CanadianGIS.com

A major part of any GIS is the data such as vectors, raster data, air photos etc. Most often this component can be costly or labor intensive, but it doesn't always have to be, there are lots of sources that offer free data that you can use to start your projects with.If you know of any Geomatics data that is freely available that may help others and it is not listed here then let us know.

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Free Canadian GIS Data

• GeoGratis offers Geospatial data available online to download at no cost and without restrictions! They offer over many different Canadian data sets including Satellite Imagery, Tabular Data, and Vector Data (National Data, Regional Data, and Local Data)



• GeoBase is a federal, provincial and territorial government initiative offering quality geospatial information at no cost and with unrestricted use. User registration is mandatory at this site for downloading data but it does not cost anything to sign up.



• GeoConnections offers online location-based information, including maps and satellite images to help Canadians tackle some of our most pressing challenges. The program focuses on working with partners in public health, public safety and security, the environment and sustainable development, Aboriginal matters, and geomatics technology development. Data found on the site varies and includes Thematic Data, Topographic Data, Satellite Imagery, Aerial Photographs and much more.



• The Atlas of Canada provides authoritative, current and accessible geographic information products at a national level. Working with partners, the Atlas facilitates the integration and analysis of diverse data in order to increase overall knowledge about Canada.



• Service New Brunswick provides Geographic Data & Maps for the province of New Brunswick such as topographic layers, property data, Softcopy Orthophotomaps and much more.



• GeoNOVA is the Province of Nova Scotia's gateway to geographic information about Nova Scotia. Includes free maps and licensed data sets.



• Manitoba Land Initiative is the source for geo-spatial information from the Government of Manitoba. It is 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.



• 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.



• Alberta Geological Survey has a large selection of maps for different NTS areas of Alberta showing surficial and bedrock geology, drift thickness, groundwater/hydrogeology, and mineral resources. Their recent maps also include the GIS shapefiles and their interactive geological maps let you browse, query and download GIS data.



• AltaLIS (Alberta Data) Through a partnership with the Alberta Government and Spatial Data Warehouse (SDW), AltaLIS has been the 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: Data at this site is not free