ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN MAP LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES
BULLETIN
ASSOCIATION DES CARTOTHÈQUES ET ARCHIVES CARTOGRAPHIQUES
DU CANADA
NUMBER 151 / FALL 2015
NUMÉRO 151 / AUTOMME 2015ASSOCIATION 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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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
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website: <http://www.acmla-acacc.ca>
Digitized ACMLA Bulletin collection: <http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/landingpage/collection/acmla>BULLETIN DE L’ACACC
NUMÉRO 151 AUTOMME 2015
ACMLA BULLETIN
NUMBER 151 FALL 2015
ON THE COVER...
Plan of the City and Liberties of Kingston. Thomas Fraser Gibbs, 1850
Reproduced from an original from an engraving in the Special Collections, Douglas Library, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.
ACML Facsimile Map Series. Map No. 137 (ISSN 0827-8024).
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
Table of Contents
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE - Siobhan Hanratty 2
3D PRINTING TOPOGRAPHIC DATA: 3
AN INTRODUCTION AND TECHNIQUE
- Tomasz Mrozewski
MEMORIES OF MCMASTER’S MAP COLLECTION 9
- Cathy Moulder
THE CENTRE FOR RUPERT’S LAND STUDIES 11
- David Malaher
GEOSPATIAL DATA AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS 17
EarthWorks- Andrew Nicholson
REGIONAL NEWS - Tomasz Mrozewski 20
NEW MAPS - Cheryl Woods 23
GIS TRENDS - Barbara Znamirowski 25ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By the time we receive this issue of the Bulletin, we shall have all survived another fall term and be
looking forward to the new year. Expect to hear from the Executive Board regarding issues raised
at the AGM in the coming months, including an update on the Copyright Task Force, travel funding,
and conference planning. Also among matters for consideration are whether or not to join the new
organization GeoAlliance Canada and/or the newly re-designed Canadian Libraries Association.
The former has been on our radar for some time, and was discussed at the AGM this past June
in Ottawa. The latter was recently presented to us in the form of an invitation to participate in
a survey [for organizations] from CLA. They are soliciting feedback from current members and
potential new organizational members. We shall keep the membership apprised of both situations.
Bulletin Special Issue
Don’t forget about the special, peer-reviewed edition of the Bulletin. The deadline for manuscript
submissions is January 15, 2016. Please submit your manuscript, in either French or English,
together with a short bio-bibliography (including the paper’s title, the author’s name, institutional
affiliation, mailing address, and email address) to deena.yanofsky@mcgill.ca.
The editors are also still accepting interest from members who would like to volunteer to be peer-reviewers.
Carto 2016
Mark your calendars and start watching for seat sales! The 50th annual conference and annual
general meeting of the Association of Canadian Libraries and Archives will be in Fredericton, New
Brunswick, June 14th – 17th, 2016. Staff at the University of New Brunswick and Provincial Archives
of New Brunswick are excited to welcome ACMLA to Fredericton for the first time since 1984.
The Program Committee (programme@acmla-acacc.ca) and the Local Arrangements Committee
(carto2016@acmla-acacc.ca) seek volunteers.
See you in Fredericton.
Siobhan Hanratty
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
3
3D PRINTING TOPOGRAPHIC DATA: AN INTRODUCTION AND
TECHNIQUE
Tomasz Mrozewski
Laurentian University
INTRODUCTION
This paper documents ongoing research into the
application of 3D printing processes to GIS data. As 3D
printing becomes more accessible to a broad audience,
its application to GIS data is being investigated by
industry, academia and amateur Makers. This paper
will outline a technique for converting contour lines
into a digital, printable 3D models using ArcGIS
and Rhino software; other methods will also be
briefly discussed. The end goal of this research is
to develop a set of easy-to-follow guidelines for
replicating this process in the context of an academic
library, drawing on the author’s own experiences.
BACKGROUND
The genesis of this project was a reference question
received in August, 2014. A faculty member
in Laurentian University’s Outdoor Adventure
Leadership sought printed 3D maps as an experiment
in novel learning objects for use in the program’s
field trips. Without a clear sense of what they
might be, the faculty member was excited by
the prospect of knowledge discovery that might
emerge from visualizing terrain in a new way. The
faculty member also provided proof that other
individuals and organizations were already able to
create 3D prints of topographic data, including a
service of the Geospatial Information Authority of
Japan1 and a post on the MatterHackers website2.
