Ryan Garnett: The Freedom to Be Weird and Curious

When Ryan Garnett was seven years old, he had a simple mission: prove his dad wrong. His father worked night shifts for the City of Toronto, and every day Ryan would be out fishing in the creek near their home. “I’d come back and tell him I caught 50 fish,” he laughed. “He’d say, ‘No, you caught the same fish 50 times.’” Determined to show the truth, Ryan drew a map of the river and plotted every catch. Geography, he realized, could settle debates—and spark curiosity.

That early love of maps would guide Ryan through a career that never followed a straight path. From dreams of being a park ranger to building 3D flight simulators and now leading GIS innovation at the Halifax International Airport, Ryan's journey is anything but ordinary.

“I think my passion comes from curiosity,” he said. “And honestly, from wanting to prove people wrong. I didn’t follow the typical path—and I’m proud of that.”

As a young student, Ryan was told he’d never make it into Parks Canada. He failed biology, was told to give up, and pivoted toward geography and history. But he didn’t stop dreaming. He chased knowledge across universities, programs, and borders. “I wanted someone to pay for my travel,” he said with a grin. That mindset led him to places like India, Jasper, and eventually Toronto, where he saw municipal government not as a dead end—but as an untapped research lab.

“I saw the City of Toronto as academia,” Ryan said. “I had a guaranteed funding model and access to real-world data. It was the perfect place to innovate.”

At Toronto, Ryan led transformative projects using geographic data and remote sensing. His team found smarter ways to track infrastructure, model flood risks, and plan future cities. But what made his work special wasn’t the tech—it was his belief in sharing.

“Coming from Nova Scotia, you always feel like Toronto gets everything,” he said. “So I felt it was our civic duty to open up that data for everyone else.”

That sense of civic responsibility led to groundbreaking open data policies, where maps, applications, and reports were released for public use. His work helped spark companies like Ratio.City—now a major player in Canadian tech.

“Why should data sit in a vault?” he asked. “Let’s put it out there. Let people build something with it.”

Still, none of it was easy. Navigating procurement, pushing for open-source tools, or challenging old mindsets required grit. “I ask for forgiveness, not permission,” Ryan admitted. “And I don’t take credit. Giving credit away means I get to do more.”

Today, at Halifax Airport, he’s still doing more—with a twist.

Every Friday afternoon, his team blocks off time just to think. “No meetings, no deliverables—just space to be curious,” he said. That time led to an open-source tool that’s now saving thousands in cloud fees.

“Some of our best ideas come when we’re just... thinking.”

When asked what advice he has for early-career professionals, Ryan doesn’t hesitate: “Be weird. Prioritize time to think. And don’t put pressure on yourself to always produce. The best ideas come when you least expect them.”

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t fit the mold, like your path is winding or unclear—Ryan’s story is proof that curiosity, generosity, and a willingness to “be weird” can lead to extraordinary impact.