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.
Gemini AI suggested graphic for the “Maker Geography” theme
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 :
Maker Geography
COGS legacy
Plein Air art
Connecting the dots
Community Mapping with Purpose
Ernest Blair philosophy
Creative Rural Economy
Technology and Ground Truthing
Reflection on Climate Change
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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).
COGS Display window during 2024 Industry Expo
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.
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.
“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.
‘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.
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.
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.
In contrast, this morning Anne and Edward Wedler strolled Paper Mill Lake in Bedford’s early morning’s sun under a blue sky, with not a snowflake falling
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.’
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.
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.
On our return journey, we stopped at Endless Shores in Bridgetown. I wanted to see if they still sell Rural Delivery.
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.
Ernest Blair Experiment 