Number 152, Newsletter - Association of Canadian Map Libraries

              ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN MAP LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES
BULLETIN
ASSOCIATION DES CARTOTHÈQUES ET ARCHIVES CARTOGRAPHIQUES
DU CANADA
NUMBER 152 / WINTER 2016
NUMÉRO 152 / HIVER 2016ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN MAP LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES /
ASSOCIATION DES CARTOTHÈQUES ET ARCHIVES CARTOGRAPHIQUES DU CANADA
MEMBERSHIP in the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives is open to both individuals and institutions having an interest in maps and the aims and objectives of the Association. Membership dues are for the calendar year and are as follows:
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Views expressed in the Bulletin are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Association.
The Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives gratefully acknowledges the financial support given by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Les opinions exprimées dans le Bullein sont celles des collaborateurs et ne correspondent pas nécessairement à celles de l’Association.
L’Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada remercie le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada pour son apport financier.
Vice President/President-Elect
Deena Yanofsky, Liaison Librarian
Humanities & Social Sciences Library
McGill University, Montréal, Québec
deena.yanofsky@mcgill.ca
Past President / Président sortant
Rosa Orlandini
Librarian and Head of Map Library
102 Scott Library
York University, Toronto, ON
rorlan@yorku.ca
Treasurer / Trésorier
Rebecca Bartlett
GIS and Digital Resources Librarian
MADGIC, Carleton University Library
Carleton University, Ottawa, ON
rebecca.bartlett@carleton.ca
Secretary / Secrétaire
Marilyn Andrews
Spatial and Numeric Data Services
University of Regina Library
University of Regina, Regina, SK
Marilyn.Andrews@uregina.ca
President / Président
Siobhan Hanratty
Data/GIS Librarian
Government Documents, Data, and Maps
UNB Libraries
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
president@acmla-acacc.ca
Vice President Communications and Outreach / vice-président aux
Communications et Rayonnement
Tracy Sallaway
Data and GIS Support Specialist
Maps, Data & Government Information Centre - Data & GIS
Thomas J. Bata Library
Trent University, Peterborough, ON
tracyarmstrong@trentu.ca
Vice President Professional Development / vice-président au
Développement professionel
Jason Brodeur
Manager, Maps/Data/GIS
Mills Memorial Library
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
brodeujj@mcmaster.ca
ACMLA MAILING ADDRESS / ACACC ADRESSE D’AFFAIRES
Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives /
Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada
PO Box 60095
University of Alberta Postal Outlet
Edmonton AB T6G 2S4
website: <http://www.acmla-acacc.ca>
Digitized ACMLA Bulletin collection: <http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/landingpage/collection/acmla>Bulletin Staff / Collaborateurs
Editor:
Eva Dodsworth
Geospatial Data Services Librarian
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1
tel: (519) 888-4567 x 36931
email: edodsworth@uwaterloo.ca
New Books and Atlases Editor:
Vacant
New Maps Editor:
Cheryl Woods
Map & Data Centre
Western University
London, Ontario N6A 5C2
tel: (519) 661-3424
email: cawoods@uwo.ca
Reviews Editor:
Sarah Simpkin
GIS and Geography Librarian
University of Ottawa
309E, Bibliothèque Morisset Library
sarah.simpkin@uottawa.ca
Regional News Editor:
Tomasz Mrozewski
Data, GIS and Government Documents Librarian / Bibliothécaire pour les données, les services géospatials et les documents gouvernementaux
Bibliothèque J.N. Desmarais Library
935 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6
tmrozewski@laurentian.ca
Geospatial Data and Software
Reviews Editor:
Andrew Nicholson
GIS/Data Librarian
University of Toronto at Mississauga
3359 Mississauga Rd. North
Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6
email: anichols@utm.utoronto.ca
GIS Trends Editor:
Barbara Znamirowski
Maps, Data and Government Information Centre (MaDGIC)
Thomas J. Bata Library
TRENT UNIVERSITY
Peterborough, Ontario
Canada K9J 7B8
bznamirowski@trentu.ca
BULLETIN DE L’ACACC
NUMÉRO 152 HIVER 2016
ACMLA BULLETIN
NUMBER 152 WINTER 2016
ON THE COVER...
Chart of Hillsborough Bay, and the Harbour of Charlotte Town, 1839.
Published in 1992 by ACMLA. Reproduced by Prince Edward Island Public Archives and Records Office, Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Table of Contents
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE - Siobhan Hanratty 2
PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES - Deena Yanofsky 3
New Tools for Military Historians: How GIS Can Help 4
Understand Canada’s North-West Europe Campaign
- Trevor Ford
Historical Map Digitization in Libraries: Collaborate 14
Approaches for Large Map Series - Sarah Simpkin, et al
CARTO 2016 : CALL FOR PAPERS 29
POWER LINE EXPLORER: USING HISTORICAL 33
TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS TO LOCATE EARLY
POWER LINES - Ted Wilush
GIS DAY: A SUMMARY ACROSS UNIVERSITY 36
LIBRARIES
SVEN HEDIN’S SURVEY METHODS IN CANADA? 40
- David Malaher
CATCHING UP ON MAGIRT - Paige Andrew 41
REVIEWS
Abstract Machine: Humanities GIS - Tomasz Mrozewski 43
Discovering and Using Historical Geographic 44
Resources on the Web: A Practical Guide for Librarians - Lindsay Bontje
Historical Atlas of Canada: Canada’s History Illustrated 45
with Original Maps - Courtney Lundrigan
The Map Design Toolbox - Sarah Simpkin 46
Using Google Earth in Libraries: A Practical 46
Guide for Librarians - Brian Jackson
REGIONAL NEWS - Tomasz Mrozewski 48
NEW MAPS - Cheryl Woods 51
GEOSPATIAL DATA AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS - 53
Sources of Canadian Business Point Data
- Lucia Gambetti-Bracco, and Leanne Trimble
GIS TRENDS - Barbara Znamirowski 57ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
2
New Structure of the Executive Board
As the first president of the ACMLA/ACACC to be serving under the new organizational structure, I am
pleased to report that for the most part, the transition has been smooth. For those who are interested in
what committees and appointed positions might have changed, below is a brief review. I would like to
thank everyone who has served as a chair or committee member under the former structure and welcome
all newcomers to their new roles.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Election of Officers
Under the new Rules of Procedure (http://acmla-acacc.ca/docs/ACMLA_rules_of_procedure.pdf), our
Vice President/President Elect serves for one year, becomes our President the following year, and the Past
President the year after this. As a result, every year we must elect a new Vice President/President-Elect.
If you are interested in serving, I would encourage you to let your name stand.
Carto 2016
The annual conference and AGM of the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives/Association des
cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada will be hosted by the University of New Brunswick, NB,
14-17 June 2016. Our theme this year, “50 years: Mapping our past; Navigating our future,” celebrates the
important contributions made by map collections, archives, and the ACMLA and invites considerations of
our roles in preserving and providing cartographic and geospatial information in the future. The Program
Committee and Local Arrangements Committees are looking forward to seeing you all in Fredericton, NB.
Conclusion
As I finish my last President’s Message, I would like to thank my fellow executive board members who
have all been wonderful colleagues. I look forward to working again with Deena Yonofsky (Vice President/
President-Elect), who will be our new President, as well Marilyn Andrew (Secretary), Rebecca Bartlett
(Treasurer), Jay Brodeur (VP professional Development), Tracy Sallaway (VP Communications and Outreach),
and our new Vice President/President-Elect (TBD). Our (current) Past President, Rosa Orlandini, will be
leaving the executive after many years of serving in a variety of roles. Rosa has dedicated a considerable
amount of time and effort to the Association, and her dedication has been greatly appreciated by all.
Siobhan Hanratty
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
3
ACMLA BULLETIN SPECIAL SECTION
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Since the appearance of the first scientific journals more than 300 years ago, peer review has
been a formal part of scientific communication. Today, the peer review system results in an
estimated 1.5 million scholarly articles published each year and is fundamental to the appropriate
validation of scientific findings. Not insignificant is also the intention that peer review signals;
because it indicates that research has been evaluated by an independent panel of experts in the
field, peer review is also an important consideration for membership in the scholarly community.
Drawing inspiration from well-established peer review journals in library and information
sciences, we hope that this special section of the ACMLA Bulletin will be the first step
to establishing the association’s scholarly journal as a viable venue for members of our
community to share their valuable contributions in a recognized, peer-review publication.
I would like to extend a very special thank you to the authors, peer reviewers, and editors
who volunteered their time and expertise to making this inaugural section come together.
Deena Yanofsky
VP/President-Elect, ACMLA
Associate Librarian, McGill University
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
4
NEW TOOLS FOR MILITARY HISTORIANS: HOW GIS CAN HELP
UNDERSTAND CANADA’S NORTH-WEST EUROPE CAMPAIGN
Trevor Ford
LCMSDS, Wilfrid Laurier University
trevor.ford@canadianmilitaryhistory.ca
PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE
The use of geographical information systems
(GIS) has exploded both in the private and public
sectors. Not surprisingly, librarians and archivists
have staked out a large role with GIS in the public
sector through their efforts to preserve and
maintain geospatial data collections. Their efforts
have had cross-disciplinary ramifications which
include the use of geospatial data collections in
military history. In the Canadian context, military
histories have in the past been heavily reliant on
traditional sources such as interviews, diaries,
and official transcripts of events without any real
thought given to geographical information beyond
the odd topographical map. This oversight is not
due to lack of historical geographic data, but more
so because of its perceived lack of importance.1
This paper intends to highlight how GIS can
significantly add to the study of military history and
the potential value of GIS projects to the discipline.
For many post- Second World War Canadian
historians, Canada’s North-West Europe front
has tended to highlight the failure of an ill
equipped and poorly led Canadian army against
a battle-hardened and ferocious German military.
In the years immediately after the war, Canadian
historians were quite critical of the army’s
performance. Even Canada’s official war historian,
Colonel C. P. Stacey, confirmed the Canadian’s failure
against the German army stating that the initial
invasion of Normandy in France was a classic example
of their performance, writing that “man for man and
unit for unit, it cannot be said that it was by tactical
superiority that we won the Battle of Normandy.”2
In fact, Stacey believed that it was simply a
matter of overwhelming numbers that led the
Allies (Americans, British and Canadians) to
victory over the Wehrmacht in Normandy – a
common theme persistent until the end of the war.3
Stacey’s first impression of Canadians’ battlefield
abilities in his 1960 official history The Victory
Campaign has persevered among others. Historians
1When the Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War was released in 1960 the main focus for
sources used were war diaries, operational reports and personal officer notes. This “top-down” type history that
many other later histories would also come to use was not uncommon for its time but it overlooks a variety of sources
such as geographic data. An excellent indicator of this is the use of actual topographical maps in the official histories
themselves. For the Official history of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Vol II The Canadians in Italy, 1943-
1945 only 25 topographical maps are used in a book of over 700 pages in length. In the Official History of the Canadian
Army in the Second World War, Vol III The Victory Campaign: The Operations in Northwest Europe, 1944-45, which is
again over 700 pages, only 14 maps are used. Of the maps that are examined, they are more so focused on formation
movement than terrain analysis. The lack of overall use of geographical data in Canada’s official histories is indicative
to the perceived role of perspective geographic tools were to early military historians.
2Colonel C. P. Stacey, Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Volume III, The Victory Campaign:
The Operations in North-West Europe, 1944-1945 (Ottawa: Queen’s Printer, 1960), p. 274.
3Wehrmacht is the German word for the united armed forces of Nazi Germany – this included both regular army
units and the Waffen SS both of which faced off against the Canadians in Normandy and beyond. Stacey’s belief in the
“overwhelming the enemy theory” comes across repeatedly in his works and other scholars have taken note. See Terry
Copp’s, Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe, 1944-1945 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007),
p. 83 for a detailed account of Stacey’s beliefs.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
5
have tended to focus, as Stacey had, on the
recollections of both senior, and to a lesser extent,
junior officers in the Canadian army and their British
counterparts. Thus, history has not been kind to the
Canadian soldiers who fought in Europe during the
Second World War. This began to change in the early
1990s.4 Historians began to reassess individual
narratives of soldiers and take account of terrain
and geography. Historian Terry Copp was perhaps
the most inclined to take the latter into account in
his seminal book Fields of Fire: The Canadian’s in
Normandy. His biggest contribution was taking into
account what a small gradient in slope could have
in a battle in his aptly titled book: Fields of Fire -
which highlights how inclines can affect fire ratios
of artillery and small arms, potentially giving an
entrenched defender a massive tactical advantage.
