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Geospatial Data at LU


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Research Consultations

I am available for GIS data and software consultations and offer ArcGIS introductory workshops throughout the academic year.  If you would like to arrange for an individual consultation, please e-mail me with a requested date and time, and a brief description of your research interest.gis@laurentian.ca

I am also a DLI Designate and I am able to access DLI data in conjunction with the Data and Government Information Librarian.

OCUL is pleased to announce the release of Scholars GeoPortal

Scholars GeoPortal is a geospatial data discovery tool allowing Ontario’s university students and researchers to enrich their teaching and research by engaging with OCUL’s growing collection of geospatial data. The portal offers search, preview, query, download and sharing functionality for datasets licensed by Ontario university libraries, covering such topics as land use, transportation networks, census boundaries, geology, soils, points of interest (such as healthcare facilities, schools, and airports), air photos, and more.

Scholars GeoPortal’s collections currently include data from Statistics Canada (through the Data Liberation Initiative), Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (through the Ontario Geospatial Data Exchange), and DMTI Spatial Inc. Data from these providers is continually being added to the portal – check out the latest additions under “New Data” on the Scholars GeoPortal website.

Geospatial Data and Software Contact

Name: Allison Tremblay
Position Title: Library Assistant - Data and GIS Specialist
Email Address :gis@laurentian.ca or atremblay@laurentian.ca
Office Location: J.N. Desmarais Library

Geospatial Data

Students, faculty and staff at Laurentian University have access to a wide variety of GIS data files (eg. topography, forestry, wildlife, ecology, land cover) for Sudbury, Ontario, and Canada. Many of these data sets have restricted uses and are made available for academic teaching and research purposes. Users must sign a Data License Agreement which details the conditions of use before they can use these files.

Please submit any questions or requests for data and/or ArcGIS software to gis@laurentian.ca

Sudbury and Ontario Data

Recommended Free Data Resources

Geology Ontario: Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry: This site provides access to the information holdings of the Ontario Geological Survey. Hundreds of digital products containing field data, geophysical surveys, geochemical analyses and geochronological measurements are available for download.

Ontario Basic Mapping: The Geography Network: This site provides users with access to downloadable layers for most of the province at a scale of 1:20 000 in Northern Ontario and 1:10 000 in Southern Ontario. This includes data like Conservation Authorities, highways, National and Provincial Parks and many more.

Ministry of the Environment Data Downloads: Ontario Ministry of Environment: This site provides users with access to various datasets related to air, water, and land.

MNDM Digital Data Catalogue: Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry: This site provides users with access to various mining and OGS data including MRD Data and Mineral Deposit Inventory Data.

For more popular free data website, see the links on the Canada and International data tab.

 

Sudbury

City of Greater Sudbury Land Reclamation Program
City of Greater Sudbury
This dataset contains data that pertains to tree planting sites from 1979 to 2010 and liming sites from 1978 to 2010. 

Sudbury Forest 2005 Planning Landbase
City of Greater Sudbury
The 2005 Planning Landbase database covers the Greater Sudbury Area. Attributes include various forestry and planning related themes such as ownership, authority, MNR codes, species and cover type. 
 

Ontario

Laurentian University is a member of the Ontario Geospatial Data Exchange (OGDE). Through this agreement, members of L.U. have access - free of charge - to a variety of provincial data provided by Land Information Ontario (LIO). For a full list of data available from Land Information Ontario, see their website.

 

Interactive and Static Maps for Ontario and Sudbury

Sudbury

Greater Sudbury Maps Online: Greater City of Sudbury: This website provide links to several online interactive and static maps for the Sudbury area. This includes a Colour Ortho-Photography Index, Zoning By-Law Maps and many more

Ontario

Climate Change in Ontario Map Browser: Ontario Minstry of Natural Resources: This interactive site allowas users to map past and present climate information for Ontario.

Crown Land Use Policy Atlas: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources: This interactive mapping browser allows users to view a variety of information including parks, forest management units, and primary land uses. Layers can be added and removed to illustrate the user’s specific area of interest.

Official Road Map of Ontario: Ministry of Transportation: This site contains downloadable official Ontario road maps for each town/city in Ontario.

Renewable Energy Atlas: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources: This atlas is an interactive tool to allow users the ability to electronically view wind and water renewable energy resources in the province. 

 

 

Canadian and International Data

Recommended Free Data Resources

GeoBase: Canadian Council on Geomatics (CCOG): This site provides access to quality, up-to-date, and well-maintained geospatial data for all of Canada.

GeoConnections Discovery Portal: Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI): This site provides access to a large variety of geospatial data. This portal was build to facilitate access, discovery, and evaluation of geospatial resources.

Geogratis: Natural Resources Canada: This site distributes free geospatial data for Canada in a variety of file formats including National Topographic Database (NTDB) files, Ontario Land Cover and Ontario Tiber Inventory Data, Satellite Imagery and  Digital Elevation Model Data and numerous other datasets.

Geoscience Data Repository: Natural Resources Canada: Through this site, users are provided with access to a large variety of digital images and datasets for all of Canada.

