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Canadian Government Information on the Internet (CGII)
by Anita Cannon, the Depository Services Program and Contributors
Federal Information -- Table of Contents
Cartography -- Federal Information
Canadian Coast Guard Geographic Information Services
The main objective of Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) Geographic Information Services (GIS) is to use a geographic information system
to ensure that Canada's waters are used in a safe and environmentally responsible fashion. The system makes it possible to see
relationships between the types of data maintained by the service, namely geographic locations of features (including light
stations, aids to navigation, and pollution response sites) and events (such as search and rescue incidents). The site offers
downloads of textual documents such as software manuals and fact sheets in PDF format, digital maps in JPG and WMF format, spatial
data in ArcView Shapefile format, avenue scripts/dialogs in AVE or DED text format and application movie demos in stand-alone EXE
format. The various software systems used by GIS are described; these systems enable GIS staff to locate and create maps and charts,
measure distances, calculate travel times, plan trips, analyze data, update vessel positions, find navigation aids etc. There is a
"What's New" section for recent additions to the Web site, and links to related sites. The search engine and site map apply to the
entire Coast Guard Pacific Region Web site.
(2000-11-13, Carolyn Barnes, Ontario Legislative Library )
Site available in English.
http://www.pacific.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/waterways/index_e.htm
Canadian Communities Atlas
The Canadian Communities Atlas project lets schools become part of the National Atlas of Canada by creating an Internet-based
atlas of physical, economic and human geographic themes for their own community. This Web site gives detailed information about the
project and how to participate in it, including instructions and software for teachers and students. Related school-based community
projects are also covered, such as Profiling Canada offered by Statistics Canada, SchoolNet's Grassroots Program, the Grassroots
Communities@ca national competition (http://www.communities.ca/) and ESRI Canada's Schools and Libraries Program. To find individual
atlases and projects, search the Canadian Communities Gallery by project type, subject area, keyword, language, and province and
territory. Search results are displayed as descriptions of the project with links for the project Web site and contact name, or as a
clickable map of the country or province/territory showing the locations of the communities for which there were hits.
(2001-03-17, Carolyn Barnes, Ontario Legislative Library )
Site available in English and French.
http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/learning_resources/ccatlas/index.html
Canadian Hydrographic Service
The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), established in 1883, is the agency responsible for the production, sale and maintenance
of official marine navigation charts and other nautical publications in paper and electronic form. The site provides descriptions
and ordering information for the charts, tide and current tables, sailing directions, notices to mariners, bathymetric maps and
other publications, most of them priced, plus a list with links of authorized chart dealers. Older issues of "Contour Magazine", a
CHS publication on electronic charting, are given full text. The site also gives information on the mandate and administrative
structure of the CHS with links to regional offices, descriptions of its products, services and clients, and an outline of the
legislation that gives the CHS its mandate. See "What's New" for announcements about the CHS, the hydrographic community, and the
Web site. There is no search engine, but an interactive graphic catalogue in the form of a map makes it easy to identify products
for a particular area.
(1999-01-09, Carolyn Barnes, Ontario Legislative Library )
Site available in English and French.
http://www.chs-shc.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/chs/en/
Centre for Topographic Information
The Centre for Topographic Information is part of Geomatics Canada in the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada. The
Centre's Web site is divided into two parts: Digital Topographic Data and Canadian Topographic Maps. "Products and services"
described on the Maps side include paper topographic maps which can be ordered from map dealers throughout the world, print and
digital aerial photographs available from the National Air Photo Library (NAPL), the Aerial Survey Data Base, geographical names and
cartographic standards and specifications. Users can identify the maps they need via a clickable map of Canada, NTS number,
geographical name or geographical coordinates, or review lists of new and revised maps. An interesting feature of the Maps side is
the Cartographic Visualization on the Internet project which, using digital data for Nunavut, demonstrates various methods and tools
for portraying cartographic information on the Web. There is helpful background information about maps and aerial photos and a site
map. The search engine covers the entire "Earth Sciences Sector". Products and services available through the "Digital Data" side,
which can be ordered online, include the National Topographic Data Base (NTDB), Canadian Digital Elevation Data (CDED),
Administrative Boundaries files, Arc Digitized Raster Graphics, Vector Map (Vmap), Updated Road Network (URN) and CanImage files
based on Landsat 7 orthoimages. Distributors can showcase value-added products in the Distributors Gallery. User aids on the Web
site include a lexicon, an acronyms list, a lengthy and detailed list of "Frequently Asked Questions", an electronic newsletter, a
site map and a search engine.
