GeoBase Initiative

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GeoBase Initiative

• Building on Common Ground

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• Bob Johnson
• Natural Resources Canada
• GeoBase Secretariat

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GeoBase is

• GeoBase is the fundamental geographic information
  that describes the Canadian landmass above and
  below water.
• GeoBase consists of images, elevations and
  geographic features, which are current, accurate
  and consistent throughout the country (quality).
  There will be only one data set, collected and
  maintained once the closest to the source
  (uniqueness).
• The purpose of GeoBase is to provide reference,
  context and underpinning to a wide variety of
  thematic data for government, business and
  individual applications through free and
  unrestricted access to a unique and shared base
  of quality geographic information over Canada.
• An initiative overseen by the Canadian Council on
  Geomatics.

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GeoBase was created because

• Current data is outdated and not standardized
• Coverage across the country is inconsistent and
  no longer meets the needs of the user
• Data sharing/exchange and sales inhibited due to
  lack of standard data models
• Same situation facing many Provincial and
  Territorial mapping agencies
• Therefore
• Need current and accurate data (quality data)
• Need collaborative model (data collected once)
• Need standardization(consistent data)
• Need maintenance plans (maintained closest to the
  source)

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The Partnership Approach

• Multi-jurisdictional partnerships
• Federal, provincial, territorial mapping agencies
  are pooling resources and moving towards an
  agreement on and adoption of national standards
  for data models and maintenance
• GeoConnections (participation on many fronts)
• Industry Involvement (data production and
  maintenance contracts)
• NRCan (provides leadership hosts, manages and
  major data provider for current version of the
  Portal)

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GeoBase Portal

• The Public Face of GeoBase
• at www.geobase.ca
• Portal is the first tangible output publicly
  launched on November 19, 2003 (International GIS
  Day)
• Usage to date
• More than 40,000 unique visitors
• More than 382,000 data sets downloaded
• Private Sector, Education, Government

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GeoBase Themes
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The Challenges

• Most Federal and Provincial stakeholders function
  under cost recovery business models
• Maintaining effective and efficient data models
  in rapidly evolving International Standards
  environment
• Coordinating data delivery from various sources
  through an Internet portal
• Delivering on GeoConnections framework data
  commitments and building a sustainable system for
  the long term
• Doing more with our current resources

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The Benefits

• Meets our needs
• Public health, safety, environment and defence
• Social and economic development
• Supports decision-making, policy development and
  regulation
• Standards
• External Benefits
• Business integration and network benefits
• Broader societys needs
• Efficiency in using taxpayer dollars
• Elimination of duplication and overlap in
  Canadian base mapping
• Collection and maintenance cost sharing is
  facilitated
• Improved output with less cost to Canadians

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More Benefits

• Economic perspective
• High fixed collection costs
• Low dissemination costs
• Need to invest in regular data collection to
  maintain the value
• National interest arguments
• Homogeneity common reference and specifications
  standards
• External benefits business integration and
  network benefits
• Duplication one taxpayer

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Next Steps

• Short Term
• Complete the coverage of the current 6 themes at
  minimum level
• Evaluate GeoBases current effectiveness
• CCOGs GeoBase Task Force
• GeoConnections audit of GeoBase/Framework data
  effectiveness

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Next Steps

• Long Term
• Pending discussion and further consultation with
  users, collaborators and partners, investigate
  further development of existing minimum themes to
  target levels and for the addition of new themes
• i.e.

• Provincial control data
• Street names (addresses)
• Hydrographic network
• Watersheds
• Transmission systems

• Structures (dams, airports, etc.)
• Electoral, municipal boundaries
• Parks, Indian Reserves and crown subdivisions
• Ecological zones

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Next Steps

• Long Term
• Evaluate GeoBase operations in a
  Post-GeoConnections context
• Develop further and evaluate the effectiveness of
  the Maintenance Model of GeoBase
• Develop policies and plans based on these
  findings

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The Distributed Network

• Several Provincial and Territorial governments
  now boast their own data portals.

• Nova Scotia (GeoNova)
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Prince Edward Island
• Yukon Territory
• And more to come

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Geographical Names of Canada
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Geodetic Network
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Administrative Boundaries
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National Road Networks (NRN)
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Landsat-7 Orthoimages
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Canadian Digital Elevation Data (CDED)
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ALL LAYERS SUMMARY(September, 2004)
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The End

• Questions?