ELEMENTS OF A 3D MODEL
Before giving specific details about the technique, I
shall define terms and discuss the elements of model-making
in general terms to contextualize the steps
in the process.
Throughout the paper I have tried to distinguish
between digital models and printed models. The
bulk of the paper concerns the creation of printable,
digital models. Once a digital model is fully and
successfully created, printed models will easily follow.
I propose that there are five key elements in
converting GIS data into printed model.
1. Elevation data
2. Terrain mesh
3. Sidewalls and base
4. STL conversion
5. Printing
Elevation data for an area may come in vector
contour line or raster DEM format. Possible
sources for elevation data for Canada covering
my AoI include the Ontario Base Map (OBM)
series, the National Topographic Series (NTS)
and Shuttle Radar Tomography Mission (SRTM).
A mesh (also called a polygon mesh) is “a collection
of vertices, edges, and faces that describe the
shape of a 3D object.”3 By terrain mesh, I mean
the terrain modeled from the elevation data,
represented as a contiguous set of planes in
3D space. ArcGIS users will have encountered
terrain meshes by creating triangulated irregular
networks (TINs) from contour lines, or by visualizing
elevation from the surfaces of a DEM in ArcScene.
In order to print, a digital model must form a
watertight solid – that is to say, that it fully encloses
a volume of space with no holes. Although extended
in 3D space, a mesh has no thickness and is not a
1Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. Retrieved from http://cyberjapandata.gsi.go.jp/3d/index.html on July
16, 2015.
2Smith, Roy. “How to 3D Print a Map of Anywhere in the World”. Retrieved from http://www.matterhackers.com/
news/how-to-3d-print-a-map-of-anywhere-in-the-world on July 16, 2015
3“What is a Mesh?” From Blender 3D: Noob to Pro. Wikibooks, 2014. Retrieved from https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/
Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/What_is_a_Mesh%3F on July 24, 2015.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
4
printable solid. To create a printable object, the
terrain mesh must be given sidewalls and a base
to stand on. The sidewalls and base are also mesh
surfaces which join with the terrain mesh to form
a shell. If the shell is not watertight, 3D printing
software cannot process and will not print the model.
Up to this stage, the digital model may be created
in a variety of file formats. For printing, however,
it requires conversion to STL format. STL (for
“stereolithography”) appears to be the most widely
accepted format for 3D models by printers, although
it appears that some printers are able to take
models in other formats such as OBJ. It is beyond
the scope of this paper to consider the viability
or desirability of non-STL formats for printing.
It is also prudent to double-check an STL model for
watertightness before printing to ensure that it is
properly handled by the printer and printer software.
You may wish to do this with an application separate
from the one used to create the STL to ensure that
there is no glitch or idiosyncrasy in the STL conversion.
Finally, I consider printing to begin with importing an
STL model into the printer software, and to end with the
completion of the print. Scaling a model to the printer
bed and orientation of the print are handled here.
CONVERTING CONTOUR LINES TO A PRINTABLE
MODEL
On the basis of my research to date, I propose that
there are three major alternative techniques for
converting GIS data into a printable model:
1. Contour line to STL
2. DEM to STL
3. terrain2stl
I have found the first of these techniques – converting
contour lines to a printable STL file – to be the most
successful in creating a detailed representation of
a landscape. I believe that the TIN best represents
the sloping aspects of AoI at the scale requested
by the faculty member who requested the prints.
I also believe that this technique is the most novel
contribution of this paper, although this novelty
lies in linking pre-existing techniques in GIS and
3D modeling rather than in any net new innovation.
Contour line to STL
I chose OBM contour lines as my elevation data,
sourced from the OGDE FTP server hosted by
University of Toronto. The OBM provides contours
at 10m intervals for the AoI. The AoI overlaps
several OBM tiles, which were stitched together
in ArcMap4 using the Merge function. Then, a
polygon shapefile was created for the bounds
of the AoI and used to Clip the contour lines.
The terrain mesh was created in ArcScene. The
clipped contour lines were imported and converted
to TIN with following parameters:
• Height Field = Z_VALUES
• SF Type = Hard Line
• Constrained Delauney = checked
Z_VALUES is the name of the variable containing the
contour lines’ altitude in the OBM dataset; when
using non-OBM datasets, choose the appropriate
variable. The Hard Line designation is required to
render the TIN properly. Checking the Constrained
Delauney variable means that neighbouring
triangles in the TIN share a single edge between
them rather than two, parallel edges, which
ensures that the resulting model will be watertight.
