LibGuides: GIS & Spatial Data: Canada Data

Canada Spatial Data Collections [Non-Restricted]

Topographic Information / Geospatial Applications and Tools [Natural Resource Canada]
Includes Open Government Search, Geospatial Product Index, Toporama Interactive Map, and Geospatial Data Extraction.
GeoGratis Visualization Tool -- Popular GeoSpatial Collections
Find, visualize and download the data and map collections. Data Types: Imagery; Raster; Vector; Elevation.
Open Data [Includes Maps] -- Government of Canada
Geospatial data sets produced by the Government of Canada; includes orthoimagery.
Historical National Topographic System (NTS): 1:50,000 Scale Maps, Data, & GIS
Open Access geospatial data collection of over 6000 Canadian maps; 1948 to present.
Open & Free Canadian Spatial Data
Links collected by - Canadian GIS & Geomatics web site
High Resolution Digital Elevation Model (HRDEM) - CanElevation Series
Includes a Digital Terrain Model (DTM), a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and other derived data. In the southern part of the country DTM and DSM datasets generated from airborne LiDAR data.
Atlas of Canada
Online maps related to Canada's environment, society, economy and history.
Federated Research Data Repository (FRDR) [Canada]
Search FRDR to find research datasets originating from researchers affiliated with Canadian institutions. Data deposited to other repositories across Canada can also be found by searching in FRDR.
Geodisy [Canada]
Geodisy provides map search functionality to supplement the FRDR discovery service. Currently in beta, the map search includes datasets from repositories indexed by FRDR with bounding box metadata.

DMTI Spatial Academic Consortium [Restricted License Students & Faculty]

Resources from DMTI Spatial and available to U of Lethbridge students and faculty. A geodatabase (V.2023.3) is available from the on-campus GIS Labs in the C700 block of U Hall.

DMTI CanMap Content Suite, Shapefiles & Tables ( 2021) [DOWNLOAD]
More than 300 mapping layers and includes coast-to-coast GIS data from Streetfiles, RouteLogistics, and Postal Code Suite, plus: Topographic information including water, rail, parks, land use and enhanced points of interest (EPOI); Utility infrastructure; Police and fire stations; Provincial and municipal boundaries; Street network and routing attribution (speed limits, turn restrictions, etc).

Request the following DMTI resources. email: data.library@uleth.ca
File type: Shapefile; MapInfo

DMTI Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Data for Canada (30m & 90m) by NTS Map Area Coverage: Mostly southern Canada south of 60 degrees Format: Ascii grid Size: 1:50,000 tiles
DMTI Clutter Data for Canada (30m & 90m) The DMTI Spatial clutter data is based on the National Topographic Database (NTDB) 1:50,000 scale digital mapping (Standards and Specifications V3.0 and later). There are 10 available Land Use Classifications: Fresh Water; Ocean; Coniferous Forest; Deciduous Forest; Open Land; Airports; Industrial; Urban; Dense Urban, and; Wetland.
DMTI CanMap Postal Code Suite for Canada The DMTI Postal Code data includes six-digit postal codes for all of Canada. There are two types of postal codes provided, Unique Enhanced Postal Codes (UEP), and Multiple Enhanced Postal Codes (MEP). UEP is used more frequently because it provides a 1:1 relationship between postal codes and Statistics Canada's standard census geography. MEP takes into account that in some newer subdivisions, many streets will share the same postal code. We also have boundary files for Forward Sortation Areas (FSA) - three digit postal codes and Local Delivery Units (LDU) - six digit postal codes for all of Canada.

Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF) -- Statistics Canada DLI Product Description [Restricted License Students & Faculty]

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

The DLI (Data Liberation Initiative) provides access to the Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF) and Postal Code Conversion File Plus (PCCF+). It provides a correspondence between the Canada Post Corporation six character postal code and Statistics Canada’s standard geographical areas -- e.g., dissemination areas, census tracts, and census subdivisions. Statistics Canada Product Reference Guide (PCCF) available.

