Provincial Geomatics Strategy

The provincial geomatics strategy is a corporate direction with evolving policies that foster the following ideals:

  • Efficient sharing of geospatial referenced data;
  • Partnerships and cooperation;
  • Standards that ensure the alignment and connectivity of data;
  • Internet/Intranet data directories, access and visualization of data layers;
  • Standard base maps;
  • Collection and maintenance of data at the responsible source agency;
  • Eliminating duplication of effort; and:
  • Fostering partnerships with federal agencies

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Objective of the Geomatic Strategy

“To establish Newfoundland & Labrador as a leader in Geomatics by means of partnerships to facilitate open access to georeferenced data, information, value-added data products and applications.”

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Geomatics Defined

Geomatics is an applied science which comprises the acquisition, analysis, management and distribution of spatially referenced information. Geomatics includes such activities as surveying, topographic mapping, marine charting, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS).

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Background Highlights

  • The GIS and Mapping Division of the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture has been building the foundation of geomatics (the geodetic reference system and base maps) for over 25 years.
  • During the 1990’s most of the base mapping was converted to digital format, and many GIS applications have evolved in government departments, based on the standard geodetic system and base maps.
  • In 1997, government approved, in-principle, a Geomatics Strategy and established a Steering Committee.
  • The GIS and Mapping Division has been designated lead agency responsibility for geomatics and is the provincial member of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Canadian Council on Geomatics (CCOG).

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Current Geomatic Projects

  • 1:10,000 scale orthophoto resource mapping (orthorectified image, DEM, and vector drainage packaged in a 10 km x 10 km tile);
  • Development and mainenance is continuing on a high precision GPS reference network (HPN) for the province;
  • Currently planning on an adjustment or changes from NAD83 CSRS to NATRF2022;
  • Creating raster images for aerial photographs contained in the Air Photo Map Library, by scanning existing film based photography. Where the film is not available, we are scanning the contact prints;
  • Creation of a digital Air Photo Index for all existing aerial photography and linking the index to its corresponding raster image.
  • Open Data

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