Creating the TIN may become more complicated
where the AoI is bounded on one or more sides by
water, as it is in the case of the AoI requested by the
researcher. It may be desirable to extend a polyline
outwards from land if one wishes to represent the
water feature in the model. If this is not done, the
edge of the TIN will more or less follow the shoreline
(see figure 1). To retain a rectangular footprint, a
polyline feature must be created from the edges
of the shoreline into the water. It should follow
the boundaries of the AoI polygon, completing the
rectangular shape on the edges(s) bordered by
water (see figure 2). Once the polyline is drawn, edit
the Attribute Table for the feature and Add Field to
create an altitude field where the value is equal to the
altitude of the shoreline in the contour line dataset.
This feature must then be merged with the contour
lines and a new variable created which is equal to
4All ArcGIS operations performed with ArcGIS for Desktop 10.1.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
5
Z_VALUES plus the height of the new water feature5.
The Height Field of the TIN, then, should be this new
variable instead of Z_VALUES. Before exporting the
model, it is also possible to “cheat” part of the sidewall
when creating the TIN. The benefit of this option is that
5For this new value to calculate properly, I found it necessary to export the merged feature class as a shapefile and then
to calculate the final height field in the shapefile. The reason for this is that the output of the Merge function is a feature
class in the geodatabase which place <null> values in each variable of the output feature class that is not shared by both
input datasets. When attempting to calculate a new field by adding a number to a <null> value, the resulting value is
also <null>. However, when the output feature class is exported as a shapefile, the <null> values are converted to 0. This
allows the height fields of the contour lines and the water feature to be added in the new field without causing an error.
Figure 1: the AoI is bounded on
one side by water. The TIN most
follows the shoreline except to
enclose small bays and the area
between the shoreline and islands,
resulting in an irregularly shaped
footprint for the terrain mesh.
Figure 2: the AoI has been extended
into the water, preserving the
rectangular shape of the AoI in the
terrain mesh. A terrain mesh with a
rectangular footprint may be easier
to mount onto a base for printing.
it ensures that the output TIN has a fully rectangular
shape, which is easier to match to a base in 3D
modeling software. As was described above with
respect to modeling AoIs bounded by water, edges
of the TIN will not be perfectly squared if the
contour lines do not extend right to the edge of AoI.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
6
This will especially be a problem at the corners of
the AoI, which will likely clip to the nearest contour
line. To resolve this issue, create a polyline slightly
larger than the AoI, which will become set the bounds
of the output TIN. Assign a height value as low as or
lower than the lowest contour line that meets the
edge of AoI. The polyline feature will then be merged
with the contour line dataset, as per the previous
paragraph. The boundary polyline must be slightly
larger than the AoI footprint to properly create the
TIN because ArcScene’s TIN creation function does
not appear to be able to interpolate the vertical
slope from the boundary polyline to the edges of the
contour lines. The only downside I have found with
this process is that the edges of the resulting model
may show somewhat odd-looking sidewall artefacts.
Once a TIN is created, it can be exported as a
VRML file using the Export Scene feature. At
this point, the terrain mesh can be edited in 3D
modeling software and given sidewalls and base.
The next step is to complete the shape of the model
by adding sidewalls (if applicable), a base and
converting to STL. These steps may be completed
in 3D modeling software; for this project, I have
chosen Rhinoceros software (also known as “Rhino”6.
Note that 3D modeling software varies: everything
from the mathematical modeling of the objects
to the naturalism of the concepts to the names of
the operations may vary from one to the next. I
strongly recommend reading the documentation
for your application of choice and completing
tutorials on at least the most basic interactions.
In Rhino, the VRML TIN is treated as a mesh
object. This is important because, by default,
Rhino models 3D objects as NURBS (non-linear
uniform rational b-splines)7, so all manipulations
to the model must be performed using the Mesh
Tools toolset rather than the default toolset.
Mesh objects cannot be converted to NURBs.
To create a base, use the Mesh Plane tool to draw
a polygon that matches the footprint of the AoI,
offset below it. Then, to create the sidewalls
between the terrain mesh at the base, use the
Single Mesh Plane to connect the corner vertices
of the base with those of the terrain, or to connect
the edges of the base with the edges of the terrain.
Although simple in principle, I found working in
Rhino to be quite challenging in practice due to the
specialized interface. Users with more experience
in modeling or users of different software may
find the process much simpler. For novices, I
strongly recommending reading the manual and
completing tutorials on basic interactions, if
available, before attempting to manipulate models.
