Sparkgeo News Feeds

Map of PG Municipal Election Voting Stations

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Map of PG Municipal Election Voting Stations

Posted by will on November 08, 2011| Comments|

Here is a quick map of PG’s voting stations for the forthcoming election! I don’t care who you vote for, just VOTE!

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All Wells in BC

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

All Wells in BC

Posted by will on September 09, 2011| Comments|

By popular demand (in response to this post), here is a little map of all wells in BC. The vast majority of these wells are gas wells. You can click on any of them and have a look at what it does. I apologise for the slightly cryptic nature of the codes, that's just how data is, but you can go here to get a word document to translate somewhat. I imagine I don't need to point out the geographic bias, it's all about the geology folks!
The data is kindly provided by the BC Oil and Gas Commission. You can check out the real, actual data used in the map here. I'm using google fusion tables again, yay again!
Because there are really too many red dots on the above map, a "heatmap"...

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Fracking in BC

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Fracking in BC

Posted by will on September 08, 2011| Comments|

Updated! These are the actual, active Fracking wells in BC
Fracking, or fracturing is a method of Natural Gas extraction which involves squirting a high pressure fluid at particular shale formations in the bedrock. Natural gas extraction and export is a key piece of BC’s economy. This is a pretty contentious issue however with concerns about seismic effects, ground water quality and excessive water usage. There are over 8000 active fracking wells in BC presently.

The data is kindly provided by the BC Oil and Gas Commission.

and the heatmap:

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Sparkgeo in the news

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Sparkgeo in the news

Posted by will on March 28, 2011| Comments|

The infamous pothole map! Well, although there are not a bunch of tweeters in PG, it seems that potholes are always big news here! Will, our lead developer was interviewed by CBC (radio) and CKPG (TV) in response to the pothole map! as a reminder here is how to add a pothole: "1st and queensway, prince george, BC :: #pgpothole" Now, all we need is tweeters Come on PG, lets get mapping! w

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PG Pothole

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

PG Pothole

Posted by will on March 22, 2011| Comments|

Spring is a wonderful season in PG. The snow is melting, the sun is out, things are warming up. However, for the roads its pretty tough. We have huge swings in temperature which encourage many, many potholes. i tried reporting a pothole to the city today (22nd march 2011) and got a disappointing:

EDIT: I noticed today (25th march 2011) that the reporter now works again…

With that in mind I decided to build www.pgpothole.com. Which simply searches for tweets on the subject.

it will take a geotweet and locate the tweet on a map at the location that the tweet was made at, or it will take a tweet and parse the first piece of it (before a “::”) and geocode that. like this:

“1st and queensway, prince george, BC :: #pgpothole”

Now, all we need is tweeters

Come on PG, lets get mapping!

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Google maps certified!

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Google maps certified!

Posted by will on January 14, 2011| Comments|

After working with two versions of the Google Maps API for the last 5 years. Will has qualified as a certified Google maps developer. You can check out his profile in the Google developer directory.

There are just 6 certified developers in Canada including Will and only 138 even registered on the program worldwide!

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Styling Google Maps V3

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Styling Google Maps V3

Posted by will on January 05, 2011| Comments|

Check out sparkgeo labs! We are building a series of tutorials on styling Google Maps V3 apps!

First off we are talking about focusing the eye - helping the user see your story.

Then we have Labelling markers.

I hope you will join us and help the world of web mapping look just a little bit prettier…

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geolocation & html 5

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

geolocation & html 5

Posted by will on November 26, 2010| Comments|

After having been inspired by the brand, spanking new canvas tag yesterday, today I have been building a geolocation service using both HTML5 and Google Maps API v3:

where are you?

This showcases some very new technology so you will need an up-to-date browser. Other than that, have fun.

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HTML 5!

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

HTML 5!

Posted by will on November 25, 2010| Comments|

My first foray into coding with html 5!

What an immense amount of potential. I will be doing my best to build this technology into my maps from now on!

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Here be Dragons III - Can't manage what you don't measure

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Here be Dragons III – Can’t manage what you don’t measure

Posted by will on October 11, 2010|
Comments|

“HC SVNT DRACONES”, not something we hear much now. This was a term used in cartography to describe places where people had not returned from. The unexplored. The blank places on our maps (wikipedia). I was lucky enough to attend a gathering in a remote spot in Northern BC this summer. On reflection, I now know that there are places where dragons still roam.

This is part 3 of the series “Here Be Dragons” about environmental monitoring in BC.
Part 1, Part 2

Its a MBA-style truism, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” We are beginning to lose our perspective. How do we properly determine whether an industrial effort should happen or not. Even the most dispassionate, objective amongst us cannot make good decisions without data. If we are, as a society to allow a piece of our delicate ecology to be affected by a mine or wind farm or carbon sequestration project we should understand the effects. This will allow us to say with a strong, binding voice that “we need this and it should be here!” Wherever here, happens to be.

But, without that prior knowledge our voices are weakened, because frankly we don’t know. Now we say “well, this is probably a good thing and I guess it could go around here someplace.” This, quite rightly leaves the door open for dissent. More so if the parties who disagree have better data.

Negotiation is an interesting experiment; a game which involves testing the knowledge of the other party and making judgments and determinations based on the difference in knowledge between the two or more parties involved. The more data a party has, the better their advantage. The type of data is important, the way its collected, and who is delivering the data are also critical. But in the end it is about DATA. On the assumption that no one out and out lies, then those with better or more data have more leverage.

If the dragons are beginning to roam our province again, then who has the data?

Those groups who see the value and are willing to invest in understanding their land better will have that data and will have the leverage. Environmental monitoring as a regular activity has huge value, not just from cartographic perspectives, but from the simple understanding of our land and how it works & moves. Provincially speaking, environmental monitoring is expensive. Additionally monitoring means going to places few go, it’s not without stresses and strains and can have significant discomforts, even dangers. In real terms monitoring works better for people local to specific area who have an interest in its care, its stewardship. Local people are also cheaper logistically. Interesting…

People do a good job of what they see value in. Resource roads are a case in point. Most industrial operators quickly pick up a snapshot of resource road data, then augment it with their own knowledge; updating the roads and grooming the data. Ideally, this data is fed back into the present system. However, frankly at this point (11/10/2010), its not. Its not, because there is no value and there is no quick update mechanism. Any updates are lost in the layers of data management, custodianship and bureaucracy. Its a systemic problem, no individual wants to do anything but their best, but we are thwarted by a system too complex, overly controlling and painfully inadequate. FYI, the Resource Road Act was been abandoned as of April 2008 (resource road act)

Its a typical typical human response: don’t do it. Well, that is easier, but that is also why our blanks emerge and the dragons rise.

So, the blanks emerge from the spaces in communication. The spaces between industry, government and first nations: the BC wild land triumvirate.