Canadian Geodata

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Introduction

For the FOSS4G2007 conference in Victoria, BC, Canada (September 24-27, 2007) the OSGeo Public Geospatial Data Committee would like to pull together a catalog of local data from the area around Victoria so that there would be a readily available pool of services and local datasets for attendees and presenters to use during the conference. The hope is that this will bring attention to the efforts being made by the Public Geospatial Data Committee committee. Benefits to the conference would be fast access to services (if we were to host them somewhere locally during the conference), an increased local feel, and a resource so that we could see different applications all working with the same data.

Data Custodians

Government

Federal

The Canadian Federal Government, often in partnership with Provincial governments, makes various types of data available for free, from various sources.

Provincial

The British Columbia Provincial Government makes some of it's data publicly available for free.

Local

Local governments, such as the City of Victoria, or the Capital Region District may have some data available for free.

Commercial

Various companies and organizations, whether they are Canadian or not, may have data that they would be willing to provide for free.

DataSets

Requested Datasets

If there is a particular Canadian dataset that you would like to see be available at FOSS4G2007, add your request to this section. Please include the following information:

• Dataset information:
  • dataset name
  • link to dataset information (e.g. metadata)
  • link to dataset location (if publicly available)
• Your information:
  • your name (and optionally organization), and a way to contact you
  • your role in the FOSS4G2007 conference (e.g. attendee, workshop/lab instructor, sponsor, etc.)
  • why you are requesting the dataset

Dataset Sources

While the authoritative source for a dataset is the dataset's custodian, for FOSS4G2007 the goal is to have copies of datasets, or partial datasets, on local servers at the conference. To accomplish that, local people will have to do the work of obtaining copies of the datasets and loading them onto the local servers.

If you can help with this, by providing the conference organizers with a copy of all or part of one or more of the Requested Datasets, add your information to this section.

• Dave Patton, Victoria, BC
  • I have this data locally (i.e. it has already been downloaded), and I could provide it via a USB drive
  • The data is available "as is", in the format provided for the downloads. For example, this often means the data is in ZIP files, with one ZIP file per NTS tile.

1. Toporama, version 1
   • raster dataset, consisting of computer-generated topographic map images (i.e. lacking some cartographic features)
   • http://toporama.cits.rncan.gc.ca/
   • Note that this is the "original Toporama" dataset, not the newer Atlas of Canada Toporama (Toporama version 2).
   • the images are collarless GIF images, designed to be able to be easily mosaicked
   • the GIF images can be provided with corresponding world files
   • any of the 1:250,000 or 1:50,000 scale images for any part of Canada can be provided
   • dataset covering all of British Columbia at 1:250,000 (106 images) plus British Columbia south of 56°N and some of northern British Columbia, at 1:50,000 (1,120 images) takes 510MB
   • Natural Resources Canada Licence Agreement
2. Canadian Digital Elevation Data, Level 1 (CDED1)
   • Digital Elevation Model data
   • http://www.geobase.ca/geobase/en/data/cded/index.html
   • any of the files for the 1:50,000 (0.75 arc second) or 1:250,000 (3 arc second) scale cells for any part of British Columbia can be provided
   • dataset covering all of British Columbia (NTS blocks 082, 083, 084, 085, 092, 093, 094, 095, 102, 103, 104, 105, 114, 115) at 1:250,000 and 1:50,000 (2,864 files) takes 6.99GB
   • Geobase Unrestricted Use Licence Agreement
3. CanMatrix
   • raster dataset, consisting of scans of paper topographic maps, at both 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 scales
   • http://geogratis.cgdi.gc.ca/geogratis/en/collection/detail.do?id=10119
   • the images are GeoTIFF, and include the map collars
   • any of the files for the 1:50,000 or 1:250,000 scale maps for British Columbia can be provided
   • dataset covering all of British Columbia (NTS blocks 082, 083, 084, 085, 092, 093, 094, 095, 102, 103, 104, 105, 114, 115) at 1:250,000 (171 files) and 1:50,000 (2,753 files) takes 55.5GB
   • Geogratis Licence Agreement For Unrestricted Use Of Digital Data
4. National Road Network, version 1
   • vector dataset, consisting of centerline road network data
   • http://www.geobase.ca/geobase/en/data/nrn/index.html
   • the data is available via GML files and ESRI Shapefiles
   • any of the files for British Columbia can be provided
   • dataset for British Columbia, version 3.00, with GML and Shape files, in English and French, takes 202MB
   • Geobase Unrestricted Use Licence Agreement
5. Geopolitical Boundaries, version 1
   • vector dataset, consisting of provincial and national boundaries
   • http://geobase.ca/geobase/en/data/cgb/index.html
   • the data is available via GML files and ESRI Shapefiles
   • GML and Shape files, in English and French, takes 22.8MB
   • Geobase Unrestricted Use Licence Agreement
6. Geographical Names, Level 1
   • vector dataset, consisting of Canadian geographical names
   • http://geobase.ca/geobase/en/data/cgn/index.html
   • the data is available via GML files and ESRI Shapefiles
   • the download interface is a bit clumsy (limit of 50 files at a time)
   • currently I have all the files for the 092 NTS block, 201 GML files and 201 Shape files, which takes 4.7MB
   • Geobase Unrestricted Use Licence Agreement

• Jason Birch, Nanaimo, BC

1. City of Kamloops data
   • 20cm Orthos
   • DEM
   • Cadastral base & zoning
   • Possibly more vector data
   • Geographic Data Download Service Disclaimer