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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

About Data

About Product

About access and use

GPS

Symbology

Miscellaneous

What is the National Topographic System (NTS)?

The National Topographic System (NTS) is a system of divisions used primarily for topographic maps of the Canadian landmass. Maps at the 1:250,000 scale are identified by a combination of numbers and letters from A to P (e.g. 13C).

A map at the 1:50,000 scale corresponds to 1/16 of a map at the 1:250,000 scale, with each unit numbered from 01 to 16. Adding the unit number to the 1:250,000 number produces a unique identifier (e.g. 13C09).

You will find more information on the referencing system of Canada at the following link: Topo 101.

What data-compression mode is used?

Data are compressed using ZIP compression format (.zip). It is strongly recommended to use the 7-ZIP software to uncompress large-size files.

What delivery medium is available?

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) are available for data download.

What are differences between HTTP and FTP downloading methods?

FTP stands for « File Transfer Protocol ». This is a communication protocol dedicated to file exchange and it allows downloads of several files simultaneously. FTP Protocol uses port 21 by default. Most of recent Web browsers authorize FTP connections. The use of a FTP client, in command line mode or with a graphic user interface, usually offers more advanced downloading options such as interrupted download resumption. There are many free FTP clients available such as FileZilla and SmartFTP. The use of FTP protocol being rather widespread, it is not very probable that the accesses using it are blocked. This protocol is recommended for download of a large number of files requiring a long period of download.

HTTP stands for « HyperText Transfer Protocol ». This is the communication protocol widely used on the World Wide web and supported by every Web browsers. FTP Protocol uses port 80 by default. The use of this protocol being strongly widespread, it is not very probable that the accesses using it are blocked. This protocol is recommended for download of small number of files.

How can I find the magnetic declination for a specific location?

You can look up the magnetic declination for a specific location by using the Magnetic declination calculator on the Web site of Natural Resources Canada's National Geomagnetism Program.

How can I get the coordinates for the neatline of a dataset in the NAD27 and NAD83 reference systems at the scale 1:50,000 and 1:250,000?

You can look up the coordinates for dataset neatlines based on NAD27 or NAD83 on the Web site of the Centre for Topographic Information in Sherbrooke at ftp://ftp.cits.rncan.gc.ca/pub/datum/.

What is the coverage of a digital data set at the scale 1:50,000 and 1:250,000?

A digital data set at the 1:50,000 scale covers about 1,100 km², or approximately 40 km (30 arc-minutes) by 28 km (15 arc-minutes). A digital data set at the 1:250,000 scale covers about 18,000 km², or approximately 160 km (2 degrees of arc) by 110 km (1 degrees of arc). A digital data set at the 1:250,000 scale covers the same area as 16 digital data sets at the 1:50,000 scale.

What is the difference among vector, raster and tabular data?

Maps, tabular data, summary statistics, and remotely sensed imagery are examples of geographic information that can be input to a GIS.

Raster charts are digitized by "scanning" the paper chart, using technology common in desktop publishing. Each tiny segment of each line on a chart is converted to a "raster" picture element or "pixel". These pixels are similar to a television picture. Beyond geo-referencing, there is no intelligence inherent in the image. For example, you may interpret a string of pixels to be the number "2" but the computer cannot do this.

CanMatrix product available on GeoGratis Web site is an example of raster data.

Vector charts are "smart charts" that carry geo-spatial intelligence within the data and have a database of information associated with them. For instance, on a vector chart you can click on different features, such as a road or a waterbody, and retrieve additional information on them. Vector charts also allow users more control over the display of the chart, such as the ability to turn different layers of information on and off.

CanVec product available on GeoGratis Web site is an example of vector data.

Tabular data is data shown under tab form.

North American Conservation Areas database (NCAD) product available on GeoGratis Web site is an example of tabular data.

What is the list of NTS numbers data sets at the scale 1:50,000 for each province and territory?

Click on the province or territory which you want to download in an EXCEL file the complete list of NTS numbers.

