Frederic Blouin-Michaud: Helping People See the Bigger Picture

When Frederic Blouin-Michaud talks about GIS—Geographic Information Systems—he doesn’t just talk about maps or data. He talks about people.

“I’m passionate about people,” he says. “I like talking to people and understanding what they do in their work, in their daily life—if they’re willing to share that.”

Frederic’s path to GIS wasn’t direct. He studied music, then history, and later pursued a master’s in land planning in Quebec. It was during that final stage that something clicked.

“We spent a whole day doing GIS as part of the program,” he recalls. “I was amazed with what you could do with ArcGIS. I felt like you could do anything with that tool.”

That curiosity never left him. Even after moving to Spain for a few years, he returned to Canada with a deeper focus on GIS, eventually joining Esri Canada, where he now leads community development for GIS professionals.

For Frederic, GIS isn’t just about software or technical skills. It’s about using spatial tools to understand real-world problems—and more importantly, to help people solve them. He noticed early on that while many organizations had access to GIS, they didn’t always know how to make the most of it.

“So I would talk to them,” he says. “Understand what they were doing, and where GIS could help improve their processes. Make them shine inside their organization.”

His approach is deeply human: listen first, learn their challenges, and then connect them to solutions—or even to each other. In time, Frederic became not just a GIS expert, but a trusted connector between people and ideas.

That connection became more formal when he began setting up professional communities within sectors like public health. These weren’t just discussion groups. They had real goals, real outcomes, and real people accountable for moving things forward. “I wanted to have ongoing collaboration,” Frederic explains. “Not just one-time meetings, but relationships that actually build something.”

But building community isn’t always easy. People get busy. Some projects lose momentum. Others stall when a key champion leaves. “That can be humbling,” Frederic admits.

“You learn over time that it’s not just about having a good idea—it’s about setting expectations, understanding how an organization works, and making sure the right people are involved.”

Still, he believes in the long game. He believes GIS professionals can play a bigger role—not just as mapmakers, but as leaders in data, strategy, and collaboration. That’s the future he’s helping build, one committee and one conversation at a time.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by change or unsure of how to make your work matter, Frederic’s story is a reminder: you don’t have to do it alone. Sometimes the first step is just listening.