Copp stated that “it would be difficult to write
about this or any other military campaign
without a detailed knowledge of the ground.”5
It is from Terry Copp’s appreciation of terrain
and geographical features, including craters, that
historians, particularly military historians, can build
on their understanding of the past by integrating GIS
into basic historical work. As stated above, historians
tend to focus on more traditional sources such as
paper and oral testimony. Military historians have
been particularly these sources when explaining
military campaigns.6 Although extreme geographic
changes (and in Copp’s case terrain analysis) are
acknowledged, GIS has yet to be implemented as
a scholarly source. Although using basic sources
are proven to be beneficial and is a step in the
right direction, military historians should move on
from geo-referenced maps and terrain analysis. By
its very nature, GIS collects a variety of intangible
data such as air photos and defence overprints that,
by themselves, do not offer much, but combined,
they can expand our understandings immensely.
This complex data goes far beyond any simple
geographic exploration because the collected
intangibles are invaluable to military historians
looking to examine an engagement where a
shell, mortar crater, or shifted trench line could
prove decisive in understanding the outcome.
This can only be done with the accuracy of GIS.
As of 2015, the Laurier Centre for Military
Strategic and Disarmament Studies (LCMSDS) at
Wilfrid Laurier University began a partnership
with the University of Waterloo’s geospatial centre
in hopes of creating a geographic information
system that explores the First Canadian Army’s
Figure 1. Canadian soldiers fire into a battered house
during the battle for Caen, France, June 10, 1994.
Source: LCMSDS Photo Archive – LMH-P09878
4John A. English published a monograph on the Normandy campaign that questions Stacey’s argument. He is arguably
one of the first to take a different tone on the abilities of the Canadian soldiers fighting in Europe, however, his work
solely focused on the soldier’s point of view with very little terrain analysis or other geographic exploration. See John
A. English’s The Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign (Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1991). For a
complete historiography on those who have written on Canada in the Second World War see Tim Cook, Clio’s Warriors:
Canadian historians and the Writing of the World Wars (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2006).
5Terry Copp, Fields of Fire: The Canadian in Normandy (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003), p. XIV.
6Military historians usually prefer to stay on the operational or strategic level of analysis. This history typically sticks
to what the commanders and the overall higher chain of command decided and carried out. Unfortunately, historians
of this trade have been accused by social historians of overlooking more important content from the tactical level
where the lower rank soldiers were, this includes tactical level maps and geography. See John Keegan’s The Face of
Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme (New York: Viking Books., 1976). Keegan was arguably one of
the first military historians to argue for the need to move beyond great men and examine other sources of interest.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
6
hope that this data arrangement will be made
available to both academics and the public
alike; therefore, creating a system with few
restrictive boundaries, while also providing a
layered map system that can be manipulated by
individuals to better understand the campaign.
What makes this GIS project original are the
sources used to create the layered map. Over
the course of the past thirty years, LCMSDS has
been collecting thousands of maps, which include
hundreds of defence overprints.7 These overprints
are 1:25,000 scale topographical maps that have had
known enemy positions printed onto the map itself.8
These positions came from aerial observation
flights conducted from 1944-1945 by the Royal
Canadian Air Force and other allied air forces.9
These overprints were vital for the soldiers on
the ground during the war, as they typically
planned their operations around these maps.10
Figure 2. C. P. Stacey
Source: Library and Archives Canada – PA-501025
Figure 3. Terry Copp
Source: LCMSDS Photo Archive – LMH-P05142
advance through North-West Europe during the
Second World War. The project members include
Eva Dodsworth, Dr. Geoffrey Hayes, and Trevor
Ford. Dodsworth, who heads the Geospatial
Centre at the University of Waterloo, has been
instrumental in starting the project and supplied
the services of her centre to this project. Dr. Hayes,
also at the University of Waterloo, has been the
visionary for what uses can be gleamed out of
the project while Trevor Ford, a PhD Candidate
and Archival Manager at LCMSDS, has provided
the archival materials (maps and air photos).
From the beginning, the goals of the project were
simple. Using source maps and photos from LCMSDS’
collection and along with the Geospatial Centre’s
expertise of Google Earth and georeferencing, a GIS
platform is being built to catalogue Canadian battles.
In using GIS for each military engagement and
reassessing traditional historical records, a spatial
data infrastructure is being created. It is the team’s
7Currently LCMSDS has over 3,000 maps of which approximately 213 are defence overprints.
8There are some scaled to 1:50,000 but they focus solely on the Italian Front.
9Edgar F. Raines Jr., Eyes of Artillery: The Origins of Modern U.S. Army Aviation in World War II (Washington D.C.: Center
of Military History United States Army, 2000), p. 11.
10Interestingly enough these Defence Overprints have been largely overlooked by military historians because they focus
too heavily on the tactical level – which as stated above tend to be of little interest to those who prefer to stay on the
operational or strategic level.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
7
Figure 4. Defence Overprint: Caen Defences, 1944; Source: LCMSDS Map Archive – LMH-M00343
Figure 5. Section of ‘Defence Overprint: Caen Defences, 1944’ that details gun positions, machine
gun nests, and artillery pits; Source: LCMSDS Map Archive – LMH-M00343
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
8
The idea of defence overprints was not new in
Second World War. During the First World War,
observation balloons marked enemy trenches and
artillery positions on a map. These maps, which
military historians now call trench maps, were used
in both small operational plans and large strategic
aims. As the war continued, the air war brought forth
fighter pilots on both sides in an attempt to control
the skies so the observers could mark out targets.11
Because entire operations were decided on the
accuracy of the trench maps, military commanders
came to view air observation as key to any successful
campaign. This lesson was taken in by many during
the Second World War. The Allies used a more refined
version of the trench map – the Defence Overprint.
After the war, most of the maps were sent back
to Ottawa and given to the Historical Section
under Colonel Stacey. Eventually, after years of
gathering dust, they were discarded and LCMSDS
accepted them into their collection in the early
1990s. Since then, they have proved invaluable
in assessing the obstacles that advancing units
faced albeit enemy positions or geographical
hurdles. What further makes these overprints
practical for historians is that they match up
exactly with air photos taken during the war.
LCMSDS has the largest collection of Second World
War air photos in Canada. These photos, as with
the defence overprints, follow the First Canadian
Army from 1944-1945. Reconnaissance flights
would fly steadily at a certain height snapping
photos of the Earth at small time intervals. The idea
was that entrenched enemy units and geological
deformities such as flooding of the land, something
the Germans did regularly to impede the Canadian’s
advance, would be noted and relayed to the ground
forces. The photos taken were handled by the Air
Photo Interpretation Section of the First Canadian
Army in order to plot out advance routes and
enemy positions for the mapping section. After the
war, the photographs were sent to the air photo
interpretation school at Rivers, Manitoba. When
the Canadian Forces closed the base in 1971, the
collection was sent to the Canadian War Museum
in Ottawa. Unable to find adequate storage for
the photos (as they number over 130,000),
the War Museum allowed LCMSDS to acquire
them.12 All 130,000 have since been digitized and
cataloged by flight number, location and date.13
With these two excellent sources, LCMSDS and
the Geospatial Centre at University of Waterloo
have been constructing an online geospatial map
visualization tool. After considering a number of
online GIS products, it was quickly realized that
ease of access to the platform was of the utmost
importance. Two of the most popular online
mapping tools include Google Maps and Google
Earth - both of which offer free online access to the
programs and support organizing and hosting the
map images and metadata. Google Maps will act as
a repository for the metadata, while highlighting
troop paths, and offering KML map files for
download. The KML files can then be viewed in
Google Earth. Once the project is complete, it will
be listed within the Google Maps Gallery section.
11Lee Kennett, The First Air War: 1914-1918, (New York: Free Press, 1999), p. 42.
12Terry Copp was then Director of LCMSDS at the time and gladly took them on for preservation. This was an added
bonus too as they significantly furthered his research with Fields of Fire.
13Beginning in 2011 LCMSDS with the support of a number of private donors began a systematic process of cataloging
and digitizing the photographs. A team of dedicated student employees and volunteers at LCMSDS have not only
scanned all of the photos but also created a preliminary inventory and a basic finding aid. This preservation phase of
the project was completed in August of 2013 with minor work continuing to present.
Figure 5. Sample
Air Photo 3079,
Sept 11, 1944 –
Netherlands
Source: LCMSDS
Air Photo Archive
– LMH-A111-3079
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
9
In order to enable viewing of the maps in
Google Earth, each defence overprint map and
corresponding aerial photograph was scanned and
georeferenced. ArcGIS was used to georeference
each image and Google Earth was used to create
the image KML outputs. Shapefiles were created
to indicate map coverage, which were then also
converted into KML format and uploaded into Google
Maps. Each coverage polygon has a map associated
with it, and once users click on the polygon, a link to
download the map in KML format becomes available.
Each image includes a description, and with the
troop paths drawn out, a working platform was
created to allow for manipulation by the user to
garner a greater understanding of the Canadian
war effort in North-West Europe by allowing
historians the ability to reassess with a new
tool. In many ways, historical reassessments are
critical to our understanding of the past. More
importantly, this project should be seen as a
first attempt to use GIS with military history as
future project from other campaigns and wars
could greatly benefit from the application of GIS.
Although this project is in its early stages, Google
Figure 7. Sample Defence Overprint georeferenced and layered onto Google Earth
Source: University of Waterloo Geospatial Centre; Google Earth
mapping products are being used to demonstrate
the potential of these visualization tools. The
most time consuming component of this project
was the georeferencing of the maps; which took
just over three months to do. Developing the
final map project lasted only several weeks.
Moving forward, however, the team would like to
incorporate these maps into a more sophisticated
GIS program where searching for maps and
viewing the maps can be done together. Creating a
mapping interface, similar to the Scholars GeoPortal
would be ideal and is something the Geospatial
Centre is currently considering. Furthermore,
this project has the potential to expand itself
from simply the Canadian North-West Campaign.
For Canadian military history an examination on
other conflicts based on the GIS system we are
proposing could expand pre-existing historiography.
Good examples of this could include the First
World War, the Second World’s Italian Campaign
and even Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan.
Another avenue this project has potentiality with
is with modern-day bomb disposal. Over the past
two years, LCMSDS has had relations with bomb
disposal groups in the Netherlands and Germany,
which use both its archival maps and air photos
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
10
to help identify possible unexploded ordinance.
Unfortunately, only individual air photos and
defence overprints are used. A manipulated GIS
platform would only help further this effort, as
the database would focus on certain tell-tale
signs of live explosives from both air photos and
maps along the Canadian campaign route. If this
project was made available to the bomb hunters,
having both air photos and overprints layered in
a Geographic Information System, the end result
would be invaluable. Other HGIS research could
also be carried out using this project’s approach.
Both University of Toronto Mississauga and McGill
University Libraries have extensive air photo
collections.14 These air photos, which cover most
of Ontario and Quebec, could be combined with
like area topographical maps to create a GIS system
similar to the project highlighted in this paper.
Ultimately, it is the hope of this project’s team
that the creation of a comprehensive geographic
information system, matched by easy access and
manipulation, will allow the public and scholars to
better understand Canadian’s actions in the Second
World War. Battles throughout Canada’s North-West
Europe Campaign should be re-assessed to highlight
changes in terrain and elevations. This is not to say
that previous scholarship of the Canadian campaign
done with GIS is faulty. Instead, a database like
this should be seen simply as an additional tool,
albeit a vital one, in the historian’s arsenal to better
understand an already misunderstood campaign.
Bibliography
Cook, Tim. Clio’s Warriors: Canadian Historians and
the Writing of the World Wars. Vancouver: University of
British Columbia Press, 2006.
Copp, Terry. Cinderella Army: The Canadians in
Northwest Europe, 1944-1944. Toronto: University of
Toronto Press, 2007.
Copp, Terry. Fields of Fire: The Canadian in Normandy.
Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003.
Dodsworth, Eva H. and Andrew Nicholson. Using Google
Earth in Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians. New
York: Rowman & Littlefield Inc., 2015.
English, John A. The Canadian Army and the Normandy
Campaign. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1991.
Keegan, John. The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt,
Waterloo and the Somme. New York: Viking Books, 1976.
Kennett, Lee. The First Air War: 1914-1918. New York:
Free Press, 1999.
Raines Jr., Edgar F. Eyes of Artillery: The Origins of
Modern U.S. Army Aviation in World War II. Washington
D.C.: Center of Military History United States Army, 2000.
Stacey, Colonel C. P. Official History of the Canadian
Army in the Second World War, Volume III, The Victory
Campaign: The Operations in North-West Europe, 1944-
1945. Ottawa: Queen’s Printer, 1960.
14 Dodsworth, Eva H, and Andrew Nicholson, Using Google Earth in Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians (New
York: Rowman & Littlefield Inc., 2015), p. 26.
Trevor Ford is a third year PhD Candidate at Wilfrid Laurier University. Having started his doctorate at Memorial
University of Newfoundland in 2013 under the supervision of Dr. Mark Humphries, Trevor was offered the chance to
come to WLU with Mark in order to continue his studies and join the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic Disarmament
Studies in 2014 as Archival Manager. Since his arrival, Trevor has completely reorganized and catalogued LCMSDS’
holdings, including a year-long scanning project that digitized all of the Centre’s maps. He has just finished setting
up LCMSDS’ new website waterlooatwar.ca, which chronicles the Waterloo County based 118th Battalion during the
First World War. Trevor is currently working on several different projects, including one that is a joint venture with the
University of Waterloo’s Geospatial Centre, where LCMSDS’ maps are being geo-referenced and added to Google Maps.