What are the main differences between CanVec and NTDB data?

The document Transition Guide NTDB to CanVec (PDF version, 177 KB) describes major differences existing between the two products.

Where can I find the validity date of the Digital Topographic Data for the products NTDB, CanVec and CanMatrix available on GeoGratis Web site?

In the compressed file (.zip) you download, you will find a metadata file available in two formats, the file extensions are .xml and .html. In the Identification Information section in the metadata file, you will find the validity date, for example in the 012B10 NTDB data set:

Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Range of Dates/Times:
Beginning Date:
1984
Ending Date:
1996
Where can I find the accuracy of the Digital Topographic Data for the products NTDB, CanVec and CanMatrix available on the GeoGratis Web site?

In the compressed file (.zip) you downloaded, you will find a metadata file available in two formats, the file extensions are .xml and .html.

In the Data Quality Information section, in the metadata file, you will find the accuracy of the data, for example in the 012B10 NTDB data set:

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Value:
15
Vertical Positional Accuracy Value:
20
How can I get the values for contour intervals and measuring unit (feet or metres) for the NTDB vector data?

For the NTDB datasets, you can download the file Intervals_NTDB.pdf which shows the list of all datasets with their contour intervals and the measuring unit. For the NTDB data sets at the scale 1:250,000 all data are in metric measuring unit.

In the metadata file (html or xml), you will find the information in the Abstract of the Identifiation Information section.

What is the necessary disk space to store the most popular products on GeoGratis Web site?

Product Format Nbrs files out of the complete coverage Space disk compressed Space disk non compressed 021E05/021E space disk non compressed
NTDB 1:50,000 Shape 11525 out of 11525 25 GB 100 GB 15 MB
NTDB 1:250,000 Shape 981 out of 981 3.15 GB 17 GB 8 MB
CanMatrix (georeferenced) 1:50,000 GeoTiff 12126 out of 12126 234 GB 700 GB 30 MB
CanMatrix (georeferenced) 1:250,000 GeoTiff 913 out of 913 11.8 GB 35 GB 66 MB
CanMatrix (Print ready) 1:50,000 Tiff 12119 out of 12119 251 GB 275 GB 329 MB
CanMatrix (Print ready) 1:250,000 Tiff 913 out of 913 8.4 GB 10.2 GB 22 MB
CanVec 1:50,000 Shape 14485 out of 14500 32.4 GB 104 GB 18 MB
CanVec 1:50,000 GML 14485 out of 14500 22.8 GB 198 GB 32 MB
CanVec 1:50,000 by province GDB 13/13 11.2 GB 15 GB  
CanVec 1:50,000 by province GML 13/13 15.6 GB 60 GB  
CanVec 1:50,000 for Canada GDB 1/1 20.5 GB 30.6 GB  
CanVec 1:50,000 for Canada GML 1/1 25.7 GB 127 GB  
CanImage 1:50,000 GeoTiff 13457 out of 13457 78 GB 180 GB 15 MB
Toporama 1:50,000 GeoTiff 13900 out of 14500 68.4 GB 320 GB 48 MB
How to import a file in Shape (.shp) format in the MapInfo GIS software?

Here is a guide which explains how to open a Shape file (.shp) in the MapInfo GIS software.

How to open the Canada 3D file with the Arc Map GIS software?

Here is a guide which explains how to open the Canada3D file with the Arc Map GIS software.

What are the main characteristics for CanMatrix-Print_Ready, CanMatrix-Georeferenced, Toporama and CanTopo products?