(2002-05-21, Carolyn Barnes, Ontario Legislative Library )
Site available in English and French.
http://www.cits.nrcan.gc.ca
Centre for Topographic Information Sherbrooke
The Centre for Topographic Information (CTI) in Sherbrooke, which is ISO 9001 registered, produces, maintains, and distributes
the National Topographic Data Base (NTDB) of digital topographic information about the Canadian landmass. The site gives detailed
information about the Centre's mainly fee-based products and services, including online demonstrations and order forms, in the
following categories: National Topographic Data Base, Canadian Road Network (CRN), major cities road network, Canadian Digital
Elevation Data (CDED), ARC Digitized Raster Graphics (ADRG) and Vector Map Level 0 (VMAP0). New products and services are
highlighted in a full text newsletter. "Frequently Asked Questions" contains information on legal aspects of data use, marketing
licences, and technical standards. The FAQ document contains a keyword index, but as the references are not linked it may simply be
a relic of a paper predecessor. The site has a directory of government and private sector distributors, plus information on becoming
a distributor or supplier of digital topographic data products. There is a separate section on the Canadian Geospatial Data
Infrastructure (CGDI) Data Alignment Layer.
(1999-08-09, Carolyn Barnes, Ontario Legislative Library )
Site available in English and French.
http://www.cits.rncan.gc.ca/siteCITS/servlet/CITS/site_id=01&sessionid=&page_id=2-004.html
National Atlas of Canada Online
The heart of this site is the interactive sixth edition of the National Atlas of Canada, whose mandate is to provide a reliable
summary of national scale geographical information. The atlas database uses ESRI Map Objects software to offer users varying levels
of functionality, from inexperienced to expert. It is possible, for instance, to use pull-down menus to select maps representing the
social, economic and biophysical make up of Canada, and also to customize them by adding or deleting layers of information. The five
previous editions of the National Atlas, histories of which are included, were paper products, but the new atlas is an integral part
of the federal government's GeoConnections program to develop the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI). Other parts of the
site include a Canadian geography quiz, geographical statistics in "Facts about Canada", links under "Teaching Resources" to sites
that offer teaching aids and materials, the Canadian Communities Atlas, a project in which students analyze their communities, and
"Products and Services" for ordering paper and digital maps and geospatial data, both priced and free. There is ample user
assistance in the form of a site map, FAQs, and a search engine. The old National Atlas of Canada site is linked, but it is to be
dismantled by June 2000 with most of its content moving to the new site.
(2000-03-18, Carolyn Barnes, Ontario Legislative Library )
Site available in English and French.
http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/index.html
Toporama
A product of the Centre for Topographic Information, Sherbrooke, Toporama displays the contents of the National Topographic Data
Base (NTDB) as images. Toporama provides total coverage of Canada at a scale of 1:250 000 and partial coverage at 1:50 000. Some
geographical names are included to facilitate location. The product is very easy to use: just click on the map of Canada that
appears on the homepage, enter the NTS (National Topographic System) data set number, or enter latitude and longitude. If you do not
know exactly where the place you are interested in is located, you can simply find it by name and click on "Transfer" to paste the
latitude and longitude into the search box. Toporama is not meant to replace topographic maps or data from the NTDB, but it does
make it possible for anyone to view raster topographic information for personal use. Links are provided to sources of more detailed
geomatic data.
(2001-03-17, Carolyn Barnes, Ontario Legislative Library )
Site available in English and French.
http://toporama.cits.nrcan.gc.ca/
Copyright © 2002
Anita Cannon and Public Works and Government Services Canada
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