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Basemap Updates for Canada – June 2017

The June basemap update includes updates from five contributors to the topographic basemap for Canada.

The topographic basemap on ArcGIS Online was updated this month with new Canadian content from 5 different contributors. These include the following:

Each of these 5 contributors made their data available to anyone for use through their open data sites. This is, in fact, the preferred route to participating in the Community Maps Program. It allows the contributor to participate in the program without any extra effort beyond maintaining their open data site — something that they would do anyway.

For some of these contributors, an update to the map means the latest changes in road alignments and building footprints are now shown. Some of these can be very small and hardly noticeable. In other cases, entire subdivisions might now appear.

For York Region and Peel Region, an update to the map means significant changes with the addition of data layers not previously included such as buildings and address points. The addition of such layers enhances the map considerably, as can be seen in the example below.

A portion of York Region around Aurora (Old map is on the left; updated map is on the right)

For a complete list of current Community Map participants in Canada, visit the Participant Map. For previous Canadian basemap updates published in 2017, see the following blog posts:

About the Author

Paul Heersink is a cartographer and Program Manager of Esri Canada’s Roads & Addresses Program: an initiative that is aiming to build a seamless topographic basemap using contributor data. He has over 25 years of cartographic experience, working in both the public and private sectors. Paul has always been interested in mapping and drew his own atlas at the age of 10. He took a detour in his career through the fields of psychology and social work before returning to cartography.

Profile Photo of Paul Heersink