Ernest Blair Experiment

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

Today ( Friday), we were able to return to our CORAH classes: Men’s strength and fitness for me, and Chair Yoga for Heather (check out previous post A Geographic Proposal and Community Mapping Plans).

Checking my calendar, I realized that the last class was on December 5th. The NSCC campus in Middleton was closed over Christmas and New Year. It is unfortunate that these classes are not available over the holiday. I can feel the difference.

The upside is that I was able to pick up the program flier for February. I found three talks of interest.

1. “Love where you live: community mapping with purpose“. This is hosted by Ed Symons Geomatics instructor and his students, and includes mapping local resources and identifying local challenges.
   
2. ‘New Year, New Page : an Intro to Bullet Journaling“. This interests me because I am curious how it overlaps with blog writing. Offered by Elizabeth Garcin.
   
3. Deb MacBean offers “Wired Wisdom: Tech Talk Trivia“. This is of interest because changes in technology occur all the time. Without institutional technical support, there are endless small changes that arrive on your iPad or cellphone.

The CORAH message is that WE ALL NEED TO BELONG TO A COMMUNITY.

Access to these educational resources is critical to quality of life in rural Nova Scotia, especially within the context of “rural aging and health“.

I also noted that Howard Selig of Valley Flaxflour Ltd. (see Buy Local and Support Local) is giving a talk entitled ‘Nourish and Flourish : delicious healthy cooking, for one or a few“. Sounds good !

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Jaime and Jennifer at CORAH. They offer an efficient, empathetic learning environment for everyone. Edward added the graphics, the map and the links.

POSTSCRIPT

Check out the CORAH-NSCC Participants & Communities map collaboration showing CORAH participant numbers throughout Nova Scotia. Middleton is pinned in the image below, for example.

This morning, I received an email from Digby Print and Promo (see previous post A Drive to Digby). They had produced Volume 10 – 2025 of my blog. It provided the opportunity to make a return trip to Digby. There was snow on the wind. The drive simply reinforced how infrequently we take Highway 101, beyond Annapolis Royal.

With my blogs in a hard copy format, I can reflect on previous blogs from one year to the next. For example, January 8, 2025 ‘Home Place’.

‘Moving onto this week, the media has been full of Justin Trudeau, Donald Trump and Elon Musk. I tried to turn it off by watching ‘North to North’.

Here we are, it is January 21, 2026.

‘Ultimately, life is about landscape, and how we share it with friends and family; embedded within the local geography: climate, ecology. Unlike the newsmaker/politicians, it is not a resource to be traded for personal gain.’

The book remains on the shelf.

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Donald Trump and Mark Carney occupy the airwaves today.

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Acknowledgements

Thank you Edward, for providing technical support and collaboration for the last ten years

One of my favourite cafes, up the Valley, is the ArtCan Kitchen and Studios Cafe in Canning.

In particular, I enjoy the drive across the dykes from Wolfville. Even though we checked the open hours online, we discovered they are closed until March.

Given early January, we were able to pickup the Grapevine, January 2026, Issue 23-01. It includes a short feature on Community Halls: the heartbeat of rural life, by Jane Baskwill. She focuses on Paradise, Centrelea and Inglisville.

Afterwards, we took a stroll down Main Street to the Merritt Gibson Memorial Library. It was open. We were able to sign out books for three weeks.

My choice was Rebecca Stott’s “Darwin and the Barnacle“. Heather’s choice was Gerald May’s “The Wisdom of Wilderness“.

We shall have to return before January 31st for our next selection.

Acknowledgements

Heather shared the drive. We took a slow drive back to Middleton, via Berwick, Aylesford, Kingston, along Highway #1.

Edward added the graphics and the links. Thank you.

References

Jane Baskwill, 2026, Community Halls: the heartbeat of community life, Grapevine January 2026, p.5.
Rebecca Stott, 2003, Darwin and the Barnacle, Faber and Faber.
Gerald G. May, 2006, The Wisdom of Wilderness, Harper Collins.

One of my early January tasks is to arrange for the printing (hard copy) of my blog posts from the previous year. This is usually undertaken by Integrity Printing, Bridgetown. Unfortunately, they closed down in 2025.

Instead, I contacted Digby Print and Promo. It seems like years since we made the run to Digby.

They will produce for me, Volume 10 – 2025. This gives me ten years of hard copy. Time, again, to consider a review of the underlying themes.

2026 is the fiftieth year of this publication by Dirk van Loon. The reason for my interest is that John Wightman had loaned me Volumes 50 #5 and 50 #6. No luck ! Time to consider a subscription renewal.

I had not realized that Thoreau born in 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. He died in 1862. Aged 45 years.

Time to consider this Summer, Canoeing in the Wilderness in the Nova Scotia Woods.

Reference

Henry David Thoreau, 2020, Canoeing in the Wilderness, Arcturus Publishing, London.
Henry David Thoreau, 1988, The Maine Woods, Penguin-Random House

Acknowledgements

Heather shared the Digby drive. Edward added the graphics.