With help from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Joseph-Bombardier Research
Scholarship and under the supervision of Dr. Humphries, Trevor’s doctoral research covers the role of the Canadian military’s
intelligence units and their domestic activities during the First World War. Trevor specifically examines the Military
Intelligence Branch and their conduct against real and perceived enemies during and immediately after the war. This subject
is not only unexplored but is also highly relevant to today’s national security apparatus and the wider concept of state
security in Canada. Trevor has published three articles on this subject and is currently working on a book of collected letters.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
11
PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE
1 Introduction
Academic libraries are playing a role
in the digitization of Canadian government
documents1,2,3 but maps tend to be excluded from
these activities due to their unique dimensions
and display requirements. Using a topographic
map digitization project as a case study, this
paper presents a collaborative approach to
map scanning, georeferencing, and metadata
creation across several Ontario universities.
Collectively, the 21 institutions making up
the Ontario Council of University Libraries
(OCUL) possess and maintain large volumes of
Canadian topographic maps. However, few OCUL
universities hold complete sets of these map series.
While the Canadian government’s most recent
topographic maps are now available online, older
editions of these maps have not been digitized.
This project, currently underway at several
participating universities, will enable us to share
digital versions of some of our most-requested
historical map series with the public at large.
Topographic maps are commonly used by
researchers interested in examining changes
over time (urban sprawl, transportation patterns,
diminishing woodlots, shoreline erosion, etc.) and
we believe that digitizing, georeferencing, and
publishing the maps online will augment their use
in teaching, research, and public use applications.
In addition, since many of the maps were published
prior to 1966, a majority are considered to be in
the public domain (meaning that the copyright
term of protection has expired) and they may be
reproduced without permission; hence, they are
shareable with the wider public. Providing online
access to these historical map collections will be
a valuable addition to the Canadian historical GIS
resources that are currently available on the web.
In this paper, we describe and discuss the
collaborative approach that OCUL member
institutions are currently undertaking to
digitize all of Ontario’s public-domain historical
topographic maps at the 1:25,000 and 1:63,360
HISTORICAL MAP DIGITIZATION IN LIBRARIES:
COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES FOR LARGE MAP SERIES
Sarah Simpkin, University of Ottawa
sarah.simpkin@uottawa.ca
Jason Brodeur, McMaster University
brodeujj@mcmaster.ca
Cheryl Woods, Western University
cawoods@uwo.ca
Amber Leahey, Scholars Portal
amber.leahey@utoronto.ca
Colleen Beard, Brock University
cbeard@brocku.ca
Sharon Janzen, Brock University
sjanzen@brocku.ca
1Accessed at https://archive.org/details/governmentpublications
2Accessed at https://agiig.wordpress.com/noteable-digitization-projects
3Accessed at http://govinforegistry.blogspot.ca
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
12
scales. Additionally, we document our process
for establishing scanning and georeferencing
guidelines for the project. It is our hope that this
paper will serve as a useful reference for other
institutions undertaking map digitization projects.
1.1 Project Origins
The OCUL Geo Community (formerly the OCUL Map
Group) is a forum for the exchange of information
and ideas pertaining to maps, geospatial data, and
other cartographic resources, both print and digital,
within the wider Ontario Council of University
Libraries. For a number of years, the community
has discussed priorities for map digitization
(Trimble et al., 2015). In August 2012, community
members identified the Canadian topographic series
holdings within their collections, and after further
discussion, two series emerged as a priority for
digitization: 1:25,000 and 1:63,360. By spring 2014,
members agreed to proceed with a formal budget
proposal to OCUL for a three-year funded project
(January 2015-April 2017). A draft proposal was
completed in early September 2014 by the project
managers (Cheryl Woods, Western University;
Jason Brodeur, McMaster University; Sarah
Simpkin, University of Ottawa) and community
members were asked to provide feedback.
One of the top priorities for the group was to align
the project’s objectives with OCUL’s commitment
to enhancing information services in Ontario.
Specifically, the project supports the following OCUL
strategic plan goals:
• Ensuring maximum discoverability of digital
library resources;
• Contributing to building world-class digital
library services for Ontario students; and,
• Providing and preserving academic resources
essential for teaching, learning and research.
The community’s proposal was successful and
the team received CAD $32,000.00 to focus on
digitizing and georeferencing topographic maps of
Ontario that were not already digitized and publicly
available. Two primary examples meet these criteria
and are included in this project: the Ontario sheets
in the 1:63,360 national topographic series
(published between 1904 and 1949), and those in
the 1:25,000 series that are greater than 50 years old
(published between 1956 and 1967). Over 800 maps
are included: 627 map sheets from the 1:63,360
national topographic map series and 233 map sheets
from the 1:25,000 national topographic map series.
The OCUL Geo Community is well-positioned
to leverage the expertise and equipment already
available at member institutions. The project
managers made an open call to community
members, who volunteered to participate in various
capacities, such as supplying maps from their
collections, scanning, testing, creating metadata,
and georeferencing.
Original maps are currently being scanned to
specifications that are standardized for format and
resolution (600 ppi). Georeferencing and metadata
creation are then carried out to enhance the usability
of the digital files, in accordance with a digitization
plan that was developed for the project. The project
also involves hiring student staff members at a
number of OCUL schools, who are tasked with
digitizing, georeferencing, and metadata creation
under the supervision of community members at
participating institutions. A majority of the project’s
funding supports the hiring of student employees,
and supervisors contribute their time in-kind.
1.2 The 1:25,000 and 1:63,360 Map Series
As mentioned above, the Government of Canada’s
1:25,000 and 1:63,360 scale map series were
prioritized for this project as they are both commonly
requested from our users and had not been digitized
by other parties. The 1:25,000 maps produced by the
Army Survey Establishment (and then in 1966 by the
Mapping and Charting Establishment) are the most
detailed of any federally-produced series. These
maps were originally intended for military use and
were produced for military training areas (camps)
during the First World War. In 1959, the Government
of Canada’s attention turned to the protection of
Canadian cities in the event of an atomic attack.
Canada’s 17 largest cities were mapped immediately,
with the resulting series becoming known as the
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
13
the military city plans. By 1970, there was enough
public demand for a civilian version of these
maps. A redesign of the military city plans was
undertaken, and work on the NTS (National
Topographic System) 1:25,000 series continued
until 1978, when it was stopped for two reasons:
first, demand for new maps of the Canadian
Arctic shifted attention toward map production
using the emerging 1:50,000 standard; second,
some provincial mapping agencies had begun
publishing their own map series at 1:10,000 and
1:20,000 scales (Nicholson & Sebert, 1981, p. 119).
L.M. Sebert, the former Head of the Mapping
Programme, Topographical Survey Directorate,
Surveys and Mapping Branch, Ottawa, stated that
“[t]he 1:63,360 series and its successor the 1:50,000
are the most important series in Canadian mapping.
The 1:50,000 scale is the largest scale at which
large areas of Canada have been mapped, and it is
the largest scale for which complete coverage of
the country has been programmed” (Nicholson &
Sebert, 1981). The 1:63,360 series, first produced by
the Department of Militia and Defence (representing
at a scale of one inch to one mile), began in 1904
and ended in 1949 when it was converted to
the 1:50,000 series. According to Sebert (1976):
“The detail shown on these early sheets was remarkable.
In addition to the differentiation of the construction
materials for buildings (red for stone and brick), there
was a similar differentiation of bridges into stone, iron
and wooden construction. Rural industries were depicted
by symbol and initials, and these included saw mills, grist
mills and flour mills, factories, blacksmith shops, hotels
and taverns, all being further defined as being of stone or
wood construction. Woods were depicted by coniferous or
deciduous tree symbols, and as these were drawn by hand
the density of the woods was indicated, by the density of
the symbols, into open, medium or close growth. Fenced
roads were differentiated from unfenced; telephone
lines were shown; telephone offices were identified.”
This amount of detail for cultural features (Figure
1) was not maintained in the 1:50,000 series.
Figure 1: Cropped legend of Port Burwell sheet (040 I10) from 1922 showing symbology details typical of the 1:63,360
series maps.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
14
2 Organizing and Enabling Collaboration
Among Distributed Partners
With participating universities located
across southern Ontario, the topographic map
digitization project is by nature a distributed
one and requires considerable coordination. Map
collections, digitization equipment, and project
staff are not typically located under the same
roof. For these reasons, the project has relied on
collaborative tools and shared storage for the
scanned images, which at high resolutions can
each require as many as 900 megabytes of storage.
2.1 Inventory Creation
The team started by building an inventory of
our collective holdings and the status of each
map. Between April 2014 and August 2015,
community members reported the maps that
were held at their respective institutions, while
project managers worked to identify any gaps. As
the team could not locate a complete inventory of
published maps in the two series, project managers
assembled a working inventory of known maps from
various sources, incorporating holdings lists from
Canadian map libraries, the Archives of Ontario,
Library and Archives Canada, Natural Resources
Canada, and the Toronto Reference Library.
Projects of this nature typically rely on
spreadsheets for managing inventories, updating
statuses, and inputting metadata about each
map sheet. To overcome the duplication and
versioning challenges of sharing local copies of
files across multiple institutions, the group chose
to use Google Sheets (with local backup copies).
The team built and standardized the initial map
inventory using one worksheet for each series
and one row for each map and map edition.
Maps that will be fully in the public domain
by the end of the project were then identified.
Individual maps are being tracked throughout the
process, from “Have - not scanned” to “Scanned”
to “Georeferenced”. Project leaders monitor the
worksheets to keep track of progress and send
notices to individuals at participating libraries
when it is time to send maps to be scanned.
Figure 2: Project workflow schematic showing procedures, files, and file transfer steps.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
15
The project workflow (Figure 2) begins with the
map selection phase. Participating institutions
are invited to record their holdings of 1:25,000
and 1:63,360 scale maps into a shared Google
spreadsheet. Map sheets included in this master
list should be of acceptable quality for digitization
purposes. Notes about the condition of each map
and other variables (for example, whether the map
has any overprinting and whether or not it has been
encapsulated) may be included in this phase. For this
project, we determined that where multiple copies
of a map exist, preference should be given to non-encapsulated
maps to improve the quality of the scans.
Once maps have been selected, they move
through the digitization, metadata capture, and
georeferencing portions of the workflow, which
are described in more detail in later sections of the
paper. Our final goal, once quality checks have been
completed, is to display the georeferenced maps on
OCUL’s Scholars GeoPortal platform, where they will
be available for public viewing and downloading.
As of November 2015, 650 of 860 known maps have
been scanned. The majority of the scanning is being
completed at three (McMaster University, University
of Waterloo, Western University) of the institutions
because they have the same make and model of
large format scanner, which ensures consistency.
One terabyte of FTP storage has been supplied by
Scholars Portal, the service arm of OCUL, to store the
files that will then be retrieved for georeferencing.
We are currently investigating options for digitizing
the remaining known maps in these series that
are not held at OCUL schools. This may include
contracting out the scanning work to organizations
such as Library and Archives Canada, whose map
collections cannot be loaned to other institutions.
3 Standards for Map Digitization and
Georeferencing
The process of establishing standards for
map digitization and georeferencing activities
reflects the project’s overarching goal to produce
consistent, complete, and high-quality products,
while also using a collaborative model that enables
contributions from as many interested OCUL
institutions as possible. Acknowledging that satisfying
these objectives would require careful coordination
and perhaps strategic compromises, we sought to
develop standards by synthesizing documented
general best practices with findings from a number
of preliminary digitization and georeferencing tests.
Map digitization tests were conducted to assess
the performance of various map digitization
systems available at OCUL institutions, compare
the quality of previously-digitized maps at others,
and develop standards and procedures to guide
project digitization activities. Georeferencing tests
were conducted in order to establish methodologies
and standards that would balance our need
for accurate georeferenced outputs and time
efficiency to keep within the project’s resources.
3.1 Map Scanning : Comparing Scanner
Output and Developing Standards
Stated generally, the process of digitization involves
the conversion of information from analog to digital
formats. In the case of cartographic material such as
topographic map sheets, digitizing these resources
allows their information to be shared more
broadly, and enables new forms of analyses and
knowledge dissemination. Due to the typically large
dimensions of topographic map sheets, digitization
requires specialized equipment; this requirement
is usually met through the use of an overhead
camera system or large-format sheetfed scanner.