Characteristics CanMatrix-Print_Ready CanMatrix-Georeferenced Toporama CanTopo
Data Source Digital paper maps from NRCan Digital paper maps from NRCan NRCan Vector Data NRCan Vector Data
Output Type Polychrome, monochrome and photomap Polychrome, monochrome and photomap Polychrome Polychrome
Symbology Varies with the map style and publication date Varies with the map style and publication date Uniform through out Canada Uniform through out Canada
Scale 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 1:50,000 1:50,000
Projection UTM UTM UTM and Geographic Coordinates (Lat/Long) UTM
Map Surround Yes Yes No Yes
Georeference No Yes Yes Yes
Datum NAD27 or NAD83 NAD83 NAD83 NAD83
Format TIFF and PDF GeoTIFF GeoTIFF non compressed PDP, GeoPDF, TIFF, GeoTIFF
Resolution 300 dpi, polychrome (8 bits), monochrome (16 bits), for TIFF format only 300 dpi (8 bits, 256 grayscale levels) 72 dpi (RGB 24 bits) 300 dpi, polychrome (8 bits), for TIFF and GeoTIFF formats only
Use Paper map prints Reference Data Reference Data Paper map prints
% Coverage Limited at 90% of Canadian landmass at the 1:50,000 scale (12,126/12,126 files) Limited at 90% of Canadian landmass at the 1:50,000 scale (12,126/12,126 files) 97% of the complete coverage of Canada (13,900/14,500 files) Limited at 22% of Canadian landmass at the 1:50,000 scale (1,587/3,000 files)
Validity From 1944 to 2005 (Average of 1980) From 1944 to 2005 (Average of 1980) From 1944 to 2009 (Average of 1998) From 1946 to 2010 (Average of 2007)
Accuracy From 7 metres to Unknown From 7 metres to Unknown 30 metres or better 30 metres or better
Updates No No Yes (twice a year) No
What are the GeoPDF format advantages for CanTopo product?

We chose to also provide CanTopo in GeoPDF format because, as a georeferenced product, it provides simple and useful functionalities for non-GIS users. For example, a free toolbar available from TerraGo Technologies (http://www.terragotech.com/products/terrago-toolbar) will enable a user to:

  • Measure distance and area
  • View different coordinates
  • Zoom to a coordinate
  • Add 'GeoStamps', polygons, lines and comments
  • 'Google Map' a specific coordinate
  • Connect to a GPS device
  • Turn on/off layers in the file.

Additionally, the GeoPDF format is endorsed as a best practice by the Open Geospatial Consortium (http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/bp) and can be used in many GIS environments by advanced users.

What rights come with a GeoGratis licence agreement for unrestricted use of digital data?

An unrestricted-use end-user licence allows the licensee to use, incorporate, grant end-user licences to, modify, improve, develop and distribute the data. The licensee must, however, identify the source of the data on his derived products.

How do I access the digital files from the GeoGratis Web site?

There are four ways of accessing the digital files:

How can I find the corresponding NTS number for the region I want to download?

There are several tools that may help you:

  1. You can download data from the Index Maps of the National Topographic System of Canada product in PDF or GIF format.
  2. You can use the Toporama viewer on the Atlas of Canada website. Use the 'I' Get Info from Map in order to get map details such as NTS Number, Latitude/Longitude and UTM zone.
  3. For data collections having a large amount of datasets, several locations tools are availables. You can find a region of interest by:
    • Place (city, village, administrative area) or Feature name (lake, river, mountain)
      Note : Place and Feature Names must be current official names, as approved by the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (CPCGN).
    • Topographic Map Sheet Number (NTS)
    • Latitude and Longitude
  4. You can use data from the Vector Indexes of the National Topographic System of Canada product in Shape format. This product is also very useful for file management.
  5. You can use the Querying Canadian Geographical names tool
The data I downloaded are corrupted.

Every effort is made to ensure that the data sets on the GeoGratis Web site are structurally sound and compatible with users' needs. In some cases, however, data may be corrupted. If you have discovered such a situation, write to us at geoginfo@nrcan.gc.ca. The corrupted file will be repaired and made available.

I'm receiving an "Error 404: Page not found" message from your portal.

GeoGratis is a dynamic site and access paths change. If you have discovered such a situation, write to us at geoginfo@nrcan.gc.ca. Indicate the link in question and the date of the problem. Thank you for helping us keep the GeoGratis Web site in good working order.

