I am sure that almost any geomatics professional would agree that a major part of any GIS are the data sets involved. The data can be in the form of vectors, rasters, aerial photography or statistical tabular data and most often the data component can be very costly or labor intensive. But it doesn’t always have to be that way, as there are plenty of great resources available that offer free open Canadian data that you can use with your geomatics projects to generate geospatial products. In fact more and more are popping up all over the web and some cities like Ottawa are even having contests to help promote the use of their data.
Over the past few years CanadianGIS.com has been highlighting and promoting various cities and provinces in Canada that have done a great job providing Open Geospatial Data and applications to the public. During that time there has been plenty of great praise, feedback and emails regarding these efforts in helping to promote Canadian geospatial data and ensuring that everybody in the geomatics community knows where to find data for their projects.
I created this page a few years ago to collaborate links of all the open geospatial data info (sites that offer data downloads at no cost and without restrictions), fee based geospatial data, online web mapping applications and other great sources of geospatial information (including National, Provincial and Regional levels). I am sure that this comprehensive list of open geospatial data, fee based geospatial data, web mapping applications and cartographic products will be valuable to many of us (as I get hundreds of emails and requests regarding “Where can I find data for …?”) so I will continue to update it when I learn of new information.
If you know of any other sites offering Canadian data (freely available or fee based) that may help others in geomatics and it is not listed here then let me know and I will update the list. In the mean time start using some of these great resources that we have available in Canada to generate geospatial products.
[page last updated Feb 2013]
National Data
GeoGratis
GeoGratis by Natural Resources Canada offers geospatial data including satellite imagery, tabular and vector Data in a wide range of formats. They have also recently added a few APIs to their collection and completely revamped the web site – check out the new improved 2013 GeoGratis web site
http://geogratis.cgdi.gc.ca/geogratis/en/collection/search.do
http://canadiangis.com/new-and-improved-geogratis-website.php
Geobase
A federal, provincial and territorial government initiative created by the Canadian Council on Geomatics, user registration is required for downloading data but there are no costs http://www.geobase.ca
GeoConnections
Offers online location based information, including maps and satellite images focused in public health, public safety and security, the environment and sustainable development, Aboriginal matters, and geomatics technology development. Data from this site varies and includes thematic data, topographic data, satellite imagery, air photos and much more.
http://geodiscover.cgdi.ca/web/guest/home?portalLangId=en_US
Atlas of Canada
The Atlas of Canada has been around for more then a hundred years but has changed significantly since its early days (http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/history.html) The majority of content on this site are provided in pre made geographic map products at a national level that you can order or download for free and print on your own. http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/dataservices/wallmaps.html
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/index.html
Open Data Pilot Project
The Government of Canada’s commitment to open government that aims to drive innovation and economic opportunities for all Canadians
http://www.data.gc.ca
http://www.data.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=9BFA2E85-1
Environment Canada
Various data collections from Environment Canada http://www.ec.gc.ca/scitech/default.asp?lang=En&n=EE731FE6-1
Provincial & Regional Canadian Data
Alberta
Alberta Geological Survey AGS has a large selection of maps for different areas of Alberta showing surficial and bedrock geology, drift thickness, groundwater/hydrogeology, and mineral resources. Their recent maps also include the GIS shape files and their interactive geological maps let you browse, query and download GIS data.
http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/gis/gis_and_mapping.html
Province of Alberta http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/land/g_1.html
AltaLIS Alberta data available through a partnership with the Alberta Government and Spatial Data Warehouse, it has been the main supplier of Alberta Base Mapping Data to the private sector since 1998. AltaLIS offers digital mapping products categorized into three main groups: Property, Base, and Terrain. Note: Most data at this site is not free
http://www.altalis.com/altalis.html
Calgary, Alberta
https://cityonline.calgary.ca/Pages/Category.aspx?cat=CITYonlineDefault&category=PublicData
http://calgaryonlinestore.com/publicdata.asp
Grande Prairie, Alberta
http://data.countygp.ab.ca/
http://www.countygp.ab.ca/EN/main/community/maps-gis/open-data/data.html
Edmonton, Alberta
https://data.edmonton.ca/
Change Camp Edmonton http://www.changecampedmonton.ca/
Medicine Hat, Alberta
http://data.medicinehat.ca/
Red Deer, Alberta
http://data.reddeer.ca
British Columbia
DataBC was one of the first provincial open data sites in Canada
http://www.opendatabc.ca/?app=odcat&action=index
http://geobc.gov.bc.ca/
Open Data Society of BC http://www.opendatabc.ca/
Langley, British Columbia
http://www.tol.ca/Services-Contact/Open-Data
http://www.tol.ca/ServicesContact/OpenData.aspx
http://www.tol.ca/Services-Contact/Open-Data/Open-Data-Catalogue
North Okanagan, British Columbia
http://www.rdno.ca/index.php/maps/digital-data
Nanaimo, British Columbia
http://data.nanaimo.ca
http://www.nanaimo.ca/datafeeds/
North Vancouver, British Columbia
http://www.geoweb.dnv.org/data/
Prince George, British Columbia
http://princegeorge.ca/cityservices/online/odc/Pages/default.aspx
Saanich, British Columbia
http://www.saanich.ca/data/
http://www.saanich.ca/data/catalogue/index.php
Surrey, British Columbia
http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/658.aspx
Vancouver, British Columbia
http://vancouver.ca/your-government/open-data-catalogue.aspx
http://data.vancouver.ca/
https://www.socialtext.net/vandata/index.cgi%20
http://data.vancouver.ca/datacatalogue/index.htm
Manitoba
Manitoba Land Initiative
Great source for geo-spatial information from the Government of Manitoba, intended for both the GIS expert and the decision maker allowing on-line access to the MLI corporate land data warehouse. Users must be registered but it is free to register https://mli2.gov.mb.ca/
Manitoba
http://web2.gov.mb.ca/mli/index.html
Winnipeg, Manitoba
http://winnipegelection.ca/open_data_2010
New Brunswick
GeoNB by Service New Brunswick provides Geographic Data & Maps for the province of New Brunswick including topographic layers, property data, orthophotomaps and much more.
