About Us
Canada is a young country - the ink has yet to dry on our maps. In fact, our maps are still being drawn. Jurisdiction and control are still being negotiated, and the language for these negotiations is rooted in maps.
Within this context, there is a mapping renaissance spreading across the country, but the maps being made are not the one's typically found in our glove compartments. These maps relate to community identity, cultural assets, and the values and visions of place.
If done well, these maps can become strategic tools at the planning table, in consultations, in negotiations, and sometimes, in court. Here is where PlanLab takes the lead: we make sure, at all stages, the maps are done well. Whether it be a bioregional atlas, community asset mapping, or maps for negotiations, we bring equal measures of rigor and creativity to each application of mapping, in both process and product. Beautiful maps, powerful stories. This is our art.
PlanLab is a dynamic network of practitioners who bring innovation and integrity to each project. We draw on our network to build teams with the combined skills to tackle complex issues. Our team of associates and advisors include leading practitioners from across Canada, representing a broad range of sectors and expertise.
Our Associates
- Mr. David Carruthers, MSc. MCIP, RPP,
president, PlanLab Ltd. - Mr. Terry Tobias, Principal
Tobias and Associates - Mr. Stephen Kilburn,
GeoPraxis Inc. - Mr. Adam Putter and Ms. Janis Mussat,
BadMath Inc. - Ms. Orit Sarfati,
Municipal Cultural Planner
Our Advisors
- Mr. Jim Munroe, President,
Maiyoo Keyoh Society - Ms. Nina-Marie Lister,
Associate Professor, Ryerson University - Mr. James Stauch,
Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation - Mr. Motek Sherman, J.D.
Westmoor Holdings - Mr. Mario St-Georges, biologist
GREBE Consulting
“ Decision making is risk management. To minimize risk, you need to determine how much information is required to make an adequate or right decision. For GIS, this means knowing how much data and analysis is required to support the decision makers - too much can consume resources; too little is negligent.“
from Making it Work: GIS in community-based organizations, PlanLab
Completed Projects
2010 Ecotrust Australia, new programs - scoping and evaluation
2010 Scugog Island First Nation GIS needs assessment and consultation capacity development
2010 CIER good practices guidebook to Aboriginal GIS
2010 Pic River First Nation sensitive areas mapping workshop
2010 Pic River First Nation Mouth of the Pic visioning workshop
2009 Algonquin Nation Secretariat shoreline inventory tool development and training
2009 Timiskaming First Nation consultation capacity workshop
2009 Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade community mapping prospectus
2009 Algonquin Nation Secretariat bioregional mapping training and construction of Fish Atlas
2009 Algonquin Nation Secretariat web-based consultation tracking system
2009 Simcoe County Farm Fresh website redesign and custom Google Map application
2008 Pic River First Nation Alienation Study
2008 Makivik Corporation Land Use Plan Review
2008 Pinehouse Village Use and Occupancy Mapping
2008 Nunavut Planning Commission / GeoPraxis Use and Occupancy Mapping
2008 Alliance for a Better Georgina Asset Mapping Website
2008 Wolf Lake First Nation mapping support for protected areas negotiations
2008 Maiyoo Keyoh needs assessment for cultural asset management system