Harvard Geospatial Library: Harvard University: A collection of worldwide and regional geographic data layers, several datasets are available to the public.

Health Region Boundary Files: Statistics Canada: This site provides access to downloadable files for the health boundaries in Canada in a variety of formats.

The National Soil DataBase (NSDB): Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: This site provides users with access to datasets that pertain to landscape, soil, and climate for all of Canada.

 

Canadian and International Data

Scholars GeoPortal 
Scholars Portal
Scholars GeoPortal is a geospatial data discovery tool allowing Ontario’s university students and researchers to enrich their teaching and research by engaging with OCUL’s growing collection of geospatial data. The portal offers search, preview, query, download and sharing functionality for datasets licensed by Ontario university libraries, covering such topics as land use, transportation networks, census boundaries, geology, soils, points of interest (such as healthcare facilities, schools, and airports), air photos, and more. Please send any feedback regarding the portal to gis@scholarsportal.info.

Boundary Files for Canada
Statistics Canada
These datasets contain both cartographic and digital boundary files. The files cover various geographic levels such as Census Consolidated Subdivisions (CCS), Census Subdivisions (CSD), Census Tracts (CT), Dissemination Areas (DA), Census Divisions (CD), Designated Place Level (DPL), Economic Region (ER), Federal Electoral District (FED), Urban Area (UA), Forward Sortation Areas (FSA) and Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA). These files are available through Equinox.

Health Region Boundary Files for Canada
Statistics Canada
Health regions are legislated administrative areas defined by provincial ministries of health. These administrative areas represent geographic areas of responsibility for hospital boards or regional health authorities. Health regions, being provincial administrative areas, are subject to change. Download directly from the Statistics Canada website.

Postal Code Products
Statistics Canada
These products provide conversion and correspondence tools between the six-character postal codes and standard Census geographic areas. Some files are available through Equinox.

Road Network Files
Statistics Canada
These files cover most urban areas across Canada. The files include street names, types and direction. Some files are available through Equinox, you can also download directly from Statistics Canada. For more information, see the Road Network File Reference Guides: 2006, 2009.

DMTI
DMTI Spatial Inc.
Comprehensive nationwide coverage. Includes Census information, geographic and topographic features, and detailed street information for all of the major Canadian urban areas. Many of the DMTI files are available through Equinox.

The DMTI datasets include:

  • Canadian Atlas Map Bundle: an extensive nationwide database of cities, towns, villages, lakes, rivers, mountains, parks and islands based on a database of topographic maps from National Resources Canada (NRCan).
  • CanMap Parks & Recreation: illustrates over 1,800 national, provincial and territorial parks across Canada. 
  • CanMap Rail: a complete picture of Canada's rail infrastructure currently in operation and including railway lines classified as abandoned.
  • CanMap Route Logistics: an enhanced layer of routing information that is a powerful addition to the base CanMap Streetfile product. It also includes additional routing attributes required to generate "real world" routing across Canada.
  • CanMap Streetfiles:provides a comprehensive street name and address range coverage for communities across Canada. It also provides a high level of detailed topographic and geographic features for all major urban areas throughout Canada.
  • CanMap Water: illustrates a very detailed coverage of water features across Canada with over 1,000,000 lakes, rivers and streams. CanMap Water is engineered from a combination of National Topographic Data Base (NTDB) 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 scale hydrographic mapping data.
  • Enhanced Points of Interest: a national database of over 1 million Canadian businesses and recreational points of interest. Each EPOI has been accurately geocoded and precisely placed.

Static and Interactive Maps for Canada

Aboriginal Canada Portal: Statistics and Maps : Government of Canada: This site provides links to census results and analysis pertaining to Aboriginal population in Canada. It also contains links to geographical and historical maps of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across Canada.

Atlas of Canada: Natural Resources Canada: This site has many maps with a variety of themes, including climate, economy, freshwater, health and many more.

2006 Census Geographic Reference Maps:  Reference maps show the boundaries, names and codes of standard geographic areas on a background of selected road and water features. Over 10,000 reference maps are available for most standard geographic areas for which census data are tabulated and disseminated.

Citing Maps and Geospatial Information

The following websites are excellent resources for citing maps and geospatial information:

Citing Geospatial Data Resources:  The University of Waterloo provides examples for citing different types of geospatial information.

Guide to Citing Maps and Atlases: McMaster University offers examples for citing digitally produced and paper maps.

Citing Statistics Canada Maps and Geospatial Products: Provides examples for citing Statistics Canada maps and geospatial products.

How to Cite Statistics Canada Products: Guide on how to cite Statistics Canada data.
 

Some Examples of Citing Geospatial Data Resources

 
Direct dowload of data (data has not been manipulated)
 
Database Title [format]. Place of publication: Publisher, date. Available: Name of site and URL (accessed date).
 
Example: AVHRR Land Cover Data, Canada [computer file]. Winnipeg, Manitoba : Manitoba Remote Sensing Centre, 1998. Available: GeoGratis: http://www.geogratis.gc.ca/download/noaa/ (accessed Jan 10, 2012).
 