Fredericton, New Brunswick
- http://www.fredericton.ca/en/citygovernment/DataMain.asp
Newfoundland and Labrador
http://www.stats.gov.nl.ca/Maps/
http://nl.communityaccounts.ca/maps.asp?_=vb7En4WVgbOxz7Zj (collection of pre-made maps)
Community Infrastructure Mapping System
A community information shared program via google maps
http://nlcims.ca/CIMS.aspx
Nova Scotia
GeoNOVA
The Province of Nova Scotia’s gateway to geographic information about Nova Scotia. Includes free maps and licensed data sets.
http://gov.ns.ca/geonova/home/ (not all data is free)
http://gov.ns.ca/geonova/home/default.asp
North West Territories
NWT Centre for Geomatics http://geomatics.gov.nt.ca
http://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/_live/pages/wpPages/maps.aspx
Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT) Spatial Data Warehouse – Geospatial Portal
http://maps.gnwtgeomatics.nt.ca/portal/index.jsp
Nunavut
http://geoconnections.nrcan.gc.ca/
Nunavut Geoscience
http://nunavutgeoscience.ca/mirage/index_e.php (no much data but there are pre made maps)
Ontario
http://www.ontario.ca/en/your_government/ONT06_027559.html
Province of Ontario open data portal
http://www.ontario.ca/government/government-ontario-open-data
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/STEL02_168321.html
Burlington, Ontario
http://cms.burlington.ca/Page7429.aspx
Guelph, Ontario
http://guelph.ca/services.cfm?itemid=78870&smocid=1550
http://www.guelphcoffeeandcode.org/tag/opendata/
Halton, Ontario
OpenHalton http://openhalton.ca/about/
Hamilton
http://www.hamilton.ca/ProjectsInitiatives/OpenData/
http://openhamilton.ca/
London, Ontario
http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Open_Data/default.htm
http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Open_Data/Data_Catalogue.htm
Open London http://www.opendatalondon.ca/
Mississauga, Ontario
http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/residents/mississaugadata
http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/residents/publicationsopendatacatalogue
Niagara Falls, Ontario
http://www.niagarafalls.ca/services/open
Niagara Region, Ontario
http://www.niagararegion.ca/government/opendata/default.aspx
http://www.niagararegion.ca/government/opendata/data-catalogue.aspx
Ottawa, Ontario
http://ottawa.ca/en/city_hall/statisticsdata/opendata/index.htm
http://www.opendataottawa.ca/
http://www.dataott.org/app
http://www.ottawa.ca/online_services/opendata/index_en.html
Peel Region, Ontario
http://opendata.peelregion.ca/
Toronto, Ontario
http://www.toronto.ca/open
http://www.datato.org/app/
Waterloo, Ontario
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regionalgovernment/OpenDataHome.asp
Open Data Waterloo Region http://www.opendatawr.ca/2011/03/open-data-codefest/ -
http://opendata.waterloo.ca
Windsor, Ontario
http://www.citywindsor.ca/opendata/Pages/Open-Data-Catalogue.aspx
http://www.citywindsor.ca/003713.asp
Prince Edward Island
http://www.gov.pe.ca/maps/index.php3 (air photos available for the whole Province with many historic sets as well)
Québec
Government of Québec
http://www.donnees.gouv.qc.ca
http://donnees.gouv.qc.ca/?node=/accueil
http://www.mrn.gouv.qc.ca/english/home.jsp
http://www.quebecouvert.org
http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/site/termium.php?lang=eng&cont=001
Gatineau
http://www.gatineau.ca/donneesouvertes/default_fr.aspx
http://gatineauouverte.org
Montréal, Québec
http://donnees.ville.montreal.qc.ca
http://montrealouvert.net/?lang=en
Québec City, Québec
http://donnees.ville.quebec.qc.ca/
http://capitaleouverte.org/
Saskatchewan
GeoSask http://opendatask.ca
Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan offers real-time, graphical data that assists in searching for plans of surveys, parcels and titles. ISC also provides services such as custom mapping, acquisition of satellite images and aerial photography.
http://www.isc-online.ca/default.aspx?DN=29,11,1,Documents
Saskatchewan
http://www.isc.ca/MapsandPhotos/GISData/Pages/default.aspx
Regina, Saskatchewan
http://www.regina.ca/residents/open-government/data/
http://openregina.cloudapp.net/
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
http://www.saskatoon.ca/DEPARTMENTS/Corporate%20Services/Corporate%20Information%20Services/OpenData/Pages/OpenData.aspx
Yukon
Geomatics Yukon http://www.geomaticsyukon.ca/
[This is a dynamic page that changes all the time and was originally published March, 2008]
Disclaimer: Although I do test all links that I publish on CanadianGIS.com, those links and sites are not under my control and therefore are provided here solely for your information and convenience. Neither CanadianGIS.com nor myself are responsible for the accuracy or reliability of the content and or information found on these sites through these links. Also note that sites can change from time without notice. If anyone discovers dead links or has new information then by all means let me know and I will update this page.
