Born and raised in small-town Manitoba, Ian now calls the Winnipeg neighbourhood of Wolseley home, where he bikes in to work daily, even in winter. He believes urban planners should bridge disciplines, presenting compelling visions that bring people together to realize more walkable, livable communities. Ian aspires to specialize in natural asset management to bring practical, financially feasible nature-based solutions to municipalities of all sizes.

Ian has always been drawn to maps and geography, and his GIS studies at the University of Manitoba support his day-to-day work with MRA today. These tools help him strengthen MRA’s bottom-up community engagement programs through facilitation of surveys and engagement material that’s universally accessible and graphically compelling.

With a passion for urban forestry, Ian focused his Master’s research at the U of M on ‘tree equity’ and nature-based climate solutions, where he developed his capability for bridging ecology with sound urban policy planning. Now managing Winnipeg’s largest tree banding company and acting as the volunteer GIS Lead for the Wolseley Residents’ Association Tree Committee, Ian gets out of the office while playing a hands-on role in protecting our urban forest.

Outside of work, Ian takes every opportunity to travel and explore new cities and landscapes. As an avid music-lover, Ian is a self-taught guitarist and bassist. And as a nature-enthusiast, he loves his garden and does his best to keep over 70 houseplants alive. On a summer’s day, you can find Ian biking around the city, looking for the perfect tree to read under.