Maps produced using GIS Software
 
Map Title [format]. Scale. Database names (for geography and data) [format]. Place of publication: Name of person who generated map, date. Using: Computer software name [type of software]. Version or edition. Software manufacturer location: Software manufacturer name, date of software release/copyright.
 
Example: Population Density in Greater Sudbury [map]. 1:20,000. Statistics Canada Census Subdivision Digital Boundary File gcsd000a06a.zip [computer file] and Profile for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 2006 Census Catalogue No. 94-581-XCB2006001.ivt [computer file]. Sudbury, ON: Jane Doe, March 2012. Using ArcGIS [GIS software]. Version 10. Redlands, CA: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc, 2011. 

Training, Support and ArcGIS Software

Training and Support

Whether you are a beginner, or an advanced user, there are a few options to learn more about GIS software.

1) Take advantage of the ESRI Virtual Campus online courses available to current students, staff and faculty, free of charge . These courses are self-study, non-credit courses and are designed to help users acquire a variety of GIS related skills. You have one year from the date of registration to complete the course. To take an online course:

  • Sign up with a Global Account
  • Browse the list of available courses and decide which courses you want to take
  • Send the exact name of the course you would like to take to gis@laurentian.ca from your Laurentian (GroupWise) email account. You will receive an instructional email once the course has been setup for you.

2) Work through some of the many ESRI tutorials. These are available on all LU computer lab workstations (C:/ArcGIS/Documentation). They can also be found at  ArcGIS Desktop Help 10.  These are an excellent resource for familiarizing yourself with the ArcGIS software and its extensions.

3) ESRI Canada offers support online through the Support Centre which provides users with downloads and solutions to problems with the software.

4) Attend one of the ArcGIS basic training workshops offered at the J.N. Desmarais Library.

5) Attend or participate in GIS Day at Laurentian University. This activity is held in mid-November  each year and provides an opportunity to see how other members of the university are using GIS.

For any questions you may have, please contact us at gis@laurentan.ca.

ArcGIS Software

ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop 10 GIS software is installed on computer labs throughout campus, including the library’s Learning Commons and Brenda Wallace Computer Room. 

The Education Edition of ArcGIS software is available to registered students at Laurentian University. To obtain a copy, visit the second floor of the J.N. Desmarais Library with a valid student card and ask for a copy at the Circulation Desk if you have any questions, please email gis@laurentian.ca. To learn more about the software, visit ESRI’s product page.

Product Description

ArcGIS is full-featured GIS software for visualizing, managing, creating, and analyzing geographic data. Using ArcGIS, you can understand the geographic context of your data, allowing you to see relationships and identify patterns in new ways.

Extensions included:

Help Guides and Other Resources

Data Formats

There are generally three basic types of files when it comes to geospatial data:

1) Attribute (Tabular) Data: This data is descriptive and can be directly linked to features. It is compiled and collected at different levels of measurement (i.e. Census Subdivisions, Postal Codes, etc.), then it can be combined with other data sets to display information on a map.

2) Image Data: Image data can range from scanned maps to aerial photographs and satellite images.

3) Cartographic (Map) Data: This data contains information on the shape and location of geographic features. Features are represented by points, lines and polygons.

For a more detailed explanation of geospatial data types, data models and help planning a project, check ESRI's Guide to Geographic Information.

 

What is GIS?

"A GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced information; that is, data identified according to location." (USGS, 2007)

"A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information." (ESRI, 2008)

There are several definitions for GIS, common to all definitions is the "spatial" or "geographically referenced" element. Data must be associated with a location in order to be portrayed on a map. For more detailed explanations of GIS explore some of the helpful links.

Helpful Links

What is GIS: ESRI: This site helps define GIS as well as explaining some of the general models of a GIS, applications and an index to dictionaries, periodicals and dictionaries.

ESRI User Forums: ESRI: This searchable user forum provides helpful hints for commonly encountered (and occasionally rare) problems and acts as a technical resource for several ESRI products.

ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop Online Help: ESRI: This online help site contains the same information that comes in the help files with the software. Many how to questions are answered on this site.

GIS Dictionary: ESRI: This dictionary helps users understand many of the GIS specific terms that can be confusing to users who are unfamiliar with the terminology used in the industry.

Wiki.GIS.com: The GIS Encylopedia: ESRI: This GIS-centric encyclopedia serves as a repository for factual, unbiased GIS content.Wiki.GIS.com seeks to involve the GIS community in an ongoing process of creation and collaboration of conceptual GIS information.

MapInfo Online Support Forums: Pitney Bowes MapInfo: This searchable forum provides users with suggestions and tips for MapInfo software, as well as answers to some frequently asked questions.

Geographic Information Systems: USGS: This site provides more explanations to help understand, what GIS is, how it works, some useful applications, and a variety of other GIS related information.

GIS Lounge: DM Geographics: This site is a great resource for a variety of information pertaining to GIS.

Geomatic 101: Natural Resources Canada: This site gives information on data formats and links to many other helpful resources.