In overhead camera systems, the large-format
item is kept stationary on a copy stand, while an
elevated camera captures an image from a fixed
position, or a series of overlapping images from
multiple positions above the item. In sheetfed
scanner systems, the item is guided across a
stationary camera array, which recursively
samples narrow strips of the item. Each system
type possesses advantages and disadvantages
relative to the other, and the most appropriate
equipment for a task is often determined by both the
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
16
characteristics of the items to be digitized, and the
requirements for the resulting images. For example,
light levels can be more easily controlled by sheetfed
scanners, but passing items through their rollers
can be damaging to sensitive or fragile materials.
Regardless of method, comparable standards
for map digitization have been developed by
various organizations and project groups (Table
1). These published values suggest that map
sheets should be digitized in TIFF format, using
24-bit colour depth, and at a minimum resolution
of 300 points per inch (ppi), with a preference
for higher resolution images where achievable.
Prior to beginning map scanning activities, we
conducted a comparison of scanned maps from a
number of OCUL institutions that were identified
as potential contributors to the digitization stage
of the project, since they either had facilities
available for map scanning, or possessed previously-digitized
historical topographic map sheets as
a result of contracted work from a commercial
provider. The objectives of this comparison
were to 1) evaluate variation in scan quality and
appearance (e.g., sharpness, colouration, and
consistency) across digitized products available
from various OCUL institutions, and 2) use these
findings to develop map scanning standards
and procedures that would achieve the project
goals of producing high quality products while
enabling collaboration across partner institutions.
3.1.1 Methods
For the comparison test, groups from six
institutions were asked to submit digitized
images of a selected map sheet (sheet 30L/13,
Dunnville, 1938); some of the images were created
at the time of request, while others had been
previously digitized. The submitted map images
were generated using a variety of equipment and
methods, as both sheetfed scanners and overhead
camera systems were used to create images that
varied in resolution between 300 and 600 ppi (Table
2). Given the variety of equipment being compared,
each group was required to use equipment-specific
methods for image colour and quality calibration.
The submitted images were inspected at zoom
levels ranging from full-extent to 1:1 scales, in order
to assess their brightness, contrast, saturation,
internal consistency, and sharpness, as well as
to identify artifacts and errors introduced to the
images as a result of the digitization process.
Table 1: Image specification requirements for digitized maps, as published for comprehensive digitization projects.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
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3.1.2 Results
A comparison of the map images obtained from
the six participating groups (Figure 3) showed
substantial colour variation between the digitized
sheets in terms of their contrast, brightness, and
colour saturation. Although some variation was
attributed to condition of the source maps used at
each institution, further tests and analyses revealed
inherent differences in the colour characteristics
of scanned images produced by the different
methods. In the case of the photographed maps
(Figure 3, panels B and C), such variation is likely
to have resulted from the use of different camera
equipment and settings, as well as differing ambient
lighting conditions in the imaging environment.
Considerable colour differences were also observed
across images that were collected using comparable
feed-through scanning equipment (Figure 3, panels
D, E, F). A small amount of the variation was attributed
to differing scanner calibration coefficients, which
arises from the equipment’s lack of automated
colour calibration procedures (equipment is
normalized against a white target only). A more
substantial contrast variation in the case of one of the
images (Figure 3, panel E), was found to result from
the application of post-scan contrast adjustment
filters, which were applied latently within a
‘map-specific’ preset in the scanning software.
Investigating each digitized sheet at a larger scale
(Figure 4) revealed considerable discrepancies in
image sharpness. While much of this variability was
explained by image resolution, the improving effect
of post-scan image sharpening filters applied to
images was also noted. While an image sharpening
filter was not applied to the images shown in panels
B and C of Figure 4 (400 and 300 ppi resolution,
respectively), its use in the 300 ppi image in
panel A demonstrates substantial sharpness
improvement. This sharpness improvement,
however, is achieved at the cost of increased image
noise and a resulting ‘grainy’ appearance. Results
of this comparison indicated that while high (600
ppi) resolution images (such as in panels D, E, and
F of Figure 4) are most desirable for this project, it
may be acceptable to use sharpened images from
lower resolution (300 - 400 ppi) scans, in isolated
cases where higher resolution products cannot
be created. Such cases may arise when rare map
sheets are too fragile to be used in a feed-through
scanner, and instead must be photographed.
Table 2. Digitization equipment type and scanning resolution for each scanned map that was
compared. 1 indicates equivalent equipment
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
18
Figure 3. Colouration comparison of equivalent regions for digitized maps created at six different
OCUL institutions. Panel labels correspond to information given in Table 2.
Figure 4. Sharpness comparison of equivalent areas for digitized maps produced at six different
OCUL institutions. Panel labels correspond to information given in Table 2. Image resolution is
300 ppi in panels A and C, 400 ppi in panel B, and 600 ppi in panels D, E, and F.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
19
For some of the digitized sheets, a close
investigation revealed the presence of artifacts
and errors that were inserted into the images by
the scanning equipment. Most notably, the images
created using feed-through scanners commonly
contained ‘stitching’ errors—image offsets that
are produced as a result of mis- or poorly-aligned
camera arrays on the scanning equipment
(Figure 5). In most cases, calibration software
and procedures can be applied to mitigate these
offsets completely, or at least diminish them to
the internal precision limits of the device. In other
cases, physical irregularities of the map itself—
such as creases and lamination ridges—create
sporadic, localized artifacts, which may or may not
be avoidable by careful rescanning of the material.
3.1.3 Recommended Standards for Map
Digitization
Project standards for map digitization were
developed in consideration of the digitized image
comparison results, as well as the project’s stated
objectives of producing high quality, consistent
materials while enabling community-wide
participation. Generally, the digitization standards
set for this project meet or exceed those set for
comparable historical map digitization projects (e.g.,
Allord, Fishburn, & Walter, 2014). Recommended
activities and standards for digitization are as follows:
• In cases where a given map sheet is held by
multiple institutions, every effort is made to
digitize the sheet that is in the best physical
condition—both in terms of its physical
integrity and its appearance.
• Map sheets are digitized at 600 ppi resolution
and 24-bit colour. Lower resolution (300 or
400 ppi) images may be accepted, in special
situations.
• Standard colour calibration and quality control
processes are implemented, including the
use of a common colour calibration target to
assess the colour characteristics of output from
digitization equipment, and the implementation
of standardized equipment settings where
possible.
• Common procedures are used with feed-through
scanners to minimize stitching errors
through calibration, and to detect such errors
during post-scan quality assurance methods.
3.2 Recommended Standards for Map
Digitization
Georeferencing is a procedure whereby phenomena
and information are associated with geographic
locations, as specified within a defined spatial
reference system (Hill, 2009). In the context of
digitized maps, this process involves associating
pixels of the raster image with geographic
Figure 5. Stitching errors observed in map sheets that were digitized using feed-through scanners. A ‘right-left’ stitching
error is illustrated in the left pane, while the right pane demonstrates a ‘front-back’ stitching error.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
20
coordinates (Hackeloeer, Klasing, Krisp, & Meng,
2014). Georeferencing digitized geographic
material, such as topographic maps, enables
their information to be transformed into any
desired projection, and displayed alongside
other georeferenced digital data, whether in a
Geographic Information System or other analysis
and dissemination software. Therefore, the
production and provision of georeferenced
digital collections builds upon digitization
efforts to promote new and interesting uses of
geospatial information for analysis, visualization,
and dissemination (Knowles & Hillier, 2008).
In common practice, an image is georeferenced by
an operator, who identifies in the image a number
of ground control points (GCPs) where coordinates
(in a desired reference system) are known to a
reasonable precision (Hackeloeer, Klasing, Krisp, &
Meng, 2014). When an appropriate number of GCPs
have been inserted, a transformation model is then
applied to the points in order to ‘warp’ the image to
fit the projection of the target (desired) reference
system. Depending on accuracy requirements and
the nature of image warping that is necessary, a
variety of transformation models may be used.
Polynomial transformation models use a least-squares
minimization procedure to fit GCPs to
coordinates in the target reference system using
polynomial expressions of varying order (e.g., first-,
second-, third-order, etc.). Using such models, the
image is warped globally to find a general best-fit
for all GCPs, and the degree to which the image may
be ‘warped’ increases with order. In comparison,
spline and adjust transformation models warp
the image locally to minimize error around all
GCPs—a desirable approach when local accuracy
is important or when spatial accuracy varies
throughout an image.
In the case of digitized maps, the accuracy of
the resulting georeferenced and transformed
image (i.e., the alignment of features in the
image with their true location on the earth)
depends upon a number of factors, including:
• the accuracy with which the map sheet is
digitized;
• the quality and quantity of inserted GCPs;
• the appropriateness of the transformation
model used;
• the accuracy of information contained within
the map; and
• the validity of reference data used in the
georeferencing process.
Though georeferencing may be accomplished with
a minimum of three orthogonal GCPs, the accuracy
of the resulting image typically increases as more
are inserted. Determining an appropriate number
of GCPs requires compromising between the
benefits of increased accuracy and the detriments of
additional time and effort requirements. Therefore,
the desired number of GCPs for georeferencing
operations will depend upon the accuracy needed
for the resulting georeferenced image, the type of
transformation function that is used to reproject it,
the ability of the operator to identify high-accuracy
GCPs in the image, and the time, resources, and
expertise available. Guidelines established by a
similar map digitization project undertaken by
the U.S. Geological Survey Historical Topographic
Map Collection have suggested that 16 GCPs (and
an absolute minimum of 7) should be used to
georeference images of both 1:25,000 and 1:63,360
scale maps (Allord, Walter, Fishburn, & Shea, 2014).
Recently, a number of automated georeferencing
methods have been developed, where image
detection algorithms and additional contextual
information are used to automatically register
GCPs into the target raster. For example, QUAD-G
software (Burt, White, & Allord, 2012; 2014) was
used to automatically georeference maps in the
U.S. Geological Survey Historical Topographic Map
Collection (Allord, Walter, Fishburn, & Shea, 2014).
While such an approach is promising for cases
where digitized maps are highly standardized, the
lack of such standardization in our collection—
particularly in early edition maps—precluded
the use of this software for our purposes.
Alternatively, we sought to develop requirements,
documentation, and standards that would allow
georeferencing to be carried out by members of
various OCUL institutions, in order to develop
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
21
georeferenced products of an acceptable accuracy
and quality. To do so, we conducted a series of
georeferencing tests to better characterize the
uncertainty and time requirements associated
with georeferencing operations on our digitized
topographic maps. The objectives of these tests
were to:
1. Determine a reasonable expectation for
georeferencing accuracy by establishing a
corresponding tolerance level for error.
2. Identify the sources of georeferencing errors and
develop methods for detecting and mitigating
these errors.
3. Develop recommendations for the georefer-encing
process, which define the requirements
for GCP quantity and distribution, as well the
transformation model used in the reprojection
process.
3.2.1 Methods
Tests were conducted using four digitized map
sheets (1:63,360 scale; 600 ppi resolution),
which covered disparate areas of the province
and spanned a range of publication years. To
improve the consistency of test results, sheets
were selected for areas without significant bodies
of water in their coverage, as they allowed GCPs to
be spread evenly throughout the entire map area.
In each test, the first four GCPs were placed at the
neatline corners, since the precise coordinates of
these points were known for all sheets. Considering
that many of the 1:63,360 scale maps lack a graticule
that is usable for inserting GCPs, we decided
to add additional GCPs exclusively through the
identification of corresponding landmarks on the
target map and modern reference geospatial data
layers, which included a vector road layer (2014
Routefile, DMTI Spatial Inc.) and tiled raster base
maps. Given the temporal discrepancy between
the target and reference information, care was
taken to select only landmarks (intersections,
railway crossings, etc.) where confidence was
high that the location was consistent between
the periods. GCPs were manually added to the
map image in a uniformly distributed pattern,
in order to maximize the spacing between all
points and the GCP coverage throughout the map
(Figure 6). Preliminary tests indicated that a
total number of 24 GCPs was sufficient to provide
accurate error estimates for each map sheet.
Figure 6. Distribution of 24 ground control points used for georeferencing error tests
conducted on 1:63360 map sheet 40P/9 (1935).
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
22
All tests were carried out using the Georeferencer
tool in QGIS (QGIS Development Team, 2015),
which uses the Geospatial Data Abstraction
Library (GDAL). The accuracy of each GCP was
evaluated using the residual error reported by the
Georeferencer tool, which measures the degree to
which the location of a given GCP on the transformed
image deviates from the original reference
coordinates entered for this point during the manual
georeferencing process. For a given test, total map
georeferencing error was summarized and reported
as the mean absolute error (MAE) for all GCPs
used to parameterize the transformation model as:
Given that residual error will regularly be
smaller for ‘enabled’ GCPs than for those that
are disabled (since the transformation model
is fit to only the ‘enabled’ points), we assessed
georeferencing error for the entire map sheet
using two different measures: a) MAE calculated
using all 24 GCPs (enabled and disabled; denoted
as MAEA), and b) MAE calculated using only the
disabled GCPs (MAED). Analyses of these two
measures indicated that MAED provided a less-biased
estimate of georeferencing error, which was
more representative of areas in the images where
‘enabled’ GCPs were not present (see Figure 7).
