Free Data and Software
Geospatial data and software are used to collect, analyze and interpret geographic information. Geomatics is the science of collecting, storing, analyzing and interpreting spatial data. Geospatial data can be used in a variety of applications such as mapping, surveying, navigation, land use planning, environmental monitoring, and resource management.
Geomatics data and software are used in industries such as agriculture, forestry, engineering, urban planning, oil and gas, and mining. Geomatics software includes Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite imagery, surveying and mapping software, and other specialized applications.
The combination of these technologies allow for efficient and accurate data collection and analysis, as well can be used to help identify trends and patterns in the environment, track the movement of animals and natural resources, and monitor the health of ecosystems. Geomatics data and software are essential for understanding and managing the Earth’s resources.
We use the “Free Data and Software” section of our site to share various information about free data & software that we use or know about. See the various pages listed further below for more information …
If you have information related to Free Data & Software that you think we should share here, then please do let us know.
GRASS GIS, commonly referred to as Geographic Resources Analysis Support System, is an open source GIS software that is commonly used for geospatial data analysis, data management, image processing, cartography, spatial modeling, and data visualization. It contains over 350 modules to help render maps, offers both an intuitive graphical user interface as well as command line, and is free!
Bathymetry is used to measure water depths to help model physical underwater terrain found beneath large bodies of water. Similar to the same way that LiDAR models are represent 3D features (or relief) of land terrain, bathymetric maps illustrate the terrain or land that is located under large bodies of water.
Download Bathymetry of Lake Ontario pre-made maps and GIS data ...
Landsat satellites provide us with images created from reflected and emitted energy in a variety of different wavelengths from the electromagnetic spectrum. Unlike earlier versions, Landsats 7 and 8 provide images from the visible spectrum as well as near-infrared, mid-infrared, and thermal-infrared bands
Landsat data for Canadian regions are available for free download. Below you will find links to many Canadian LandSat images.
Recently, someone contacted me looking for information on where they could find topographic map data for the Thunder Bay area, so I assumed that they must have already checked the Canadian data page, so suggested that they check out the Ontario Basic Mapping web site (OBM).
The Ontario Basic Mapping (OBM) site by the Geography Network is a great online resource with simplistic interactive interface that provides users tools to create customized map views and the ability to download various topographic base mapping data for the entire Province of Ontario. The site contains GIS layers created from 1:10,000 base maps from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources that people can download including layers for transportation, water, municipal, elevation, parks and conservation areas.
Today I have included more information about the OBM including a video on how to download free topographic data from the site.
One of the more popular desktop geographic information system (GIS) software packages available these days happens to be a free open source software, known as QGIS. Every one who works in the geomatics sector should make use of this great geospatial resource, and if you are not yet using QGIS then find out how you can get started ...
Canada Lands are any federal Crown lands belonging to the Crown, that are situated in Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut or in any National Park or Indian Reserve, as defined by the Indian Act. Digital cadastral data of Canada Lands depicting the internal and external boundaries is managed by Natural Resources Canada, and is made available for public use in a variety of formats.
Here are links to pre-made mapping products and digital cadastral datasets related to Canada Lands as well as the Canada Lands overlay in Google Earth file and the Canada Lands Survey System online map browser.
Data is a vital role in geomatics related projects and for many years we have been helping people find Canadian data resources. Here you will find a large list of Nova Scotia Online Maps and geospatial Resources ...
The province of Prince Edward Island continues to do a great job at making their aerial photography available to the public and this interactive map tool is your key to finding aerial photography for anywhere in Prince Edward Island that you can then use with ArcMap, MapInfo, Google Earth or any other GIS based software as well as other non GIS uses.
In Canada, data drives policy decisions, business decisions and community decisions. From national conversations about social issues to local campaigns for more park benches, our decisions are guided by geographic data - and when more people have access to authoritative data, the more informed these important conversations can be.
We live in the age of free and open source GIS, such as the popular QGIS platform. With a short primer on some geographic fundamentals, even non-technical users can successfully create their very own custom map.
