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.

Nova Scotia Open data and other Free Geospatial Data sets

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.

Ontario’s Renewable Energy Atlas and Maps

Ontario’s Renewable Energy Atlas and Maps

/
0 Comments
The Renewable Energy Atlas was created to assist citizens be able to better recognize areas of Ontario's potential renewable energy and provide better information.
Interactive Historical Maps of Fredericton,

Interactive Historical Maps of Fredericton

/
0 Comments
A collection of historical maps and plans of Fredericton, New Brunswick are freely available to the general public.They have been georeferenced so that they can be visualized with various mapping applications (Google maps, Bing maps, Google Earth, ArcGIS etc.), includes metadata and tools for searching have been incorporated.
QMap - A field data collection program using QGIS

QMap – A field data collection program using QGIS

/
0 Comments
QMap - A field data collection program using QGIS QMap is…
Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum

New Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum

/
0 Comments
NRCan has recently made a new Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum available: CGVD2013, which is now the new reference standard for Canadian reference heights. This new height reference system replaces the Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1928 (CGVD28), which was adopted officially by an Order in Council in 1935 and has been used by organizations and individuals coast to coast for the past few decades. CGG2013 can be downloaded ...
Download Ortho Imagery for Central Nova Scotia

Ortho Imagery for Central Nova Scotia

/
0 Comments
On September 29th, 2003 Nova Scotia was hit by a category 2 hurricane that caused extensive damage northwards across the center of the province. Over the next few months, aerial photography was acquired to create digital orthomosaics from to help access the damage created by the hurricane. These digital orthos (MrSID image files at a scale of 1:24000) are available to the public for downloading.
Niagara Falls Online Maps & Open Data

New and Improved GeoGratis Website

/
4 Comments
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has recently launched a new update to the already innovative GeoGratis website. GeoGratis is a web portal that provides access to a wide collection of Canadian geospatial data, maps, images, and publications at no cost and without restrictions. All distributed data accessed via GeoGratis comes with an Unrestricted Use Licence Agreement that grants users a non-exclusive, royalty-free right and licence to exercise all intellectual property rights in the data including the right to use, incorporate, sub-license, modify, further develop, and distribute the data. Improvements to the new site made go much deeper then just minor cosmetic changes; the site is now easier to use and allows access to better search tools where one can now view and download all available geospatial data sets consolidated into the same web site. The new Platform also now better supports developers that want to create unique and innovative mapping applications with Canadian data, images and documents using one of the three available GeoGratis Application Programming Interfaces (API’s).
Free Georeferenced Topographic Map Sheets

Free Georeferenced Topographic Map Sheets

/
1 Comment
So far this year Natural Resources Canada has released over 350 updated or new topographic map sheets and made them available to the public in what they refer to as the CanTopo series. CanTopo is considered the next generation of topographic map sheets that provides quality spatial information that fully complies with international geomatic standards. The digital maps are considered multipurpose because they can be utilized for a wide range of uses from many different organizations and individuals. Georeferenced versions can also be used with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and other digital geographic data sets with various software packages such as Google Earth, ArcMap or Global Mapper. You can also simply print them and use them the way they are, as regular NTS paper maps, just like most of done for years.
Niagara Falls Online Maps & Open Data

Niagara Falls Online Maps & Data Downloads

/
2 Comments
The GIS folks at the City of Niagara Falls have done a great job with their efforts of supporting open government initiatives by providing Canadians with data sets to use in their own GIS software applications and also for providing the Falls Viewer for those that do not have access to GIS software. If you have a need for data in the Niagara Falls region or just want to play around with available data sets then we recommend that you take some time and check out the data sets and applications provided.
Niagara Falls Online Maps & Open Data

GeoSask Maps and Geospatial Information

/
0 Comments

Built and maintained by Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan, GeoSask is a centralized open data website by the Provincial Government providing free online access to different types of maps and geospatial information related to the province of Saskatchewan. It features free downloadable GIS data (with a few exceptions) available from participating Government of Saskatchewan departments and agencies.