3.2.2 Results and Recommendations for
Georeferencing
Results from georeferencing tests showed
that, generally for all polynomial transformation
models tested, MAED decreased with increasing
numbers of GCPs, until 12 GCPs were added
(Figure 7). Beyond this point, adding more GCPs
resulted in no further reduction in MAED and, in
many cases, error increased slightly. While a rise
in error beyond 12 GCPs was not anticipated,
such an increase might occur from the selection
of less ideal points as more GCPs are inserted—a
consequence of georeferencing these images
using reference data layers (and not graticule).
Among the three polynomial models tested, the
second-order polynomial consistently produced
the lowest overall value of georeferencing error,
though its improvement over the third-order
polynomial was insignificant beyond 10 GCPs.
Given that the 1:63,360 map sheets use a polyconic
projection (with a central meridian at the centre
of the quadrangle), the increased degree of
freedom offered by the second-order polynomial
transformation demonstrated clear advantages to
the first-order polynomial. While generalized results
suggested that error was effectively minimized with
the insertion of 12 GCPs, examination of errors for
individual digitized sheets (not shown) indicated
that the specific number of GCPs required to
achieve this varied across sheets between 8 and 12
GCPs. The resulting recommendation of these tests
where x ̂and y ̂denote the coordinates of the GCP in the
transformed image, and xand yindicate coordinates
of the original, reference GCP. MAE was calculated
in units of image pixels, as well as metres on the
Earth’s surface. While root mean squared error
(RMSE) may be used as an alternative measure of
georeferencing error to MAE, internal tests showed
MAE and RMSE to be very highly correlated (r = 0.93),
indicating that the two measures were essentially
equivalent for the purposes of our investigations.
We investigated the effects of GCP quantity and
transformation model type on georeferencing error
through the following procedure: All 24 GCPs were
added to the original map image and a first-order
polynomial transformation model was selected.
Initially only the GCPs at the four corners, corners
of the image were ‘enabled’, meaning that the
transformation model was parameterized using
just these four selected GCPs. All other ‘disabled’
GCPs were hidden from the transformation model
when creating the ‘best-fit’; however, their residuals
were still measured within the software and were
recorded to assess total MAE throughout the
image. Following this, we systematically increased
the number of ‘enabled’ GCPs and recorded
residuals for all GCPs. The process described
above was repeated using second- and third-order
polynomial transformation models, though a greater
initial number of minimum ‘enabled’ GCPs were
required—6 for the second-order polynomial and
10 for the third-order.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
23
Figure 7. Averaged mean absolute error (MAE)—presented in units of map pixels and metres on the Earth’s
surface—for varying quantities of enabled GCPs and orders of polynomial transformation models used. Dashed
lines indicate values obtained when error from all GCPs was considered (MAEA), while solid lines indicate values
obtained when only error from non-enabled GCPs was considered (MAED).
issuing georeferencing standards for the project.
For this purpose, the time to complete each GCP
was recorded throughout the entirety of the tests.
Evaluation showed that the time required to
georeference a map image increased linearly with
the number of GCPs added, at a rate of approximately
110 seconds per GCP. Assuming that an average of
10 GCPs would be placed per map image (as per
requirements to minimize error), we estimated that
the entire digitized collection could be appropriately
georeferenced in around 250 hours—a value
that is manageable within the project’s budget.
(to insert 8 to 12 GCPs and use a second-order
polynomial) is consistent with findings and
recommendations from the U.S. Geological
Survey Historical Topographic Map Collection
digitization project (Allord, Walter, Fishburn,
& Shea, 2014), where 7 to 16 GCPs are
inserted and a second-order polynomial used.
Given that georeferencing for this project will
be carried out manually, the amount of time
required to complete this process for the entire
collection was important to consider prior to
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
24
these early topographic map series in Ontario
libraries, which represents quite a challenge for
those trying to find and access these maps online.
Cataloguing at this level of detail is costly and
difficult to maintain. Most libraries typically have
series-level catalogue records which direct the
user to the map library’s physical map cabinets.
Sometimes, large map series are catalogued
at the state or provincial level, to assist with
identification and retrieval by geography, but this
varies across libraries (Andrew & Lamont, 1998).
Typically, a paper or digital index is provided to
users, and this acts as the primary finding aid
and retrieval mechanism for large map series.
With the OCUL historical map digitization project,
the project inventory of maps covering Ontario
will become instrumental for understanding the
totality of the series as well as the distribution of
map holdings across the province. The inventory
is also helpful for data collection, in that member
libraries that are participating in digitization
work can also collect consistent descriptive
information from the individual map sheets that
can be used to generate standardized metadata
for the digital images. The inventory to date
has tracked information such as map sheet
title, subtitle, edition (which is very important
because there are several editions of the same
sheets), year published, source library collection
(whether or not the sheet was held by a particular
library, and if it was scanned, georeferenced,
etc.), survey date, publisher, grid presence
(some of the maps contain grid lines), and more.
Overall, the transition from cataloguing to
metadata represents a change for how libraries
manage, describe, and provide access to digital
maps and data online. In addition to a metadata
format and standards change, technological
advances in web-based GIS offer libraries the option
of adopting new techniques for storage, enhanced
identification, and access, through online catalogues
and portals designed specifically for geographic
information. The creation of standard metadata
for the digital images and data being created by the
4 Cataloguing and Metadata
Practices
Early topographic maps of Canada, especially map
series produced before the introduction of the NTS
numbering, are not well standardized (Dubreuil,
1992). The early topographic map series do not cover
the whole country, nor do they adhere to similar
production standards (Dubreuil, 1992; Sebert,
1976), making library collections of early map series
scarce and incomplete across Canada. Access to
these series in libraries is not always available, and
users often rely on digital catalogue records, found
online through the library’s catalogue, and paper
(or scanned) indexes to discover whether maps
exist for a given geography. Typically, web access to
digital map collections varies in complexity, ranging
from lists of links (sometimes with thumbnails)
to interactive web maps. Enhancements, such as
the ability to zoom, pan, and view scanned maps
as overlays on top of an existing basemap, offer a
more desirable user experience for researchers.
Libraries and map collectors have often struggled
with maintaining efficient storage and retrieval
methods for large map series such as the national
topographic maps (Andrew & Lamont, 1998).
Organizing and accessing a series of hundreds
or even thousands of maps, which often include
historic editions and multiple versions of individual
sheets, can easily become a monumental task
(Andrew & Lamont, 1998). The early and modern
Canadian NTS map series are considered large
national map series and few libraries (if any) in
Canada catalogue individual sheets from the NTS.
Some libraries in the United States, including
Penn State Libraries, have undertaken individual
map sheet cataloguing for select national mapping
series, including the U.S. Geological Survey’s
7.5-minute topographic quadrangles (Andrew &
Lamont, 1998). There are also some individual
sheets catalogued from the early NTS, including
the set of Canada’s Militia and Defence Maps,
1905-1931, that have been published by Lorraine
Dubreuil at McGill Libraries (Dubreuil, 1992).
However, by no means is there a complete set
of catalogue records or metadata describing
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
25
data and scanned historical maps. As part of the
project, an example of a sheet-level metadata
record and mapping is provided for the Map of
Peterborough, Ontario, 1932 [1:63,630].6
5 Accessing the Collection Online
One of the options the team is considering for online
access to the collection is to present the images as
one seamless image mosaic. Brock University’s Map,
Data & GIS Library has achieved some success using
this approach. Georeferenced topographic maps are
stored in a mosaic dataset, which is a data model
within the geodatabase used to manage a collection
of raster images. More precisely, a mosaic is a
collection of raster datasets stored as a catalogue
of individual maps and viewed as a mosaicked
image that is dynamic, where the properties of the
original imagery are maintained (Childs, 2010).
The processes involved in creating a mosaic
dataset using ArcMap are briefly described below.
First, a mosaic dataset is created within a new or
targeted geodatabase. Prior to adding the raster
images, the coordinate system is set to ‘Web Mercator
Auxiliary Sphere’, which is compatible with other
web map interfaces. A mosaic dataset consists of a
footprint feature class that acts as a type of index.
The process of building footprints involves defining a
boundary on each map to the extent of the displayed
image, such as the neatline. This is considered a
‘virtual’ crop. It is not necessary to permanently
remove the margins of the map, or map collar, to
create a seamless display. This footprint method
preserves the map in its entirety, but displays only
the content defined by the footprint (in this case,
all information within the neatline). Although
this process can be done manually, automating
the footprint creation using a general-purpose
language (like Python) is preferred.7 Another
option, although not yet tested on topographic
maps, involves the use of the Image Boundary tool in
QGIS. These processes require further exploration.
libraries is critical to digitization work, since it has
a direct impact on the granularity of access and the
preservation of original map content in digital form.
Metadata for digital objects, including geospatial
data and digital maps, is essential for understanding
the scope and content of the digitized work. Metadata
provide descriptive information about the resource
in a structured, standard, and transferable format
(e.g., XML). GIS tools require metadata in machine-readable
formats in order to read and process
data and information that is useful for end users.
Today, the most common metadata standard for
the description of digital geospatial data, including
georeferenced map images, is the International
Standards Organization (ISO) 19115 for Geographic
Information. The North American Profile (NAP)
of the ISO 19115, which is a set of fields specific
to North America, is heavily used by government
and data producers, with the Government of
Canada formally adopting the standard in 2012.
The creation of standard metadata for this
collection will largely be accomplished through
the development of a metadata crosswalk, which
will map structured information contained in
the project’s inventory spreadsheet to fields
in the metadata standard that we are using to
describe these maps. It was decided early on
that individual map sheets will be described as
datasets using the ISO 19115 NAP standard, since
this is the standard that is used on OCUL’s Scholars
GeoPortal platform. The structure of the mapping
and information is still under consideration;
however, a significant amount of the metadata
mapping work has been completed already.
In the development of the mapping, we consulted
some major map libraries and online geospatial
data repositories, including the Harvard Map
Collection, Harvard College Library4, and the
University of Ottawa’s digital map collection.5
These collections describe similar digital geospatial
4Accessed at Geodata at Tufts http://geodata.tufts.edu/
5Accessed at http://gsg.uottawa.ca/geo/indexes/hist_topo_maps.htm
6Map of Peterborough, Sheet No. 031D08, 1932 [1:63,360] http://gsg.uottawa.ca/geo/ocul/test.xml
7Accessed at gis.stackexchange.com, or the ArcGIS Online Group: ArcGIS Image Management Workflows www.arcgis.
com/home/item.html?id=bdb45bdcf20f4b7d83f2975727858b33.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
26
features as reference points. Platforms such as
Google Earth, ArcGIS Online, and OCUL’s own
Scholars GeoPortal (built on ArcGIS Server) provide
these options. Yet, not all users want to use a
georeferenced image in a GIS environment. For this
reason, we are exploring options for making the
images available for download at a high resolution
in both georeferenced and non-georeferenced
versions. Digital map files can be produced in
several formats, including GeoTIFF, JPEG, KMZ,
and GeoPDF. Each vary in file size and resolution
depending on the scanning and georeferencing
processes applied in the preparation of the images.
In reviewing current practices for the display
of these large map series online, two website
examples that display U.S. topographic maps are
of particular interest and differ in display and
download options. The USGS Historical Topographic
Map Explorer8 designed by Esri provides a seamless
A recommended procedure for working with
mosaic datasets is the creation of overviews. This
process is similar to the building of pyramids, where
a set of reduced-resolution datasets are generated
in order to optimize the performance of a mosaic
dataset and increase display speeds at various
scales. Unlike pyramids, overviews are not produced
for individual rasters. Instead, they are derived by
mosaicking multiple rasters (Woo, 2012). A seamless
display can be achieved by creating a mosaic of
images that are fused together to create one large
image. We are currently testing this technique for the
display and visualization of the digitized historical
topographic maps produced for the OCUL project.
Using a platform that provides an underlying
basemap on which to overlay historical images is
a useful enhancement, enabling users to situate
themselves using both contemporary and historical
Figure 8. Mosaicked dataset of NTS maps of the Niagara Region produced by Brock University.
8Accessed at http://historicalmaps.arcgis.com/usgs.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
27
Our process for achieving a web display for the
Ontario historical topographic maps that meets
our desired criteria is still being explored. However,
providing access to the georeferenced images,
in addition to the non-georeferenced scans, at a
manageable file size on the Scholars GeoPortal
platform is our current intention.
7 Conclusions
Managing a map digitization project across
several institutions can be a daunting task.
However, this distributed configuration has
allowed us to expand our access to map collections,
staff expertise, and existing equipment, as well
as provide job opportunities for students at
multiple universities. Collaborative platforms
such as Google Sheets have enabled us to manage
inventories and status updates from any location,
which has greatly assisted the coordination
of activities around this distributed project.