Once the sidewalls and base have been added, the
model can be converted to STL by using Save As
or Export Selected and selecting the file format;
the two operations appear to be identical in Rhino.
Before printing the STL file, it is strongly recommended
that the model be checked for watertightness. Holes
in STL meshes may be undetectable to the naked
eye, especially in large and complex models such
as any landscape is bound to be. They may also be
caused by reversed mesh faces, which may occur
with software such as SketchUp. Alternatives
include netFabb Basic (the free version of netFabb
software that runs on desktop) and the Microsoft
3D Model Repair Service (a free, web-based service
that runs netFabb software)8. Both netFabb Basic
and the Model Repair Service will identify and
automatically correct most holes in STL models.
Finally, the STL model can be imported into the 3D
printer’s native software. At this stage, the model
may be scaled and oriented to the printer bed,
if required. When modeling and printing terrain
with relatively small changes in altitude, where
low grade slopes challenge the minimum vertical
resolution of the printer, it may be preferable
to rotate the model 90° to print it standing on
6All Rhino operations performed with Rhinoceros 5 (64-bit) for PC.
7Rhinoceros 5: User’s Guide For Windows. Robert McNeel & Associates, 2014. Retrieved from http://www.rhino3d.com/
download/rhino/5.0/UsersGuide/ on July 24, 2015.
83D Model Repair Service: https://netfabb.azurewebsites.net/ (retrieved on July 24, 2015).
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
7
the sidewall edge, rather than flat on the base9.
Other methods: Working from DEMs and Terrain2stl
DEMs may also be used as source elevation data. A
2D DEM may be converted into a 3D shape by using
ArcScene, exported and then treated according to
the technique described above. Some 3D modeling
software can directly convert a 2D DEM; Rhino, for
example, has a tool called Heightfield from Image
which will convert a DEM into a mesh10. Similarly,
Global Mapper11 GIS software can convert a DEM into
an STL file. It has been beyond the scope of this project
thus far to investigate any of these methods in detail.
Another interesting and convenient method for
creating STL models is the Terrain2stl web app12
and script13 developed by Thatcher Chamberlain.
Terrain2stl uses a Google Maps interface and a
movable, sizable focal box to select an AoI. Once the
AoI is selected, the user clicks Create STL File and
then Download, which provides a fully watertight
and printable model for printing. Terrain2stl works
by querying the SRTM DEM dataset corresponding
to the AoI, creating a vertex for every square in
the DEM, joining each vertex with its neighbour
on four sides and filling the space with a mesh
surface, and then creating the base and sidewalls.
Despite its ease of use, Terrain2stl is not ideal for
more precise work. Since is uses 3 arcsecond SRTM
data, the resolution is significantly lower than with
many openly accessible data sets, such as OBM
contour lines and DEMs. The predefined shape of
the AoI means that the output STL file may need to
be trimmed in modeling software. There is also a
built-in 300% vertical exaggeration in the script that
may need to be scaled down if required. However, for
lower-fidelity projects the application may be ideal.
Printing and results
I successfully created prints of my AoI by using the
contour to STL conversion procedure described
above and with Terrain2stl. I created test prints from
both techniques in base-down and in sidewall-down
orientations for comparison’s sake. I found that using
the contour to STL technique and printing on edge
produced the most highly detailed. Unfortunately
for purposes of this publication, it is difficult to
photograph the monochromatic plastic prints in
sufficient detail to warrant inclusion of illustrations.
I printed models on a commercial-grade Stratasys
Dimension 1200 and a consumer-grade MakerBot
Replicator Mini. Printers may vary in print size,
consistency, resolution, and filling algorithm.
Comparing prints of the same size from the same
model from the Dimension 1200 and the Replicator
Mini, it appears that the two printers handle long,
gradual slopes differently. However, due the small
size and small number of comparable prints, it
is difficult to be more specific or to generalize.
As noted above, printing the model on its end rather
than on its base resulted in a better rendering
of the terrain. However, it also resulted in small
blips in places where it appears that an extra
blob of extruded filament had accumulated.
At time of writing, the printed models have yet to be
presented to the faculty member who commissioned
them. Should he decide to use them as learning
objects, follow-up will be required to determine
how useful the prints are and whether or not any
novel forms of knowledge discovery have emerged.
