The UPEI GeoREACH Lab, alongside the ACLC program, was happy to host a conference on Applied Geospatial Research in Public Policy (AGRiPP) on October 3rd, 4th, and 5th, 2019, sponsored by Canada Research Chair Dr. Josh MacFadyen.
The conference kicked off on Thursday night at the beautiful Beaconsfield Historic House by Dr. Ed MacDonald of UPEI’s History department. His talk, entitled “Designing Change: A Semicentennial Review of the Comprehensive Development Plan on Prince Edward Island,” analyzed 50 years of the CDP on PEI and its broader implications for the region and beyond.
Dr. Jim Clifford of the University of Saskatchewan’s Department of History and hGIS lab opened up our Friday morning with a keynote about London’s 19th-century ghost acres. He explained the complex and expanding the global market of the nineteenth century, where large and rapidly industrializing cities could no longer be supported by the local environment and had to turn to overseas “ghost acres” for resources.
As the day progressed, we heard from Deputy Minister Paul Ledwell, as well as other researchers and professionals. In the afternoon, we held a breakout session to discuss topics addressed by the conference so far. Open and accessible research and incorporating research into policy were among the discussion topics brought up.
The afternoon closed off with a talk from Dr. Tina Loo of the University of British Columbia, based on her book “Moved by the State: Forced Relocation and ‘a Good Life’ in Postwar Canada.” Dr. Loo examined the case studies of Newfoundland, the central Arctic, and Eastern Quebec, looking at spatial justice through state intervention and forced relocation to bring the people to the services.
Conference guests Nick and Bailey during a breakout session 
Presentation of research by the UPEI Climate Lab
The conference continued with academic discussions on Saturday morning. Overall, it went exceptionally well, and the GeoREACH Lab would like to thank Dr. Ed MacDonald, Dr. Jim Clifford, DM Paul Ledwell, and Dr. Tina Loo for their keynote presentations, as well as all other contributors and participants in the 2019 AGRiPP Workshop.