Canada’s historical topographic map series
provide unparalleled detail about the past. These
early map series are not being digitized and
archived elsewhere, and are therefore the focus
of digitization efforts in OCUL libraries today. We
hope that by digitizing and providing access to
the 1:25,000 and 1:63,360 maps of Ontario, other
provinces will follow suit and we will begin to see
a national collection of these digital maps emerge
and evolve.
Another significant outcome of this project
has been the development of best practices and
specifications that can be reused by libraries across
Ontario, and even throughout Canada. Recognizing
the importance of standards and best practices
in libraries for map digitization, georeferencing,
and metadata provides a foundation for ensuring
access to these collections well into the future.
The authors would like to thank Michel Castagné for
his copy editing assistance.
map overlay with transparency. Another example,
the USGS TopoView9, offers multiple file formats
for download (JPEG, KMZ, GeoPDF, and GeoTIFF)
and enhanced search options, but no seamless map
display or transparency functionality. It functions
more as an online index to all USGS topographic
maps, rather than as an interactive viewer. A portal
that integrates a combination of options from both
these sites, while respecting web accessibility
guidelines, is ideal, and this kind of functionality is
being explored for our current project.
Our intent is that Scholars GeoPortal, mentioned
earlier, will house the digital images, mosaic
services, and metadata, and provide access to this
collection openly for anyone to discover and use.
The GeoPortal will provide access to the lower
resolution (300 ppi) scans (originally stored
in TIFF format) and georeferenced data, while
the original high quality (600 ppi) scans and
georeferenced points will be archived for long-term
preservation and reuse should the need arise.
6 Looking Forward
At the time of writing (12 months into the 28
months allotted), the project is well underway. A
majority of the maps have been scanned and are
currently being georeferenced. Team members have
been turning their attention toward how materials
will be displayed on Scholars GeoPortal and the
logistics of making the files available for download.
Projects undertaken at OCUL member institutions,
such as the topographic map mosaicking at Brock
University, have also provided us with insight to
carry forward into the next phase of the project.
The group is closely watching the work of the
Canadian Historical GIS Partnership initiative,
whose forthcoming white paper on data and
information visualization for online Historical GIS
(HGIS) applications should offer insight into the
current state of these technologies (Roy, 2015). We
anticipate that the digitization of historical maps in
libraries will facilitate historical GIS applications
in research across a variety of disciplines.
9Accessed at http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/maps/TopoView/viewer.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
28
8 References
Allord, G. J., Fishburn, K. A., & Walter, J. L. (2014). Standard for the U.S. Geological Survey Historical Topographic
Map Collection (ver. 2). U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 3, chap. B11, 11 p., http://dx.doi.
org/10.3133/tm11B03.
Allord, G. J., Walter, J. L., Fishburn, K. A., & Shea, G. A. (2014). Specification for the US Geological Survey Historical
Topographic Map Collection (No. 11-B6). US Geological Survey. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/tm11B6.
Andrew, P. G., & Lamont, M. (1998). Bending the rules. Technical Services Quarterly, 15(3), 35-48. doi:10.1300/
J124v15n03_03
Banach, M., Shelburne, B., Shepherd, K., & Rubenstein, A. (2011). Guidelines for Digitization. UMass Amherst
Libraries.
Burt, J. E., White, J., and Allord, G. J., (2012), QUAD-G—Automated georeferencing project: University of Wisconsin–
Madison, Department of Geography. Retrieved from http://www.geography.wisc.edu/research/projects/QUAD-G/.
Burt, J.E., White, J., and Allord, G. J. (2014). QUAD-G--Automated georeferencing of scanned map images, user manual
version 2.10: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Department of Geography. Retrieved from http://www.geography.
wisc.edu/research/projects/QUAD-G/files/QUAD-GUserManualver2.10.pdf.
Childs, C. (2010). On-the-Fly Processing and Dynamic Raster Mosaicking. Esri Education Services.
Retrieved from http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0610/files/mosaicdataset.pdf.
Dale, R. L., Leech, R., Bogus, I., Mathews, D., & Blood, G. (2013). Minimum Digitization Capture Recommendations. The
Association for Library Collections and Technical Services Preservation and Reformatting Section. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/alcts/resources/preserv/minimum-digitization-capture-recommendations#static_media.
Dubreuil, L. (1992). Canada’s Militia and Defence Maps, 1905-1931. ACMLA Occasional Publication #4, 2-4, 11.
Federal Agencies Digitization Initiative - Still Image Working Group. (2016). Technical Guidelines for
Digitizing Cultural Heritage Materials: Creation of Raster Image Master Files. Retrieved from http://www.
digitizationguidelines.gov/guidelines/FADGI_Still_Image_Tech_Guidelines_2015-09-02_v4.pdf
Hackeloeer, A., Klasing, K., Krisp, J. M., & Meng, L. (2014). Georeferencing: a review of methods and applications.
Annals of GIS, 20(1), 61-69.
Hill, L. L. (2009). Georeferencing: The geographic associations of information. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Image Management Workflows. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14, 2016, from http://resources.arcgis.com/en/
communities/imagery/01850000000v000000.htm
Knowles, A. K., & Hillier, A. (2008). Placing history: how maps, spatial data, and GIS are changing historical
scholarship. Redlands, CA: ESRI, Inc.
Nicholson, N. L., & Sebert, L. M. 1981. The Maps of Canada. Hamden: Archon Books and Folkestone: Wm Dawson &
Sons Ltd.
Roy, K. (2015, November 9). Some thoughts on the state of HGIS visualization. Retrieved January 14, 2016, from
http://geohist.ca/2015/11/some-thoughts-on-the-state-of-hgis-visualization/
Sebert, L. M. (1976). The One Inch to One Mile Series of the National Mapping Program. The Canadian Cartographer,
13(2), 123-131.
Trimble, L., Woods, C., Berish, F., Jakubek, D., & Simpkin, S. (2015). Collaborative Approaches to the Management of
Geospatial Data Collections in Canadian Academic Libraries: A Historical Case Study. Journal of Map & Geography
Libraries, 11(3), 330-358. doi:10.1080/15420353.2015.1043067
Woo, S. (2012). Should I build pyramids or overviews? Retrieved March 7, 2016, from https://blogs.esri.com/esri/
arcgis/2012/11/14/should-i-build-pyramids-or-overviews
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
29
CARTO 2016
50th Annual Conference of the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives (ACMLA)
50 years: Mapping our past; Navigating our future
Conference organized by University of New Brunswick
14-17 June, 2016
Fredericton, New Brunswick
CALL FOR PAPERS
The conference organizers invite librarians, library staff, archivists, geographic information specialists
and other interested individuals to submit proposals for papers and workshops celebrating the important
contributions made by map collections, archives, and the ACMLA, and consider their role in preserving and
providing cartographic and geospatial information in the future.
As the ACMLA celebrates its 50th anniversary, a ‘golden’ opportunity exists to reflect upon the ways in
which the Association and its members have supported changing needs across Canada, and celebrate the
contributions that have increased awareness, understanding, and value of geospatial and cartographic
materials. While embracing lessons learned from the past, we look towards the future to anticipate changing
needs, new opportunities, and new strategies for success.
Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
• The history of the ACMLA-ACACC and its role in improving awareness, understanding, and use of geographic
information across Canada.
• The changing role of map collections and archives in supporting the needs of research, teaching and public
engagement over the past half century.
• Digitizing collections to improve access and enable new forms of scholarship.
• Approaches and strategies for creating value-added products from digitized material.
• Linking and integrating digitized geographic collections with other items containing geographic information
(letters, postcards, diaries, official records, etc.)
• Integrating physical and digitized map collections into undergraduate education.
• Collaborative approaches to expand the variety of, and access to geographic information found within
collections and archives.
Please submit an abstract (250 words) of your proposal in either French or English and brief biography to
programme@acmla-acacc.ca. If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your submission or if you have
any questions about the conference, please contact a member of the program committee.
The members of the program committee are:
Sarah Simpkin, University of Ottawa
Tracy Sallaway, Trent University
Joël Rivard, Carleton University
Jay Brodeur, McMaster University
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
30
CARTO 2016
50e colloque annuel de l’Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada
(ACACC)
50 ans : Cartographier notre passé ; naviguer notre avenir
Colloque organisé par l’Université du Nouveau-Brunswick
Du 14 au 17 juin 2016
Fredericton, Nouveau-Brunswick
APPEL À COMMUNICATIONS
Les organisateurs du colloque invitent les bibliothécaires, archivistes et autres spécialistes de l’information
géographique à soumettre des propositions de présentations et d’ateliers célébrant les contributions impor-tantes
apportées par les archives, les collections de cartes et de l’ACACC, ainsi de considérer leur rôle dans
la préservation et la distribution de matériels cartographiques et l’information géospatiale dans l’avenir.
Puisque l’ACACC célèbre son 50e anniversaire, ceci est une occasion pour réfléchir à la façon dans laquelle
l’Association et ses membres ont soutenu les besoins changeants partout au Canada et de célébrer les con-tributions
qui ont augmenté la sensibilisation, la compréhension et la valeur de l’information géospatia-le
et de matériels cartographiques. Tout en prenant compte des leçons tirées du passé, nous regardons vers
l’avenir pour anticiper l’évolution des besoins, de nouvelles possibilités et de nouvelles stratégies de réussite.
Quelques sujets d’intérêt incluent (mais ne sont pas limités à) :
• L’histoire de l’ACACC-ACMLA et son rôle dans l’accroissement de la sensibilisation, la compréhension et
l’utilisation de l’information géographique à travers le Canada.
• L’évolution du rôle des collections de cartes et archives dans le support des besoins de recherche, d’enseignement
et de la participation du public au cours du demi-siècle passé.
• Numérisation des collections pour améliorer l’accès qui permettent de nouvelles formes de recherche.
• Approches et stratégies pour la création de produits à valeur ajoutée du matériel numérisé.
• Intégration de collections géographiques numérisées avec d’autres articles contenant de l’information
géographique (lettres, cartes postales, journaux intimes, documents officiels, etc.).
• Intégration de collections de cartes physiques et numérisées dans l’éducation au premier cycle.
• Approches collaboratives pour élargir l’éventail et l’accès à l’information géographique située dans les collec-tions
et les archives.
Veuillez faire parvenir un résumé (250 mots) de votre proposition en français ou en anglais ainsi qu’une bi-ographie
courte en indiquant votre numéro de téléphone et votre adresse courriel à programme@ac-mla-
acacc.ca. Si vous ne recevez pas d’accusé de réception à la suite de votre envoi ou pour toute ques-tion
au sujet du colloque, veuillez communiquer avec l’un des membres de la comité de programmation.
Les membres de la comité de programmation sont :
Sarah Simpkin, Université d’Ottawa
Tracy Sallaway, Trent University
Joël Rivard, Carleton University
Jay Brodeur, McMaster University
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
31
STUDENT PAPER AWARD
The Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives encourages and supports activities which further
the awareness, use and understanding of geographic information by Canadians. To this end, post-secondary
students are encouraged to submit a paper for the ACMLA Student Paper Award competition.
ELIGIBILITY
A student from Canada or studying in Canada currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution (college or
university) is eligible to apply to enter the contest. All papers shall be prepared during the current school
year.
THE ESSAY
The essay shall be original and unpublished and of no more than 3,000 words. Illustrative or graphic
is welcomed. The essay itself shall be in electronic format (PDF, MS Word or .rtf only, please).
Electronic copies must be received by the Committee by April 15, 2016:
Subject: “ACMLA student paper award.”
The decision will be announced on or before the Association’s annual conference.
CRITERIA
Primary consideration will be given to the essay’s originality and its contribution to new knowledge and
insights. Other considerations will be the author’s demonstration of the relevance of the subject, the quality of
presentation and documentation, and the literary merits of the essay.
JUDGING
Members of the ACMLA Awards Committee will judge each submitted essay based on the defined criteria.
The decision of the judges is final.
If no essay is judged to be appropriate in a given year, the right to make no award is reserved.
Address: past.president@acmla-acacc.ca
Assocation of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives
STUDENT PAPER AWARD
The Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives encourages and supports activities which
further the awareness, use and understanding of geographic information by Canadians. To this end, post-secondary
students are encouraged to submit a paper for the ACMLA Student Paper Award competition.
ELIGIBILITY
A student from Canada or studying in Canada currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution (college
or university) is eligible to apply to enter the contest. All papers shall be prepared during the current
school year.
THE ESSAY
The essay shall be original and unpublished and of no more than 3,000 words. Illustrative or graphic
material is welcomed. The essay itself shall be in electronic format (PDF, MS Word or .rtf only, please).
DATES
Electronic copies must be received by the Committee by April 15, 2016:
Subject: “ACMLA student paper award.”
The decision will be announced on or before the Association’s annual conference.
CRITERIA
Primary consideration will be given to the essay’s originality and its contribution to new knowledge
and insights. Other considerations will be the author’s demonstration of the relevance of the subject,
the quality of presentation and documentation, and the literary merits of the essay.
