Key points
- Alex Miller, president and founder of Esri Canada, has received the Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s Massey Medal, Canada’s highest honour in geography.
- Since founding Esri Canada in 1984, he has advanced GIS technology and created the Community Map of Canada, a free, collaborative basemap built with governments, Indigenous organizations and community partners.
- Mr. Miller has championed geographic literacy, Indigenous mapping capacity, environmental stewardship and philanthropy, including scholarships supporting students at more than 40 Canadian universities and colleges.
TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alex Miller, president and founder of Esri Canada, has received the Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s (RCGS) Massey Medal, Canada’s highest honour in geography, for his contributions to the exploration, development and description of Canada’s geography. For more than four decades, Mr. Miller has advanced the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology, helping people and organizations share information, collaborate and make informed decisions across Canada.
“Alex Miller has demonstrated how geography can deepen our understanding of Canada and help address the challenges facing our communities,” said the Honourable Lois Mitchell, president, Royal Canadian Geographical Society. “His contributions to geospatial innovation, education and community partnerships exemplify the outstanding career achievement the Massey Medal celebrates. His legacy is a Canada better understood, and Canadians better equipped to care for it.”
Advancing geographic information systems
Since founding Esri Canada in 1984, Mr. Miller has helped transform traditional mapping into digital geography. His early work included designing workflows used to produce Toronto’s first digital map in 1981 and authoring Ontario’s first digital mapping specifications. Today, Esri Canada provides GIS solutions to more than 14,000 organizations, helping governments, businesses, educators, non-profit organizations and Indigenous communities apply geographic information to urban planning, environmental conservation, emergency management and land stewardship.
Connecting communities through shared data
Mr. Miller’s leadership includes creating the Community Map of Canada, a free, authoritative, collaborative digital basemap built from contributions across all levels of government, Indigenous organizations and community partners. By bringing local knowledge into a shared geographic framework, the program helps communities connect their information across organizational boundaries and work from a common picture of Canada. It provides consistent, high-quality data for planning, infrastructure and public safety, delivering operational efficiencies and cost savings nationwide.
“Geography connects us to our communities, to the land and to one another,” said Alex Miller, president and founder, Esri Canada. “I’m deeply honoured to receive the Massey Medal. What makes this recognition meaningful is the work we’ve done together with our employees, customers, educators and community partners to make geographic knowledge, mapping and analytics more accessible. When Canadians can see how their challenges and opportunities connect, they can work together to create a more sustainable future.”
Championing geographic literacy and education
Mr. Miller has made geographic literacy a cornerstone of education in Canada. Through the Esri Canada Education programs and support for Canadian Geographic Education, he has helped thousands of students and educators bring spatial analysis into the classroom. He established the Esri Canada GIS Scholarships program, which supports students at more than 40 universities and colleges across Canada.
Promoting natural heritage and Indigenous sovereignty
Mr. Miller led Esri Canada’s support for the Trans Canada Trail, Canada’s national trail network. His team created interactive mapping tools and digital experiences that help Canadians explore the trail and connect with Canada’s natural heritage. His support for organizations including Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada extends the use of geography to environmental stewardship. He also chairs the Planet in Focus Foundation, which showcases outstanding films on environmental themes.
Under Mr. Miller’s leadership, Esri Canada has partnered with Indigenous organizations to advance mapping initiatives that respect cultural heritage and traditional knowledge. By providing access to GIS tools and training, he is helping Indigenous communities build their own mapping capacity and document their lands and knowledge.
Philanthropy and public service
Mr. Miller has ingrained social responsibility as a core value at Esri Canada, raising millions for the United Way by matching employee contributions at a rate of 200% and supporting organizations such as the Missing Children Society of Canada.
A Fellow of the RCGS since 2013, Mr. Miller has also contributed to national geospatial policy through leadership with the Geomatics Industry Association of Canada, a Natural Resources Canada advisory committee and the federal Open Government Advisory Panel. He has been inducted into the University of New Brunswick Engineering Alumni Wall of Fame and the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) GIS Hall of Fame. He has also received the University of Toronto Association of Geography Alumni (UTAGA) Honorary President’s Award for his contributions to GIS education.
Watch Mr. Miller’s presentation on how mapping has shaped Canada.
Register for Esri Canada’s free virtual GIS Day in Canada event on November 17.
About Esri Canada
Founded in 1984, Esri Canada provides geographic information system (GIS) solutions that empower people in business, government, and education to make informed and timely decisions by leveraging the power of mapping and spatial analytics. These solutions enable organizations to better manage their resources, plan their future and collaborate within and beyond their organization. Esri Canada’s products and services help advance successful digital transformation. The company serves more than 14,000 organizations from 14 offices across Canada and is based in Toronto. Esri Canada has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 14 consecutive years. More information can be found at esri.ca. Follow Esri Canada on X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Esri Canada
press@esri.ca
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/598e7b94-751a-484f-881e-54c6663b5f10