The PCCF uses an SLI or ‘Single Link Indicator’ for matching. The single link indicator identifies the geographic area with the majority of dwellings assigned to a particular Postal Code.
The PCCF+ uses population-weighted random allocation for Postal Codes that link to more than one geographic area.

USING THE PCCF:

Queen's University Library has created a guide to the Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF).
U. of Toronto's Map & Data Library has created a PCCF Guide.

USING THE PCCF+:

A YouTube video produced by Queen's University describes How to use Statistics Canada's Postal Code Conversion File Plus (PCCF+) and SAS to connect your Postal Codes to Census geography.
U. of Toronto's Map & Data Library has created a PCCF+ Guide.

Request by email: data.library@uleth.ca [Restricted License Students & Faculty]

Postal Codes (OM) by Federal Ridings File [Restricted License Students & Faculty]

The DLI (Data Liberation Initiative) provides access to the Postal Codes by Federal Ridings (2013 Representation Order) File (PCFRF) which reflects postal code data from the Canada Post Corporation up to and including November 2014, and the new, legal Federal Ridings (2013 Representation Order). A reference guide has been produced for this product.

Request by email: data.library@uleth.ca [Restricted License Students & Faculty]

Census of Canada Geography / Boundary Files

The DLI (Data Liberation Initiative) Data Collection contains geography files from 1971-current. This collection consists of some reference maps, thematic maps, digital and cartographic boundary files, reference tools among other products (File type: Shapefile). This collection can be accessed in the following ways:

Boundary Files - Census Program Geography [Free Access]
GeoSearch - interactive mapping of census data [Free Access]

Census Program Data Viewer

Census Program Data Viewer (CPDV) [Free Access]
A web-based data visualization tool that presents key indicators in a statistical dashboard. Use to find places in Canada, see them on a map, and get basic geographic and socio-demographic data. Make sure to READ THE TUTORIAL!

Statistics Canada Boundary Files [Non-Restricted]

There are two types of boundary files: cartographic and digital. Cartographic boundary files portray the geographic areas using only the major land mass of Canada and its coastal islands. Digital boundary files portray the full extent of the geographic areas, including the coastal water area.

Boundary Files - Statistics Canada
Includes census years 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016; Intercensal years (2008-2020); 2021

File type: Shapefile; GML; MapInfo
Canadian Digital Census Boundary Files [Scholars GeoPortal]
Interactive geoportal providing open access to all existing historical Canadian digital census boundary files, including the DLI collection, and other census boundaries digitized by Canadian university libraries. Both data and documentation included. A full inventory of the census boundary holdings in Scholars GeoPortal is also available.
Road Network Files - Statistics Canada
Digital representations of Canada's national road network, containing information such as street names, types, directions and address ranges.

File type: Shapefile; GML; MapInfo

Canada Satellite Imagery and Aerial Photographs

Open Data [Includes Maps] -- Government of Canada
Geospatial data sets produced by the Government of Canada; includes orthoimagery.
Satellite Imagery and Air Photos - Natural Resources Canada
The National Earth Observation Data Framework Catalogue also includes Canada's National Air Photo Library (NAPL) which archives over six million aerial photographs covering all of Canada, some of which date back to the 1920s. NOTE: Use NAPL to search for available photos and associated metadata. (which then can be ordered from NAPL).

GIS & Spatial Data

Canada Spatial Data Collections [Non-Restricted]

DMTI Spatial Academic Consortium [Restricted License Students & Faculty]

Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF) -- Statistics Canada DLI Product Description [Restricted License Students & Faculty]

Postal Codes (OM) by Federal Ridings File [Restricted License Students & Faculty]

Census of Canada Geography / Boundary Files

Census Program Data Viewer

Statistics Canada Boundary Files [Non-Restricted]

Canada Satellite Imagery and Aerial Photographs

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