JUDGING
Members of the ACMLA Awards Committee will judge each submitted essay based on the defined
criteria. The decision of the judges is final.
If no essay is judged to be appropriate in a given year, the right to make no award is reserved.
THE AWARD
The winner will receive a prize of $250 and free membership in the Association for one year. The award
includes an invitation to present the paper at the ACMLA annual conference held end of May/early June. If
the winner chooses to attend the conference, the Association will waive registration fees and provide a travel
stipend up to $250 with receipts. The essay will be considered for publication in the Association’s Bulletin.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
32
STUDENT PAPER AWARD
The Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives encourages and supports activities which further
the awareness, use and understanding of geographic information by Canadians. To this end, post-secondary
students are encouraged to submit a paper for the ACMLA Student Paper Award competition.
ELIGIBILITY
A student from Canada or studying in Canada currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution (college or
university) is eligible to apply to enter the contest. All papers shall be prepared during the current school
year.
THE ESSAY
The essay shall be original and unpublished and of no more than 3,000 words. Illustrative or graphic
material is welcomed. The essay itself shall be in electronic format (PDF, MS Word or .rtf only, please).
DATES
Electronic copies must be received by the Committee by April 15, 2016:
Subject: “ACMLA student paper award.”
The decision will be announced on or before the Association’s annual conference.
CRITERIA
Primary consideration will be given to the essay’s originality and its contribution to new knowledge and
insights. Other considerations will be the author’s demonstration of the relevance of the subject, the quality of
presentation and documentation, and the literary merits of the essay.
JUDGING
Members of the ACMLA Awards Committee will judge each submitted essay based on the defined criteria.
The decision of the judges is final.
If no essay is judged to be appropriate in a given year, the right to make no award is reserved.
Address: past.president@acmla-acacc.ca
ASSOCIATION DES CARTOTHÉQUES ET ARCHIVES CARTOGRAPHIQUES
DU CANADA
Prix Annuel de l’ACACC pour Article Étudiant
L’Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada (ACACC) encourage et soutient
les activites qui contribuent a ameliore l’usage et la comprehension de l’information geographiques par
les canadiens. À cette fin, les étudiants postsecondaires sont encouragés à soumettre un article pour
la compétition du prix annuel pour article étudiant de l’ACAAC
ADMISSIBILITÉ
Le concours est admissible à toute personne originaire du Canada ou qui étudie au Canada et qui est
présentement inscrite à un etablissement post-secondaire (collège ou université). Les articles doivent
être rédigés durant l’année scolaire en cours.
DISSERTATION
L’article doit être original et ne jamais avoir été publié. Il doit comporter moins de 3 000 mots. Le
document doit être soumis soit en copie papier (dactylographié, double-espaces et imprimé seulement
sur un coté) ou soit en format électronique (pdf, MS Word ou .rtf seulement).
DATE LIMITE
Les soumissions électroniques doivent être reçus au plus tard le 15 avril 2016, par le Comité à cette
date à l’adresse suivante
Adresse: past.president@acmla-acacc.ca
Sujet: Prix annuel de l’ACACC pour article étudiant
Le nom du récipiendaire sera annoncé durant ou avant la conférence annuelle de l’association qui est
normalement tenue autour du 1er juin.
CRITÈRES
Les juges porteront attention en premier lieu sur l’originalité du sujet et sur son apport en nouvelles
connaissances et idées innovatrices. L’article sera également jugé sur la façon dont l’auteur démontre
la pertinence du sujet, sur la qualité générale de la présentation et de la documentation, ainsi que sur
la qualité littéraire du texte.
Les articles soumis seront jugés sur les critères définis par les membres du comité de recompenses
de l’ACAAC et le rédacteur du « ACMLA Bulletin ». Si aucun des articles soumis pour cette compétition
rencontrent les critères définis, l’association réserve le droit de ne pas accordé le prix.
PRIX
Le récipiendaire recevra un montant de 250.00 $ et les droits d’adhésion à l’Association pour une année.
Le prix inclus également une invitation à présenter la communication lors de la conférence annuelle de
l’ACACC tenue à la fin mai ou au début juin. Si le récipiendaire répond à cette invitation, il sera dispensé
des frais d’inscription au congrès et l’Association lui allouera un montant jusqu’ à 250.00 $ (avec recettes)
pour couvrir les frais de voyage. L’article sera consideré pour publication dans le bulletin de l’association.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
33
POWER LINE EXPLORER:
USING HISTORICAL TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS TO LOCATE EARLY
POWER LINES
Ted Wilush
Preface
Jay Brodeur
McMaster University Library
Over the past year and a half, the Ontario Council of University Libraries’ Geo community has been undertaking
a project to digitize, georeference and make publicly accessible all of Ontario’s public-domain topographic
maps at 1:25000 and 1:63360 scales. It is envisioned that the products of this project will provide a valuable
resource to researchers, students and the general public, alike. While project work is still ongoing, we are already
witnessing examples that demonstrate the innovative and interesting ways in which these digitized materials
may be used. One such application is described in the following article by Ted Wilush, who has been using some
of our digitized 1:63360 topographic maps in his exploration of historical artifacts from the early 20th century.
For a considerable time I’ve been an avid collector of
early high voltage power line insulators. These are
the porcelain or glass objects that hold the wires
on the crossarms of a power/telegraph pole and
prevent electrical leakage, allowing for successful
transmission of energy or communications.
My interest centres on the earliest, historically
significant, pioneering lines from the beginning
of the 20th century that represented new
accomplishments in transmission technology.
These lines were also the necessary building
blocks towards the high voltage grid we have today
and the lifestyle/economy that it has permitted.
While many of these lines ran to populous urban
centres, most were based on the needs of industry.
Early lines were built to take advantage of hydro-electric
resources to power remote mines or the long
distance transmission of power to industrial centres,
such as the early development of hydro power at
Niagara Falls. While the famous Niagara transmission
lines are relatively well known in collectors’ circles
in terms of route and insulator type, many of the
lines to long-abandoned and forgotten mines in
Northern Ontario are unknown.
Usually, once I select a target location to research,
I will consult period resources such
as electrical journals (which often
detailed new developments in this
period of rapid advancement),
Department of Mines reports,
Ontario Hydro annual reports,
historical photo collections;
anything that will give a clue as to
the route of the line. However, with
remote northern mines, often there
is little more than a paragraph
mention, a photograph of the site
and little else. While sometimes I
get lucky and period documents
will describe a powerline’s route in
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
34
great detail or even provide a map, this is very rare.
Once the property is abandoned, often after a short
production history, the powerline is abandoned and
allowed to fall victim to the elements, and the right-of-
way to re-vegetate. After 80-100 years of growth,
little to nothing of a cut-line remains visible from
satellite images or from the ground. Usually, I will
study the satellite image of the area using Google
Earth, make some educated guesses based on past
experience, produce an estimated projection and
transfer that projection to a handheld GPS for use
in the field. While this can be effective for use in
areas where it was fairly obvious where the line
went, often the Northern Ontario topography of rock
outcrops, hills and muskeg make the exact route
unpredictable and difficult to follow on the ground.
effective research on lines I’m looking for, and
will also likely reveal ones I did not know about.
An excellent example is the map on the previous
page. The powerline at the centre of the image
shows an early distribution line that ran from
the main HEPC distribution station in Dundas
to the old Tile Works in Aldershot. This line was
built in 1910 to take advantage of the new Hydro
Electric Power Commission (now Hydro One) main
transmission line from Niagara Falls to Dundas
that provided cheap, abundant power for local
industries. While research showed that this section
of the line remained in-service until the 1940’s, it
was abandoned and dismantled not long thereafter.
The original insulators used were grey two-part
multipart porcelain insulators manufactured
by R. Thomas & Sons. These insulators were
probably replaced around 1920 and by virtue of
the line travelling overland, rather than along a
road, many of the replaced units where simply
discarded near the poles along the right of way.
While previous collectors had worked parts of this
line successfully in the past, the digitized maps
have added valuable information by revealing the
point where the transmission line ceases to travel
parallel with the concessions, making an abrupt
90 degree turn toward the tile works site. It is this
spot that had previously fooled other collectors
and it was there where I was able to locate several
undisturbed original pole sites and a pair of intact
insulators for my collection. This style and colour
combination is very scarce and the odd greenish
pink variant is rare (pictured below). Above you
can see the line transferred to Google Earth with
the locations of GPS marked poles plotted on it.
I have also overlain a period air photo to assist.
I think that my uses of these maps, though obscure,
illustrates the wide array of potential uses the public
will have for this valuable resource. For me, they
allow me to rewrite the long forgotten history of
some of the early days of electrical transmission
development in Canada, whose building blocks are
those on which all our modern systems stand. They
allow me to recover and preserve specimens for my
collection that to me are not just new additions to my
shelf, but physical manifestations of that history and
This is where the historical 1:63360 (one inch to one
mile) scale topographic map sheets are extremely
valuable. These maps allow me to determine and
plot the exact routes of the lines for my GPS and
result in highly effective field trips with a minimum
of wasted time looking where the line never ran. I
also cannot overstate the appreciation I have for
the high quality and accessible digital versions
of these maps, which have been made available
through the Ontario Council of University Libaries’
historical topographic map digitization project.
These allow me to have a full view of the map area
(usually I would have to visit a library that may or
may not have a useful sheet and then photograph
small parts) and also bring the scan with me in the
field for further reference if needed. In addition, the
future availability of these maps for online browsing
and download will allow me to conduct quick and
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
35
valuable cultural artifacts. I eagerly anticipate the
release of the entire set of digitized historical maps
online – undoubtedly, the effort expended to make
this resource available will be much appreciated.
Remains from of an original pole site with cross-arm
and broken insulator on the Tile Works line
referenced in the text.
Example of a early 3 part porcelain mulitpart insulator
as found on a remote Northern Ontario line dating to
1906.
Three Thomas M-2255s remain in service for well over
100 years on Toronto's antiquated downtown street side
distribution lines.
Recovered M-2255 Thomas 2 part multipart insulator
from the Tile Works line in an uncommon green glaze
with pink undertones.
Ted Wilush is a McMaster University Commerce
graduate currently employed by a major rail
service provider. Ted has a strong interest in the
the development of early electrical transmission
systems in Ontario and has travelled throughout
the province to map and recover insulators
from these long abandoned lines. When he is
not walking lines or scouring old maps, he also
prolifically photographs Great Lakes ships with
his images being published in company
literature and several periodic publications.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
36
GIS DAY : A SUMMARY ACROSS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
Compiled by Eva Dodsworth
GIS Day is an international grassroots effort
founded by Esri’s Jack Redmond as an initiative
for people to learn about geography and GIS. For
years now many organizations, K-12 schools and
universities have been celebrating GIS Day in an
effort to teach about geography and GIS, as well as
promote services and products. Through the years,
university libraries have also been involved in the
planning and delivery of GIS Day events. From
poster contests, to lightning talks, to workshops
and contests, library staff have been creative in
encouraging student, faculty and staff participation.
The following report is a compilation of GIS Day
2015 activities that several university libraries have
hosted. I would like to thank all contributors for
their efforts and for willing to share their events.
Pennsylvania State University GIS Day: Advances
the Power of Maps
Tara LaLonde
During Geography Awareness Week (November
15-21, 2015), multiple events at Pennsylvania
State University provided students, faculty, staff,
and community members the opportunity to
explore maps. GIS Day events were co-sponsored
by the University Libraries and the Department of
Geography. The planning committee for GIS Day
was comprised of members from the University
Libraries, Geography, Geodesign, and Online
Geospatial programs. This group was able to
leverage contacts, resources, and time for the
preparation of GIS Day events. This committee
began developing an event schedule from the Spring
2015 timeframe to allow enough time to plan events,
communicate to potential speakers, secure event
locations, and create publicity materials. The GIS
Day events followed National Geographic’s theme
for Geography Awareness Week “Explore! The
Power of Maps.” This theme enabled maps and
geospatial thinking to apply across disciplines and
attracted participants across fields. GIS Day elevated
the presence of geospatial information and analysis
occurring on Penn State campus and beyond.
The coordination of the GIS Day committee and
the University Libraries’ Public Relations and
Marketing unit for publicity of GIS Day began in
the Fall 2015. Marketing utilized resources from
the gisday.com website for event hosts, such as
logos and posters, which were adapted to include
specific events. Materials included two large vertical
banners, medium posters, half-sheet posters,
digital signage, press release, and social media
announcements. Many events were cross-listed
with Global Entrepreneurship Week, providing
greater awareness to those interested in maps,
geospatial information, and spatial thinking.
Global Entrepreneurship week at Penn State
was also being held during the mid-November
timeframe. This was an opportunity to reach
many different majors where maps and geospatial
information play an important role in decisions.
