Canadian geospatial data from DMTI
This webpage provides access to detailed geospatial data of Canada. It includes datasets of streetfiles, parks, water bodies and rivers, rail infrastructure, business locations, digital elevation models, postal codes, and much more. All of the data listed is produced and provided by DMTI Spatial, and can only be used under certain conditions.
The layers from the CanMap Content Suite product can be downloaded from the Geoindex database. See the download instructions below.
These datasets are only available to students and faculty of Concordia University
The data on this webpage is produced and provided by DMTI Spatial Inc. Use of these files are restricted to staff, faculty, and students of the Concordia University, who is a participants in DMTI's Spatial Mapping Academic Research Tools (SMART) Program.
The files may be used for institutional planning, research, and teaching purposes only. The files should be properly cited in any paper, essay, or other publication which uses or analyzes data contained therein. Use of this data file requires your compliance with these conditions.
Layers from DMTI CanMap Content Suite can be downloaded from the Geoindex database. There are very helpful tutorial videos (and a user guide in French) available if you click on the question mark icon on the top right of the Geoindex window.
Here are the steps to download DMTI data in Geoindex:
- On the interactive map, Zoom in to the area you are interested in.
- In the search box on the left of the window, type in DMTI. This will display all of the DMTI layers in the central part of the screen
- Then sort the layers by Layer name
- Choose the layer you want, Watersheds for instance. At that point you can click on the eye icon next to the layer’s name to visualize the data.
- Click on the cart icon next to the layer you want to download.
- Click on the “Select an area” button at the bottom of screen
- Click on the rectangle or polygon icon and draw the area you want to download. NOTE: It is very important that you only select the zone that you want. If you choose an area that is too large, your download may be blocked because you will go over the download limit.
- Click on the “Extract” button
- In the “Terms of use” window, click on DMTI. That will display the DMTI use licence
- In the “End data” text box, enter a date by which you will no longer need the data
- If necessary, choose a data format and projection (the shapefile format is selected by default for vector data)
- Click on “Start extraction”
- Under menu (top right of the main screen), choose “My profile”, then “My extractions”
- In the “My extractions” window, you will first see "In Progress” under “Status”. Wait a few minutes and refresh the screen. You should then see “Completed” under “Status” and a download link will appear. However, if the status says “Validations failed” it is because the area you selected is too large. You may have to select a smaller area or download several small areas that cover the larger one that you are interested in. Note that downloading large raster files may take a long processing time before the status changes to “completed” and you obtain the download link.
CanMap Content Suite contains over 100 unique and rich content layers. Each layer has a unique file and layer name with associated definitions, descriptions, attribution and metadata. All layers, with a few exceptions, are vector data consisting of polygon, polyline, or point geometry representation. The layers are assigned to one of the categories listed in the table below.
This product includes previously independently issued datasets such as CanMap Routelogistics, CanMap Parks, CanMap Rail, CanMap Water, Enhanced Points of Interest.
For a complete list of the available layers see this index spreadsheet. For a description of the various entities, consult the Data Dictionnary.
| Category Name | Category Definition |
|---|---|
| Administrative Boundaries | Data related to Political, Geographic and other Boundaries and Places |
| Agriculture And Farming | Data related to the rearing of animals or cultivation of plants |
| Business And Economy | Places where economic activity is a primary feature; Goods and Services providers |
| Community And Culture | Places which serve the community and its culture |
| DeltaLayers | Areas where DMTI has updated its data over the last quarter |
| Elevation | Height above or below sea level and associated data |
| Government And Military | Data pertaining to Government and Military organizations |
| Health And Emergency Services | Human services related to health, justice and emergency services |
| Hydrography | All water and water related features or structures (man-made) |
| Industry And Resource | Data related to Industrial and Resource extraction activities |
| Land Cover | Description and characteristics of the land's surface. |
| Planning And Development | Data related to planning and development |
| Recreation And Tourism | Places and sites which are primarily used for recreation or tourism |
| Structures | Data related to any man-made objects including building and non-building structures |
| Transportation | Means and aids for conveying people and / or goods |
| Utilities And Communication | Data related to and derived from Communication and Technological infrastructure and Public Utilities: electricity, natural gas, water and sewage. |
The Canadian Atlas Map Bundle consists of the National Atlas Information Service (NAIS) 1:2 million, 1:7.5 million, and 1:30 million scale digital maps created by Natural Resources Can
Access: To obtain the data, please contact the librarian responsible for geospatial data
- GeoPinpoint Geocoding Software
GeoPinpoint is a software that attaches latitude and longitude coordinates to address data for map visualization, analysis or location based applications.
- Platinum Postal Code Suite .
Consists of 6-digit postal code areas and forward sortation areas.
The data, listed below, are DMTI datasets that cannot be downloaded. It is available to students and faculty of Concordia University. To obtain a data, please contact the geography librarian.
- 30 and 90 Meter Digital Elevation Model Data for Canada
The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) consists of an optimal array of ground elevations at regularly spaced intervals. - 30 and 90 Meter Clutter Data for Canada
Clutter data is classified as the man-made and natural features that may impair radio frequency propagation by reflection, diffraction, absorption or scattering of transmission waves
ArcGIS
ArcGIS is a fully operational Geographic Information System that is used to view, interpret, and analyse geospatial data. It can be used to create maps, calculate spatial statistics, and much more. The ArcGIS software is installed on stations W305-001 and W305-002 located on the 3rd floor of the Webster Library.
ArcGIS Explorer
ArcGIS Explorer is a free software that is used to view and do basic interpretations of geospatial data. It cannot be used to analyse the data. ArcGIS Explorer is available to download.
Open Source Geographic Information System Applications
There are several open source geographic information system applications available for download. Please note that most of the open source GIS applications do not have the same level of functionality as ArcGIS. For a list of open source GIS applications go to: http://gislounge.com/open-source-gis-applications/.
If you want to obtain one of the products listed on this page, or if you need more information on geospatial data, please contact the GIS and Data Services Librarian, Alex Guindon (alex.guindon@concordia.ca).