Bruce-Grey GIS Day 2025: Students showcase local geography through technology

Grey County and Bruce County celebrated World Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day with nearly 300 Grade 7 and 8 students across the counties showcasing their work in the annual GIS Day StoryMap Contest. Using GIS technology, 298 students from eight schools tackled real-world issues in their communities and submitted 76 projects that combined research, mapping, and multimedia storytelling.

Celebrated annually on the third Wednesday in November, GIS Day highlights GIS technology, a scientific framework for gathering, analyzing, and visualizing geographic data used in everything from business and government planning to everyday navigation.

This year’s contest challenged students to create interactive presentations using StoryMaps on ArcGIS Online, a cloud-based GIS platform. Local GIS experts from Bruce County, Grey County, Bruce Power, and the Town of Saugeen Shores selected three winning teams.

First place was awarded to Isaac Hills, Grayden McLean, and Samuel Dekker from Hepworth Central Public School for Healthy Eating in Grey & Bruce Counties.

Second place went to Blake Thompson, Greyson Graul, and Zachary Van De Vyvere at St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School in Walkerton for Natural Disasters – Comparing Alberta to Ontario with Tornadoes.

Third place went to Lachlan Kranenburg, Elliott Clark, and Kirby Barfoot from Saugeen District Senior School for Healthy Foods in Grey-Bruce.

“This contest is about more than maps—it’s about empowering students to think critically and creatively about the world around them,” said Justin Kraemer, GIS Coordinator at Bruce County and Chair of the Bruce-Grey GIS Day Organizing Committee. “By using GIS technology, they’re learning skills that matter for the future: data analysis, problem-solving, and storytelling. We’re proud of every student who participated and grateful to the teachers and partners who make this event possible year after year.”

Committee members also provided classroom mentorship throughout the contest period. The Town of Saugeen Shores, Esri Canada, Bruce County, Grey County, and Bruce Power generously provided prizes.

Students explored themes of Healthy Foods and Natural Disasters, producing projects that combined research, mapping, and multimedia storytelling.

Additional finalists included:

• How the Food Gets to Your Table in the Grey Bruce Area by Titus Pries, Sawyer St-Onge, and Dan Coffell at Saugeen District Senior School.
• Natural Disasters – Ice Storms and Wildfires by Riley Kersten, William Cooper, and Tristan Gibbons at Hepworth Central Public School.

Learn more about the contest and view all contest entries here.

About Grey County:

Grey County is an upper-tier municipality in Southwestern Ontario made up of nine local municipalities serving more than 100,000 residents. Located within the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, Grey County provides services including housing, childcare, income support, paramedic services, long-term care, roads, land use planning, and economic development. Grey County is guided by values of integrity, collaboration, equity and sustainability to build communities where people feel genuinely at home and naturally inspired.

About Bruce County:

Bruce County is an upper-tier municipality in Southwestern Ontario, Canada made up of eight lower-tier municipalities and 77,221 residents. Bruce County is located within the traditional territory of the Saugeen Anishnaabek and holds a government-to-government relationship with the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and Saugeen First Nation, together as Saugeen Ojibway Nation. The explorers who visit, live, and work here are the dreamers who take roads less travelled and see tried and true as an invitation to try something new. Be an Explorer and call Bruce County home.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Rob Hatten
Communications Manager
Grey County
519-373-1592
robert.hatten [at] grey.ca (robert[dot]hatten[at]grey[dot]ca)

Nicole Griffin
Communications Manager
County of Bruce
226-668-5969
CDonaldson [at] brucecounty.on.ca (ngriffin[at]brucecounty[dot]on[dot]ca)