Is file format .e00 compatible with ArcView software?

ESRI Arc/Info software export files are in .e00 format. ESRI ArcView software comes with an import program (import71) that converts .e00 files. The ArcView help files explain the process in detail.

Can I buy GeoGratis data on CD-ROM?

GeoGratis operates on a model that minimizes operating costs. The portal has no infrastructure for distributing data on storage media. Geomatics companies can download and convert the data and burn them on CD-ROM for you.

There is the option Download Directory on the left menu for the massive download. On the FTP site where is located the data, you can Copy/Paste the entire folder.

How can I perform format translation or coordinates transformation or geodetic reference system of the downloaded data?

GDAL/OGR library can be used to perform format translation and coordinates transformation. This library is a C++ open source library providing read and write access to a variety of vector file formats including Geography Markup Language (GML), ESRI Shape, Oracle and MapInfo MID/MIF or TAB. For more details, see the following link: http://www.gdal.org/ogr/

To convert geographic coordinates among a wide variety of coordinate systems, map projections, and datums: http://earth-info.nga.mil/GandG/geotrans.

Coordinate Converter for UTM, Lat/Long and ATS, free for Alberta and Northern BC only: http://www.maptown.com/coordinates.html.

To convert geographic coordinates in geodetic reference systems NAD27, NAD27 (CGQ77), NAD83 and NAD83 (SCRS). Geographic coordinate transformation: geographic coordinates and rectangular coordinates MTU, SCOPQ (MTM) and Lambert (Quebec only/French version only): www.mrnf.gouv.qc.ca/produits-services/syreq/syreq.jsp.

Geographic coordinate datum transformation or Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate datum transformation: http://www.geod.rncan.gc.ca/tools-outils/ntv2_e.php.

How can I open a data file in GeoTIFF format?

Data in GeoTIFF format can easily be read into any image software package that recognizes TIFF. And the GIS software which supports the georeference GeoTIFF maintains the image georeference automatically. More information about GeoTIFF can be found on the GeoTIFF site at remotesensing.org.

There are a few links to download a viewer. However, GeoGratis does not endorse nor provides any kind of support for these viewers.

You will find a list of free viewers at the following address: http://www.freegis.org.

GIS software open source list identified by OSGeo Foundation: http://www.osgeo.org/home.

Exhaustive list of GIS software: http://www.geoplan.ufl.edu/software.html.

How can I open a vector data file if I don't have a GIS software?

There are a few links to some free viewers. However, GeoGratis does not endorse and does not provide any kind of support for any of these viewers.

How can I convert a PDF file in WORD format?

You will find a free tool on the Smart Soft Web site at the following address: http://www.pdftodocconverterpro.com.

OpenOffice.org: http://www.openoffice.org.

The KDE on Windows project: http://windows.kde.org.

How can I read the vector data in Shape format in AUTOCAD software which the native vector format is DXF?

You can download a tool which permits to translate from SHAPE to DXF format at the following address:

Also, the FME Translator from Safe Software:

  • You can try this full-featured translator for 14 days with no restrictions: http://www.safe.com.
How can I do a massive download of data available on GeoGratis Web site?

You can use the GeoGratis Download Directory.

Is it possible to access the GeoGratis directory using a FTP client (for example Filezilla, BulletProof FTP, etc.)?

This method is more robust and is worth using when you download a large amount of files.

You need the FTP address where is the product to connect to a FTP client, for example:

To connect, follow these simple steps:

  1. Open a connection to the chosen FTP address in active mode
  2. Enter anonymous as useranme.
  3. Enter your e-mail address as password
How to create a grid in ArcMap using CanVec product?

Here is a guide which shows how to create a grid with the ArcMap GIS software.

Why GPS data doesn't fit on the right place on the Digital Topographic Data?

It depends on the GPS data's planimetric accuracy or the digital map's planimetric accuracy.

How to convert the format of data available on the GeoGratis Web site to display the data in my GPS?

