The true cost of spatial data in Canada

Dados Bibliográficos

ID8422166
AutoresBrian Klinkenberg (University of British Columbia, autor correspondente)
Ano2003
Volume47
Fascículo1
Páginas37-49
Data de publicação2003-02-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoCanadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0008-3658 • E-ISSN: 1541-0064
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1541-0064.02e11
OpenAlexW2121793091
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas9
Referências citadas6

The evolution of the Information Age, in Canada, has meant an unheralded parallel social evolution — the development of a class structure, if you will, that is tied to data accessibility. While other countries have made data freely available for use by industry, education and the public, Canada has opted to follow a restrictive data policy under which data are essentially available to a select few — those who can afford the prices. While anyone can purchase the data, not everyone can pay the price . The implications of this in our society are immense and are felt throughout our social structures. One obvious example of this is the lack of quality, high‐resolution Canadian data freely available for use in the Canadian education system, particularly in the university classes in which students today are usually introduced to GIS, visualization and data interpretation. Our students have data to work with, but often they are the freely available American data. They learn from examples derived in the mountains of Wyoming or the forests of Washington . How did this Canadian data restriction happen? In this paper, the evolution of GIS classicism is explored through examination of the evolution in Canada of GIS itself. The data situation elsewhere in the world is reviewed, the feasibility of ‘freeing’ data is discussed and a call for a radical change in the way data/information are handled in Canada is presented

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