Spatial Resources Knowledge Exchange

This page provides links to various spatial data sciences and geo-analytics resources.  The page will be kept evergreen via periodic editing and updating of the content.  GIS-IG members are encouraged to submit items via the GIS-IG group chair.


1: Pan-Canadian data-set of neighbourhood retail food environment measures using Statistics Canada’s Business Register

Abstract: Food outlet data were extracted from Statistics Canada’s Business Register (BR) in 2018. Retail food environment access measures (both absolute and relative measures) were calculated using network buffers around the centroid of 56,589 dissemination areas in Canada. A k-medians clustering approach was used to create categorical food environment variables that were easy to use and amenable to dissemination. Validity of the measures was assessed by comparing the food environment measures from Can-FED with measures created using Enhanced Points of Interest data by DMTI Spatial Inc. and data from a municipal health inspection list. Validity was also assessed by calculating the geographic variability in food environments across census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and assessing associations between CMA-level food environments and CMA-level health indicators.

2: Status report – Geographic retail food environment measures for use in public health

Abstract: The Association of Public Health Epidemiologists in Ontario (APHEO) Core Indicators Work Group standardizes definitions and calculation methods for over 120 public health indicators to enhance accurate and standardized community health status reporting across public health units in Ontario. The Built Environment Subgroup is a multi-disciplinary group made up of planners, researchers, policy analysts, registered dietitians, geographic information systems (GIS) analysts and epidemiologists. The Subgroup selected and operationalized a suite of objective, standardized indicators intended to help public health units and regional health authorities assess their community retail food environments. The Subgroup proposed three indicators that use readily available data sources and GIS tools to characterize geographic access to various types of retail food outlets within neighbourhoods in urban settings. This article provides a status report on the development of these food environment indicators.

3: Ontario GeoHub Portal/Land Information Ontario

Abstract: Land Information Ontario ( LIO) helps public and private organizations and individuals find, access and share geographic data. LIO also coordinates the collection of aerial photography for Ontario. A great source for basemap layers.


4: Canada Open Data Portal

Abstract: Over 40-thousand Federal data sources.  You can search for specific data sources using the open data portal catalogue.  The catalogue is a downloadable dataset containing some key metadata for the general datasets available on the Government of Canada's Open Data portal.


5: MIT Libraries: GIS Data Lab

Abstract: This site is a good aggregator site for Canadian and international data sources and sites. The GIS library includes a collection of literature, data, software, and hardware, but also training and assistance in the use of GIS.


6: ESRI Canada Health GIS Hub

Abstract: This site brings together a wide range of data sources, from health administrative boundaries to public infrastructure and healthcare facility locations. This diversity of information allows users to explore the intersections between health and various social determinants.


7: Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium

Abstract: The CIHR-funded Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) collates and generates standardized area-level environmental data on air and noise pollution, land use, green/natural spaces, climate change/extreme weather, and socioeconomic conditions and links this data to existing Canadian cohort studies and administrative health databases.

8: Quality of Life Hub

Abstract: Learn about Canada's Quality of Life Framework and find the latest releases, data and reference material on subjective and objective measures of well-being.  Warning that the data table downloads can be very large which makes dealing with them in Excel somewhat difficult.  Best to use filters as much as possible.