An GPS Educational Toolkit is distributed by the Canadian Spatial Reference System. More specifically, the GPS-GIS toolkit for the general public document contains tips and tools on how to load GIS data into your GPS. Other GPS resources are also available:

Where can I download a symbology for the CanVec product in the Shape format to use with the Arc Map GIS software?

Here, the style sheet canvecEnglish.style which relates a symbology at the CanVec product entities with the Arc Map GIS software.

Note: The use of this symbology is unrestricted.

GeoGratis does not endorse nor provide any kind of support for any of this product.

How to import the symbol library in the style format in the Arc Map GIS software?

Here is a guide which shows how to import a symbol library in Style format with the Arc Map GIS software.

How to relate the canvec.style symbol library automatically with CanVec product entities with the Arc Map GIS software?

Here is a guide included an example of steps to follow to use a symbology tool. More, here is a project template (.mxd) which allows to display the symbology.

GeoGratis does not endorse nor provide any kind of support for any of this product and considers that you have the basic knowledge to understand the information contained in the guide.

How to relate the symbol library of the NTDB (National Topographic Data Base) product entities for the ARC MAP GIS software automatically?

Here is a guide included an example of steps to follow to use a symbology tool. Also, here is a project template (.mxd) which allows to display the symbology.

Here is the style sheet ntdb.style to obtain English attributes and bndt.style to obtain French attributes.

Note: The use of this symbology is unrestricted.

GeoGratis does not endorse nor provide any kind of support for any of this product and considers that you have the basic knowledge to understand the information contained in the guide.

The legend of topographic paper maps from Natural Resources Canada may also be helpful.

Where can I find the symbology for topographic maps applicable in the Adobe Illustrator software?

It is possible to download the symbology similar to the one used for the CanTopo product here.

What can I do if I can't find the data I need on the GeoGratis Web site?

If your GeoGratis searches are unsuccessful, we encourage you to visit the GeoConnections Discovery Portal (Canadian Earth Observation Network). There you will find a broad range of digital data and geomatics products and services. A search engine based on keywords, time periods and location uses an established protocol to find access portals and data sets throughout Canada and the world.

For example, you can search just for free data, vector data or data in a specific format.

Each provincial and territorial government distributes data which is more details.

If you are a distributor of geospatial data, you are invited to show the metadata of your products on the GeoConnections discovery Portal freely.

Other related websites:

Where can I buy paper topographic maps of Canada?

You will find the list of Regional Distribution Centres at the Canada Map Office.

Where can I purchase aerial photography?

The National Air Photo Library archives millions of aerial photographs covering all of Canada, some of which date back to the 1920s. To join one of their officers, call 1-800-465-6277

You can contact provincial governments, here some links:

There are also other distributor organisations of aerial photography which you can find on the Internet.

Where can I find the geographical limits of National Parks and Indian Reserves?

The National Framework Canada Lands Administrative Boundaries Level 1 data collection may fits your need.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Take note the Aboriginal Lands included in this product, are no longer distributed on the GeoGratis site as of December 2009. A new Aboriginal Lands product is now available on GeoBase site.

Where can I apply for a job in the Federal Government?

You have to fill up a form from Public Service Commission of Canada at the following address: http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/index-eng.htm.

How can I subscribe to receive news from GeoGratis Web site?

You are encouraged to register to GeoGratis user list, by making sure to allow us to use your email address for GeoGratis communications.

Where can I find resources available for teachers on natural resources in Canada?

Here are some online resources:

Where can I find historic maps of Canada?
Where can I find maps or geological data?

The Geological Survey of Canada is the agency responsible for the dissemination of geological data. More specifically, we recommend one of the following links:

To join one of their officers, call 1-888-252-4301

Where can I find the Cadastral data?

Federal Lands Cadastral Data are managed and distributed by the Canada Centre for Cadastral Management

The other cadastral data is distributed through provincial governments.

Date Modified: 2011-12-16

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