Software choices
GIS
I used ArcGIS software for this project because of its
accessibility through the university’s Esri site license.
Although ArcGIS is widely used easily accessible in
many universities, I am interested in exploring the
use of free GIS software – namely, QGIS – to develop a
procedure accessible outside of the university context.
3D modeling
I chose Rhino for several reasons. It is a full-featured
modeling platform, sufficiently powerful to handle
the complexity of the terrain mesh, well-documented
9Credit is due to Greg Lakanen, Engineering technologist at Laurentian University, for suggesting this solution.
10I have found this to be only intermittently successful; however, I have not systematically investigated the reason for this
or the parameters required for successful conversion.
11Global Mapper 16 for PC.
12Terrain2stl: http://jthatch.com/terrain2stl/ (retrieved on July 23, 2015).
13Code available on Github: https://github.com/ThatcherC/Terrain2STL (retrieved on July 23, 2015).
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
8
with good customer service, and is available through
an affordable and flexible single-seat academic
license with a 90-day trial period. The quality of
documentation is especially important for users like
myself with virtually no experience of 3D modeling.
Unfortunately, the learning curve is fairly steep and,
outside of the trial period, the software is not free.
I chose Rhino after failures to successfully create
the digital models with SketchUp and Blender,
both of which are free. SketchUp is a popular
modeling program that is very easy to use due its
more naturalistic – and, therefore, easier to learn –
toolsets. It was designed for a broad audience and
was owned by Google from 2006 to 201214, which
may have contributed to its popularity. However, it
suffered from major flaws when handling complex
terrain models: it was slow and underpowered,
sometimes requiring hours to complete certain
processes or crashing entirely; user interface
issues made it impossible to determine whether
the application was processing or had crashed;
STL output was often seriously flawed beyond the
repair of netFabb or the Model Repair Service.
I was unable to overcome these issues with the
help of the fantastic SketchUp user community15. I
encountered these issues using both the trial Pro
editions and the free Make editions of the software16.
The free, open-source Blender software proved to
have difficulty handling the scale of TINs output
from ArcScene and has an extremely high learning
curve, so I abandoned it early in the research
process. However, I was able to successfully convert
TINs from VRML into SketchUp-compatible formats
using Blender, even while being unable to properly
display them. If the display and scaling issue could
be addressed, I believe that Blender would be
the best candidate for modeling in a completely
free environment in conjunction with QGIS.
Future directions
My first priority is to develop techniques and step-by-step
procedures for creating 3D models using entirely
free datasets and software such as QGIS and Blender. I
believe that opening the process up to a general public
will be the surest way of discovering applications.
While the idea of 3D printing GIS data is novel and
interesting, I do have doubts about its widespread
utility. It is currently unclear to me that there are many
situations in which the printed model is clearly more
useful than a digital 3D model or even a topographic
map. Due to the relatively low resolution of openly
accessible elevation datasets, it is difficult to precisely
model small areas. This limits its usefulness for
purposes such as site planning, although this could be
addressed by acquiring higher resolution terrain data.
A faculty member from the Laurentian School
of Architecture has expressed interest using the
technique I have developed to have students create
models of the Sudbury Basin. For a sufficiently large
printed model we will need to experiment with tiling
the digital model – most printers have bed around
10” by 10” by 10” – and fitting the printed tiles
together. It will be interesting to see how consistent
printer output is and how well the tiles fit together.
I suspect that architectural site modeling will also
be one of the major applications of the conversion
and printing technique described in this paper.
Several mining researchers and professionals with
whom I have spoken expressed interest in creating
models of mine shafts from 3D point clouds to aid
high-level decision making, their belief being that
the physical object may inspire knowledge discovery
and discussion. In this case, it will be necessary
to develop a new techniques for converting point
cloud or structure from motion (SfM) data into a
3D model; in principle, this should not be difficult.
Conclusion
This research project, though not yet complete, has
demonstrated that it is possible to convert contour
line data into a 3D printable model of terrain. It also
seeks to create a series of step-by-step instructions
for doing so, using entirely free software if possible;
this has yet to be accomplished. Finally, this project
continues to seek and evaluate uses for the printing
techniques in academic and other environments.
14“A Little SketchUp History.” Retrieved from https://www.sketchupschool.com/sketchup on July 23, 2015.
15Most notably on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/Sketchup/) and SketchUcation (http://sketchucation.com/).
