CHAPTER 2

The GeoConnections Initiative

GeoConnections is an initiative led by the Canadian government to respond to challenges associated with advancing a culture and technology that supports the sharing and integration of geospatial data and services. This chapter:

2.1 What is GeoConnections?

GeoConnections is a national partnership initiative to make Canada's geospatial information accessible on the Internet. GeoConnections is funded by the Government of Canada from 1999-2000 through 2004-2005.

The federal government is contributing $60 million towards the GeoConnections Initiative, while provincial and territorial governments and the private sector are investing over $50 million in funding, technology and expertise. GeoConnections' shared decision-making processes are overseen by a management board that comprises representatives from the initiative's partners and stakeholders.

GeoConnections has two main roles:

  1. To facilitate the creation of the CGDI, which will make Canada's geospatial databases and services available online.

  2. To coordinate the investments and developments of the federal, provincial, territorial and private sector partners, who are contributing to the standards, protocols, access and maintenance processes of the fast-growing collections of geospatial data.

GeoConnections enables federal, provincial and territorial governments, along with the private and academic sectors, to work together to build the CGDI, ensuring fast, consistent and harmonized access to geospatial information and services for all Canadians.

GeoConnections also aims to:

2.2 GeoConnections' Mission Statement and Guiding Vision

According to its mission statement, "GeoConnections will foster the creation of a Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure to enable online access and sharing of geographic information and services".

GeoConnections' guiding vision is "To enable timely access to, and effective application of, geospatial data, information holdings and services in support of policy, decision making and economic activity through a cooperative interconnected infrastructure of government, the private sector and academia".

2.3 GeoConnections' Policy Thrusts

One of GeoConnections' roles is to find solutions to the policy issues involved in enhancing access to public geospatial data. To do so, the initiative has established five major policy thrusts, or directions, that support its mission and role in building the CGDI. They are:

  1. Access Data: Making geospatial data accessible on the Internet so that businesses, governments and Canadians can find and download geospatial information on demand, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

  2. Framework Data: Establishing a common structure for data that will make it easier to integrate information to speed decision-making and develop new information products.

  3. Geospatial Standards: Ensuring that geospatial resources are interoperable by using recognized standards, enabling Canadians to share information with other nations, and Canadian businesses to sell geospatial information technology and services in the global marketplace.

  4. Partnerships: Collaborating with various levels of government, the private sector and the academic community to capitalize on their collective expertise and to ensure seamless delivery of geospatial information, thereby avoiding duplication.

  5. Supportive Policy: Developing supportive policy at all levels of government to accelerate private-sector commercialization of geospatial information, and to develop l-commerce, integrated technologies and services.

2.4 GeoConnections' Programs

To implement these policy thrusts, GeoConnections supports the following seven programs:

  1. Access: Providing private industry, government agencies and the public with access to geospatial data, tools and services over the Internet and supporting efforts to create an interconnected national network that enables the use of geo-info by user communities.

  2. Atlas of Canada: Providing access to online geospatial information about Canada's physical, environmental, economic, social and cultural issues.

  3. Framework Data: Supporting the development of a consistent foundation to simplify the integration of geospatial information from different federal, provincial and territorial databases.

  4. GeoInnovations: An industry partnership program that is spurring the development of new CGDI applications, tools and services by bringing together expertise and resources from the public and private sectors.

  5. GeoPartners: A federal-provincial-territorial partnership that aims to facilitate data-sharing and information flow, by focusing on policy development, program management and communications.

  6. GeoSkills: Helping the Canadian geomatics industry to grow by promoting geomatics, and by supporting the development of geomatics skills and expertise.

  7. Sustainable Communities: Helping rural, remote and aboriginal communities to use geospatial data and tools to plan and manage their economic, social and environmental development.

2.5 Building the CGDI

GeoConnections is the catalyst for building the CGDI. Its role is to:

Thanks to the CGDI, a new generation of geospatial applications is being developed. It is worth noting, however, that GeoConnections is not building these applications itself: rather, the users who need them-such as federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments are partnering in their development. GeoConnections' role is to provide the infrastructure for the development of the applications, as well as incentives to use the CGDI.

GeoConnections actively supports several communities of practice. A community of practice is a group of people who share an interest about a topic (domain), who interact on an ongoing basis, and who accumulate and disseminate knowledge in areas such as the environment, health, sustainable development, disaster management, community planning, transportation, and business development.

 

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