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Updates to the World Topographic Map

New contributor content has been used to update the World Topographic Map on ArcGIS Online

Data contributions provided by participants of the Community Maps Program have been used to improve the World Topographic Map that can be found on ArcGIS Online. Five new contributors were recently published and one previously published participant was updated. Some of today's updates have personal signifigance for me, as you will see.

The University of Alberta is the third Canadian university to be published on ArcGIS Online. Founded in 1905, the university is the fifth largest in Canada (and my alma mater). Its three campuses in Edmonton are all updated on the map for the 1:1k and 1:9k scales.

Figure 1.1: University of Alberta at 1:1,128

Located on the south shore of Vancouver Island, west of Victoria, is the District of Sooke. It’s scenic locale makes it a popular destination for the outdoor enthusiast. Data contributed by the district has improved the topographic basemap for the 1:1k to 1:9k scales.

Figure 1.2: Sooke, BC at 1:9,028

On the other side of the country, the Township of Loyalist is now on the World Topographic Map. Situated on the shores of Lake Ontario west of Kingston, it became the home of many United Empire Loyalists who settled there after the American Revolution. The updated basemap displays its contributed data at 1:1k to 1:9k.

Figure 1.3: Loyalist Township, ON at 1:4,514

A short way down Highway 401 lies Cobourg, Ontario, another new contributor to the World Topographic Map. Cobourg happens to be my birthplace and one of the houses shown on the snapshot below is where I spent the first six months of my life - a pleasant, short walk to the shores of Lake Ontario.

Figure 1.4: Cobourg, ON at 1:9,028

Drive down Highway 401 towards its western end and you'll find the community of Chatham-Kent - another place, coinicidentally, that I lived when I was a child. Chatham-Kent is a single tier municipality that includes the former city of Chatham and numerous, smaller towns such as Blenheim, Ridgetown and Dresden. The updated basemap displays its contributed data at 1:1k to 1:9k.

Figure 1.5: Downtown Chatham-Kent, ON at 1:9,028

Our last stop on the World Topographic Map update tour today takes us to the north. Yellowknife, Northwest Territories has previously been published on ArcGIS Online. This update includes updates to the data as well as a move over to the new topographic map design.

Figure 1.6: Yellowknife, NT at 1:9,028

All of these contributions were made through the Community Maps Program. For more information on participating, check out our Community Maps page or contact us directly.

About the Author

Paul Heersink is a cartographer and Program Manager of Esri Canada’s Roads & Addresses Program: an initiative that is aiming to build a seamless topographic basemap using contributor data. He has over 25 years of cartographic experience, working in both the public and private sectors. Paul has always been interested in mapping and drew his own atlas at the age of 10. He took a detour in his career through the fields of psychology and social work before returning to cartography.

Profile Photo of Paul Heersink