After a week away in Pictou County, we were happy to return to Annapolis County. On Saturday afternoon, we stopped at Bee’s Knees in Lawrencetown. Besides the coffee and sausage rolls, we found that there was live music.

The store has an excellent reputation for its bakery. It also offers books by local writers, and crafts by local artists (see posts Local Geography and Wild Mind/ Wild Earth).

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Today, I picked up a copy of the Annapolis Valley Register (Thursday, December 18, 2025). I wanted to read Anne Crossman’s last official column.

To my surprise, I found an article on ‘Student housing stock growing’ (p. A4). It caught my eye, with an aerial photograph of the NSCC (COGS) campus. It showed two multi-unit apartment buildings, next to the campus’.

‘Student Housing Nova Scotia purchased four buildings in Lawrencetown and three in Kingston with $6.9 m in loan from the province Community Housing Acquisition Program and $530,000 from the national Community Housing Capital Fund’ (see Gemini AI inquiry HERE and Four-Campus NSCC Housing Construction article HERE).

These investments in Lawrencetown and Kingston to support student accommodation at the NSCC campuses in Lawrencetown, Middleton and Kentville raise a number of questions.

As a retired faculty member from both the Lawrencetown campus and the Middleton campus, my interests concern both technical education and applied research .

1. A few years ago the 38-bed residence at COGS that opened in 2022 was designed to support short industry-led courses in Geomatics and Geographic Information Sciences. Is that still true? I think not.
2. Years ago, students came from other parts of Canada and also from overseas. Of the programs offered at COGS how many of of the courses require a residency requirement? How many can be delivered online?
3. Given the reputation of the COGS campus, the Middleton campus and the Kentville campus, what programs are planned? What is the market demand for well-trained technically skilled graduates? Historically, we had three departments at COGS: Surveying, Cartography and Planning, Computer Programming.
4. What exists today (2026)? What can be delivered online?
5. At the Middleton campus, we established the Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG). What has been the impact of new technology (eg. drones, Lidar, AI)?

Access to student accommodation is important in rural Nova Scotia, for students and the community. Likewise important is access to ‘state of the art’ technology. The NSCC (COGS) has a long tradition of working with global suppliers of geographic technologies.

May that tradition continue.

Interestingly, Jason Clark is NSCC Principal for all three campuses: Lawrencetown, Middleton and Kentville. May we look forward to a comprehensive and integrated approach to technical education at the NSCC in the Annapolis Valley?

Dr. Bob Maher is Geographer Emeritus at NSCC (COGS) (see posts Community Engagement, Co-operative Projects and AI chat GPT).

Thank you, Edward for your contribution. Edward was Remote Sensing instructor at COGS; before, he and Anne owned The Inside Story in Greenwood.

Over Christmas, Heather and I were in New Glasgow and Pictou.

It is the story of New Dawn Enterprises in Cape Breton.

With that in mind, we decided to visit the DeCoste Centre and Library in Pictou. At the Centre, there was a remarkable display of quilts by Deb Plestid. This led to a request at the Library desk. I was able to sign out Sheree Fitch “Sing in the Spring !“, with artwork by Deb Plestid.

Afterwards, I was able to sign out two other books, both by Roland Sherwood, “Pictou’s Past” and “Pictou Pioneers”. Because of the excellent library system in Nova Scotia, I can return the books to my local library in the Annapolis Valley.

After the DeCoste Centre, we stopped for a coffee at Mrs MacGregor’s Shortbreads on Water Street. For our grandchildren, we picked up two books illustrated by Teresa MacKenzie “Pictou Town” and “A Pictou Christmas“. Pictou Town is a souvenir edition.

“To honour the 250th Hector Anniversary, The Pictou Bee Press is proud to publish Teresa MacKenzie “Pictou Town”. Teresa MacKenzie is curator of the McCulloch House and Genealogy Centre in Pictou.“

“Rankin MacSween examines New Dawn’s decades-long search for a better, more humane, more truthful way to build local communities and regional economies through people-centred community development.‘’ MacSween provides the most thorough history ever written of Canada’s oldest community-development corporation.

The search continues today, in Cape Breton, Pictou County, as well as in the Annapolis Valley.

References

Rankin MacSween, 2023, The Search for a New Way: The Story of New Dawn Enterprises, Nimbus Publishing.
Sheree Fitch, 2022, Sing in the Spring, Nimbus Publishing.
Roland Sherwood, 1973, Pictou Pioneers, Lancelot Press.
Roland Sherwood, 1988, Pictou’s Past, Lancelot Press.
Teresa MacKenzie, 2023, Pictou Town, Pictou Bee Press, Pictou, NS.
Laurie Stanley-Blackwell, 2023, A Pictou Christmas, Pictou Bee Press, Pictou, NS. Illustrated by Teresa Mackenzie.

Acknowledgements
Thanks to Edward for the previous blog post (Has Your Map Generated 38,000+ Views?). Glad that he is closer to home.