: Centrelea, Granville Ferry, Lower Granville.

The technology is one component. The other component is the human network. At the Scam workshop it would seem useful for the organizers to request names, email addresses of attendees. This would have helped build that network. The same would be true of the presenters from Stoney Beach Computers.

This week, through Edward, I have been investigating the services of Gemini AI.

Here is the challenge. I have been writing the blog ernestblairexperiment for over ten years. Thus, I have over ten years recording our activities in the landscape. In fact, we have lived on and off in the Annapolis Valley since 1980. Now, I want to summarize my thoughts into book form, rather than online blog format. A blog is a chronological stream, but a book is a thematic journey.

The strategy is to classify each blog into a series of ten (or more) themes.To date, Edward has been my interface with Gemini AI.

The idea of using AI was suggested by my son, Andrew. As I make this journey, there will be occasional reports.

AI suggested the following themes :

1. Maker Geography
2. COGS legacy
3. Plein Air art
4. Connecting the dots
5. Community Mapping with Purpose
6. Ernest Blair philosophy
7. Creative Rural Economy
8. Technology and Ground Truthing
9. Reflection on Climate Change
10. A Shared Journey

I can go through all the blogs and see how they fit the ten themes. Not a small task. And I will likely find additional themes.

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Meanwhile yesterday, Heather and I were entertained by our wildlife friends: the squirrels in the oak trees; the blue jays at the neighbour’s feeder ; the deer foraging in the lower field along the Annapolis River.

This morning, we went to Bridgetown Watch and Clock Repair. My watch had stopped on my birthday (ominous). David Beckner replaced the battery. Ready for the next round.

On Saturday, we decided to head down to Nova Scotia’s South Shore.

Our first stop was Kejimkujik National Park. We thought it was time to check out the Peter Point trail (see post Giving Thanks). We were surprised to find the Visitor Centre closed, and the roads somewhat ice-covered.

Instead, we made our way cross-country to Bridgewater. The roads were dry and clear. The sky was blue. The fields were white with the fresh snow.

We decided, since it was my birthday, that it was in order to stop at the bookstore, Lunenburg Bound (see To The South Shore).

As usual, I was overwhelmed by the selection. First, I found ‘She is Hope for Wildlife’, written by Wanda Baxter. Wanda is a name from years ago. The book would be suitable for my granddaughter, Isla Rose.

Second, was Robert MacFarlane, ‘Gifts for Reading’. I recognized the cover but I had not read the short story.

“In this luminous essay, Robert MacFarlane reflects on the unique emotional resonance of books given and received – and how such gifts have shaped his own life’.

Third, I noticed a second hand copy of New York Review Books (NYBR) classic: Friedrich Nietzsche ‘Anti-education’. I could not resist.

Finally, the debut book from the YouTube sensation and all-round cartographic nerds, The Map Men: Mark Cooper-Jones and Jay Foreman , ‘This way up: When maps go wrong (And why it matters)‘.

The first two books are a quick read. It is perhaps time to meet ‘The Map Men’. Likely, suitable for the COGS library.

We completed the drive,’directisimo’ from Bridgewater to Middleton on Highway #10.

References

Wanda Baxter, 2024, She is Hope for Wildlife, Nimbus Publishing.

Robert MacFarlane, 2016, The Gifts of Reading, Penguin Random House Canada

Friedrich Nietzsche, Translation 2026, Anti-Education. New York Review Books.

Mark Cooper-Jones and Jay Foreman, 2025, This Way Up: When Maps go Wrong and why it matters), Hanover Square Press (Harper Collins).

Acknowledgements

Heather shared the journey.
Edward added the graphics and links.

Edward Wedler and myself share the same birth date. February 14th. We were both recruited to NSLSI by John Wightman. Edward was hired to teach Remote Sensing, I was hired to teach Scientific Computer Programming (SCP). This occurred in the early 1980’s.

Today, we can look back on almost fifty years of collaboration. Through my blog posts at ernestblairexperiment, we can use the date February 14th to see what has changed over time.

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Today, Heather and I celebrated my birthday with lunch at the Green Elephant Café in Kingston.

It has been a difficult week. We have listened to the news of the Tumbler Ridge shooting in Northeast British Columbia. We have watched the Winter Olympics from Milan, Italy.

On Thursday, February 12, we had planned to attend “Love where you live: community mapping with purpose”, hosted by Ed Symons at CORAH, NSCC, Middleton. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. Instead, we shall have to wait until next month, March 12th.