Highlights of Activities included:
A mapping applications workshop, “Getting to know
SimplyMap, PolicyMap, and Social Explorer”, was held
on Monday, November 16, 2015, which demonstrated
to students the many datasets available from these
applications. Participants explored the differences
and similarities of options for map design and
output from these library subscribed applications.
Over 100 participants engaged with one another on
GIS Day, November 18, 2015 at the library during
an information fair, a poster display, two sessions
of lightning talks, and three speaker sessions.
Penn State geospatial groups participating in the
information fair included: University Libraries,
Department of Geography, Geodesign graduate
degree programs, Online Geospatial Programs,
Office of the Physical Plant, Geographic Information
Analysis (GIA) Core of the Social Science Research
Institute (SSRI), Envirobotics Research Group, and
PASDA. Multiple groups outside of Pennsylvania
State University also participated. The National
Weather Service (State College, PA), HERE Maps,
and Esri joined as participants in the information
fair and provided valuable information to visitors.
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
37
Throughout the day, faculty, staff and students
from across campus displayed their research
representing a wide range of geospatial applications
on the main floor of the library. Two sessions of five
minute lightning talks provided an opportunity
for participants to hear first-hand as to the many
possibilities of working with geospatial information.
There were ten lightning talk participants that
included topics such as, historic geography and
digital humanities, geodesign, unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAV), remote sensing, and disease
mapping. These topics provided the audience with
insights into the broad use of geospatial technology.
The range of speakers included undergraduates,
graduate students, faculty and staff. Representatives
from HERE Maps spoke about the many uses of
their maps and how their maps stay up-to-date.
Representatives from the National Weather Service
(State College, PA) provided an update on the use
of geospatial applications in their organization.
Joseph Kerski, Esri Education Manager, gave two
engaging talks focused on relevant geospatial
topics. Joseph Kerski’s first talk focused on why
geotechnologies matter, and his second talk focused
on Esri story map applications using ArcGIS Online.
Speakers were transmitted live. Following speaker
presentations, a reception with refreshments
was held to learn more about each other’s
geospatial interests, and included a gift card prize
drawing contributed by Geographic Research Inc.
On Thursday, November 19, 2015, an OpenStreetMap
Mapathon was held at the University Libraries,
which enabled participants to learn how they could
map to benefit a community. Participants digitized
outlines of buildings for a portion of Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania and experienced mapping in a hands-on
environment. A student from the Department
of Geography coordinated this OpenStreetMap
Mapathon.
The GIS Day 2015 events helped to foster greater
awareness of the many GIS activities at Pennsylvania
State University to the broader student, staff, and
faculty community. This was the second year in recent
years that the GIS Day events were hosted by the Penn
State University Libraries. These events provided
opportunities for the library to connect with key
geospatial stakeholders and facilitate connections
on campus. We look forward to having future GIS
Day events and widening the reach of geospatial
information at Pennsylvania State University.
Univeristy of Waterloo GIS Day
Eva Dodsworth
Since 2004, the Geospatial Centre (then University
Map Library), and the Faculty of Environment have
been collaborating on promoting and teaching GIS
on GIS Day. Every year, GIS Day consisted of poster
contests, presentations and workshops. With less and
less interest in printing posters, 2015 marked the first
year where posters were not part of the special day.
GIS Day 2015 was held in the Dana Porter Library,
in both the Geospatial Centre and the adjacent Flex
Lab. The Centre dispalyed its historical maps and
air photos, while the Flex Lab hosted a series of
lightning talks by students and faculty. Students
were encouraged to browse through selected
historical local maps as well as to take a photo
‘anywhere in the world’ using a green screen “photo
booth”. Ballots were made available for students
to enter a draw for two $50 Amazon.ca gift cards,
donated by SimplyMap. Students were required to
answer two Geospatial Centre related questions to
be eligible to win the prize. Esri giveaways were also
made available, consisting of notepads, bracelets
and USB keys. Cake and coffee were available in the
Geospatial Centre, and spring rolls in the Flex Lab.
The following was the day’s agenda:
12:30-1:00
• Meet attendees in the Geospatial Centre / light
refreshments
1:00-1:30
• Welcome from the GIS Day team
• Geographers Without Borders: Think Globally,
Act Locally
1:30- 2:20
• Presentations from Geog/Plan 481 students:
• Exploring the association between walkability and
diabetes
• Discovering Ontario Agriculture through GIS
• A GIS-based Flood Susceptibility Analysis and Risk
Area Assessment: A Study of Morris in 2015
• Wind Turbine Suitability
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
38
• Sports and Recreation Facility Evaluation and
Development: A Case study in Waterloo Region
2:30 - 3:00
• Lightning talks (5 minutes each):
• Hongjing Chen, GIS and Trail Analysis
• Shadman Chowdhury, Exploring trends in nutrient
and solute export across watersheds in Ontario
• Ian Evans, Suitability Analysis for Ideal Honey Bee
Apiary Locations in Southern Ontario
• Carolyn McCormick, Data Collection Tool for Fear
of Crime Research
• Trevor Ford, Military Mapping
3:00 – 3:30
• Thank you from the GIS Day Team
• Networking and Discussions among participants
It is estimated that approximately 200 people
participated in the event. It was wonderful to see
that most people stayed for all of the presentations.
Afterwards, many stayed around to discuss GIS
research amongst each other. There was also a lot
of interest in the historical map display and photo
postcard activity. The venue was a real hit, making
it very convenient for attendees to visit both the
Geospatial Centre and the Flex Lab. Students
appreciated the refreshments, and for many it was
what brought them in.
Benefits of GIS Day at uWaterloo
GIS Day provides students, staff, and researchers
with opportunities to present publically, and to
share and discuss their work with others. The
event also attracts students, faculty and staff
from across campus who have never used GIS but
would like to learn more about it. Exposure to and
training in GIS for those taking non-GIS courses has
always been the Geospatial Centre’s priority and
objective, so it is with great satisfaction to see that
the event attracted students from departments like
math, earth science and engineering. Once made
aware of the technology, the student GIS work on
campus, and the types of services made available
at the Geospatial Centre, there is great potential
for these students to return in the near future.
University of Manitoba
Cynthia Dietz
For GISDay 2015, four students and nine professionals
from within the University and across the Winnipeg
metropolitan area presented. This was the first time
that constant and extended networking occurred.
About 85 people attended, with students representing
about half of the audience. Topics across several
disciplines were presented. Professionals were told
it would be a good venue to meet students who are
very proficient in GIS. Students were told it would be
a great opportunity to build on their portfolio needed
in job searching. Many of our speakers were later
asked to present at the Manitoba GIS User Group
annual meeting.
• Introductions
• Award of Excellence: Dr. Greg McCullough
• Christopher Green, Winnipeg Reg. Health Authority
Using GIS to Address Emerging Public Health Issues
Through Place Based Analyses
• Greg Carlson, GeoManitoba
Geospatial Data and GIS Technology-An Overview and
Application With the Government of Manitoba
• Victoria Grima, University of Manitoba (student)
GIS Tools for Traditional Knowledge Keepers
• Rob Gerry, Manitoba Hydro
Using Historical Air Photos and Topographical
Mapping for Determining Change of Waterways
• Jacques Marcoux & Inayat Singh, CBC Manitoba &
Winnipeg Free Press
Mapping and Data in Journalism
• Andrew Kaufman, University of Winnipeg, (student
at University of Manitoba)
The Divided Prairie City: Income Inequality Among
Winnipeg’s Neighbourhoods
• Jim Silver & Darren Lezubski, University of
Winnipeg & UltraInsights
Neighbourhood Population Change: Winnipeg’s Inner
City
• Adrian Werner, University of Winnipeg
Rooster Town, the Métis, and Fringe Settlement in
Southwest Winnipeg 1880-1960
Bulletin de l’ACACC numéro 152, hiver 2016
39
• Grant Wiseman, Stantec
Change Detection through Satellite Imagery
• Stephen Oberlin, University of Manitoba (student)
Unmanned Aerial Imaging and Mapping
• Michelle Ewacha, University of Manitoba (student)
Using ArcMap 10.2 and Geospatial Modelling
Environment to Quantify Disturbances and Habitat
Types within Woodland Caribou Ranges
• John Iacozza, University of Manitoba
Changes to the Marine Cryosphere in the Arctic
• Claire Herbert, University of Manitoba
Lake Winnipeg Basin Data Network
• Jeremy Sewell, Manitoba Municipal Government
The Changing Landscape of Land-Use Planning
Ryerson University
Dan Jakubek
The Department of Geography and Environmental
Studies, and the Geospatial Map and Data Centre
worked together to host GIS Day 2015 which included
posters, live demos and keynote presentations
Schedule and keynote presentations:
1:00 pm Kick-off and welcome address (1:25 pm)
1:30 pm Dr. Namrata Shrestha, Senior Landscape
Ecologist, Toronto & Region Conservation Authority
2:00 pm Posters and demos
2:30 pm Andrew Lyszkiewicz, Program Manager,
Information & Technology Division, City of Toronto
3:00 pm Posters and demos
3:30 pm Matthew Cole, Manager, Business
Geomatics, and William Davis, Cartographer and
Data Analyst, The Toronto Star
4:00 pm GIS Day cake
Research & project exhibits included:
Live demos - The Neptis Geoweb (Neptis Foundation)
Augmented-reality sandbox (Digital Media
Experience lab)
Scholars GeoPortal and Simply Map Canada
(Geospatial Map and Data Centre)
Geovisualization projects (Master of Spatial
Analysis students)
Posters - A selection of recent conference posters
by Ryerson faculty and students
GIS application examples in the Toronto area
Geography Awareness Week and the BA in
Geographic Analysis
Coffee/tea and snacks were available throughout
the afternoon.
Trent University
Barbara Znamirowski
Trent University Library Maps, Data & Government
Information Centre had fun organizing GIS Day and
Geography Awareness week events, including a half
day of research talks and an exhibit. Events were
open to the university community and public. Talks
were given by the Trent Community (faculty, graduate
students, MaDGIC and adjunct faculty from the
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry).
We were also pleased to welcome Peter McLaren
from Esri Canada who was on hand for discussions
and presented Trent’s Esri Scholarship certificate.
“Drawing Lines: spatial behaviours reveal two
ecotypes of woodland caribou”, “Paleoshorelines
and wetland of the Early Kawartha lakes –
implications for historical human ecology”, “The
Spatial distribution of sawn lumber production
in Peterborough County: mapping historic census
data (1851-1901), “Unmanned aerial vehicle
geomatics solutions to support precision agriculture
and forestry operations in Canada”, and “Building
research partnerships: MaDGIC Services and recent
projects” are a few examples of the talks presented.
Talks were interdisciplinary but linked by the
common theme of showing the possibilities of
using GIS and related technologies and techniques
in research. Our exhibit was mounted for two
weeks at the entrance to the main library and
included posters and maps created by faculty,
students, and MaDGIC. And, of course, there was
GIS Day Cake! Further information is provided at:
http://www.trentu.ca/library/madgic/trentgisday.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 152, Winter 2016
40
SVEN HEDIN’S SURVEY METHODS IN CANADA?
David Malaher
david@malaher.org
Do any of our ACMLA institutions hold maps
produced by Sven Hedin (b. 1865 d. 1952)?
Hedin was born in Sweden and studied geography,
military and social history . He had an enduring
interest in archaeology of western-central Asia. With
post-graduate studies in Germany and exploration
support from the Royal Geographical Society in
Britain, Hedin travelled deep into Afghanistan, Tibet,
Kazakhstan and the Taklamakan desert in search of
artifacts from periods before and after the Silk Road
era. He was one of the first Europeans to enter
western China in the 19th century with scientific
skills in travel logistics, history, archaeology,
surveying and cartography. His popular speeches
and extensive writing were controversial attracting
both admirers and detractors. The question about
maps arises from Hedin’s surveying methods that
were remarkably accurate while based on rapid
movement across the ground using course and
direction measurements coupled with astronomical
observations for latitude and longitude plus his
own artistic skill in making panoramic sketches.
Hedin’s method for rapid surveying was essentially
the same as that used by Philip Turnor (b. c. 1751;
d. 1799 or 1800), Alexander Mackenzie, David
Thompson, Peter Fidler and many others doing
exploratory surveying in Canada in the 18th and
19th centuries. Sadly for Canadian cartographic
history, the rapid survey method was poorly
recorded and today only piecemeal evidence is
known about actual practice by early exploration
surveyors. The alternative method to using course
and distance surveying is to use a network of
triangulation such as was the case in India during the
Great Trigonometrical Survey which discovered Mt.
Everest in 1865. While undeniably highly accurate,
trigonometrical surveying, is slow and expensive
to perform, and not suited to the remoteness
and thin population of early North America.
Technically, the rapid survey method could be called
“field cartography”, a term that suggests doing a
near-final map in the field by the person doing the
survey, instead of the surveyor passing his field
notes along to an unseen cartographer in Europe
mont