Postscript

In the GrapeVine, February 2026, Jane Baskwill ‘New Gathering Places: Cafes and everyday corners’. p.9

The three cafes are : Bees Knees in Lawrencetown, Aroma Mocha Café in Bridgetown and The Green Elephant in Kingston.

Acknowledgements

Thank you Edward for your artistic talents. It really makes the words ‘come alive’.

After the last Winter storm, it was time to put on the snowshoes.

This gave us the opportunity to look back at our house from the banks of the Annapolis River.

If the snow stays around, we can obtain some excellent exercise from our own backyard.

Inside the porch, orchids and basil continue to grow throughout the Winter months.

At the COGS Industry Expo, there were presentations on both AI and GIS. These two technologies form a significant part of the curriculum in Lawrencetown. In my mind, it raised the question whether the human resource and technology was being shared with municipal government and businesses in the Annapolis Valley. I had noted that Adam Kemp, Valley REN presented at the Expo.

Meanwhile, Edward Wedler has been having a chat session with Gemini AI on the value of having a Nova Scotia conference on Geospatial AI for RENs and Counties in Nova Scotia.

Edward also shared a link to an Esri video on Geospatial AI.

The next steps.

Are the COGS faculty and students interested in hosting a conference on Geospatial AI for the RENs and Counties in Nova Scotia? Are the RENs and Counties interested in attracting businesses to the region, and accessing the human and technology resource at COGS?

The answer to these questions lie with the NSCC (COGS) and the Valley REN. My role, here, is as an engaged, somewhat informed (on GIS) citizen.

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This week I picked up tickets to the Banff Mountain Film Festival at Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal. Because of the weather, it has now been rescheduled to Sunday, March 1st ,2 pm. C’est la vie!

Yesterday, Heather and I extended our walk around Middleton Riverside Park to include the rails to trails loop back to Highway #1. Fortunately, the occasional snowmobile has compressed the snow on the trail.

Acknowledgements

The knowledge of AI from Edward Wedler is critical.

Reference

Esri video on Geospatial Information Systems, including commentary from visionary leaders, such as economist, Columbia University professor, and former Director of The Earth Institute, Jeffrey D Sachs.

POSTSCRIPT SUMMARY FROM AN ONLINE INQUIRY INTO COGS AND AI

The Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS) at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) in Lawrencetown is increasingly integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its specialized geomatics and geospatial training programs. As Canada’s largest geomatics-focused institution, COGS is adapting its curriculum to include machine learning, remote sensing, and advanced data analytics. 

Here is an overview of AI at COGS and within the broader Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) system:

AI in Geomatics at COGS

Industry Connection: COGS hosts industry expos and partners with organizations that are increasingly leveraging AI in GIS, such as Esri Canada. 

Integrating AI with Geospatial Data: Instructors at COGS are exploring the potential of AI, particularly concerning geomatics and geographic sciences, to enhance analysis of geospatial data.

Programs: The Geospatial Data Analytics program focuses heavily on modern data, and students may work with AI-related technologies.

Projects: Students and faculty are looking into “geospatial moonshots” where AI is used for analyzing and interpreting complex geographic information.

NOTE
Artificial Intelligence is making GIS more powerful, transforming operations, decision making, efficiency, and growth. Check out this short Geospatial AI introductory video from Esri.

Today (Monday) was the first day of the Industry Expo. This is normally a two day event. First day, includes presentations from industry employers, and Day 2 is for the industry representatives to interview current students.

It is an excellent opportunity to obtain an update on the Geomatics industry needs in the region, as well as to hear about changes in technology and teaching at COGS (see Industry Expo posts 2025, 2024).

Today, the weather intervened. Rather than presentations in the AV room, presentations were online, using the Microsoft Teams environment.

I was able to stay home in Middleton and hear the presentations from Caltech, UNB, Mitacs. In the afternoon, I enjoyed the keynote ‘Charting Career pathways in GeoSpatial Artificial Intelligence’ by Steven Edwards, COGS faculty, and two guests from Esri Canada.

The biggest challenge for me was my lack of familiarity with the Microsoft Teams software. This served to illustrate the changes in the learning environment. It also illustrated that keeping on top of new educational tools, on the fly, is not the best idea for a retired Geographer. Perhaps the presentations can be provided in a simpler, more accessible format, after the event.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Monica Lloyd and David MacLean. Without their support, I would have felt quite lost on a Winter storm day. Good luck tomorrow to the current students in their interviews. Edward, thanks for the video link etc. It’s very powerful.

POSTSCRIPT
An introductory video on a career in Geospatial AI