16Versions used throughout the project include SketchUp Pro 2014 and 2015, and SketchUp Make 2014 and 2015; no
significant differences were encountered between any of these.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
9
The Map Collection came into my life in 1986. I
had been working for 15 years in a little special
library in the Geography Department, the Urban
Documentation Centre, under the direction of Les
King. That collection was to be amalgamated with
the University Library and at the same time Kate
Donkin and her library assistant Betty Kellett
were scheduled to retire. I can remember my joy
and excitement at being offered the assignment. I
didn’t know anything about maps. But I was young
and believed that a good special librarian should
be able to manage any format of information.
Kate Donkin was a remarkable individual. She
smoked heavily, wrote clever comic songs, and liked
a little scotch for her lunch. She was probably the
most completely ‘right brain dominant’ person I’ve
ever met – creative, artistic, intuitive. Her botanical
paintings in watercolour are precise and beautiful,
and I treasure two of them. And she was passionate
about maps. We spent six rich months as teacher
and student, while she patiently indoctrinated a
hopelessly left brain newbie. She drew little pictures
to explain the wonders of geomorphology and map-making.
She explained the politics of many things in
the worlds of academia, librarianship, cartography
and employment. She was a remarkably generous
mentor and taught me far more than she realized.
As the years passed and her foundations stayed
strong, I came to respect her ever more. McMaster
owes her resounding thanks for the depth and
strengths of its Map Collection – the excellent
Canadian historical collections and the thorough
world map and atlas coverages are the direct
result of Kate’s expertise and good stewardship.
One of the perennially fascinating challenges in the
world of map libraries is the struggle to achieve access
and bibliographic control – the catalogue. McMaster
enjoyed its moment of glory in this area very early in
the history of the Map Collection. In the late sixties,
Kate worked with Michael Goodchild to develop the
very first automated map retrieval system. Mike went
on to become quite a famous geography professor,
respected for his work with geographic information
systems, but at that time he was still just a grad
student interested in computers. Their innovative
map catalogue was based on 90 character IBM
punchcards and unfortunately never survived the
eventual migration from mainframe computers to
modern databases. But it is renowned in the library
literature as the precursor to MARC for Maps, the
Anglo-American cataloging rules still in use today.
McMaster’s Map Collection had many other moments
of innovation and leadership over the years. It
was one of the first map libraries to embrace
geographic information systems and develop library
services to accommodate this new way of storing
and delivering geographic information. It was one
of the first to use markup language and Google
Maps as tools to provide access to our collections.
It was on the leading edge in the evolving role of
the university library in teaching partnerships
with faculty, a precursor to the eventual liaison
librarian model. It was always an early adopter
with new technologies: the earliest desktop
computer, illustrated and eventually animated
and automated instructions, wikis for student
assignments, web-based databases for rare and
military maps, digitization. It was an emulated model
in other areas of librarianship too: expectation-and
task-based training for our student assistants,
pro-active (rather than service desk based)
reference service, collocation of both map and
atlas resources by geographic area despite the
vagaries of the Library of Congress classification.
But what I remember even more vividly than the
innovations and accomplishments are the people.
McMaster’s Map Collection has been blessed
with individuals who have stretched themselves,
overcome funding, staffing, technological challenges
and administrative hurdles, dealt cheerfully with
endlessly repetitive student needs, faced bravely
a seemingly insurmountable workload. And
MEMORIES OF MCMASTER’S MAP COLLECTION
For the 50th Anniversary of the Lloyd Reeds Map Collection
17 November 2015
Cathy Moulder
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
10
somehow the team still managed to maintain a solid
reputation for good public service and accomplish
projects way above and beyond the ordinary.
During my 25 years in the Map Collection, I worked
with two remarkable library assistants: Afton Beaton
and Gord Beck. Afton was a soft-spoken Wonder
Woman, an iron hand in a velvet glove. I admired her
enormously for her resilience and determination,
her capable management of all office tasks, her easy
way of relating with students. The Map Collection
benefited from her interest in historical maps
and her efforts to organize and inventory these.
In the early years, there were also some part-timers
in the Map Collection. I remember Marion West for
her sense of humour, especially as she learned to
use our first computer and struggled to tattle-tape
the oversized atlas collection. I remember Alexandra
Grobelna for her gifts of language; she organized
all the Polish and Russian maps. I remember Josie
Picone; she was a too brief godsend when we moved
the Map Collection from General Sciences to Mills
Library. Occasionally, we would be fortunate enough
to have the loan of a staff member from another
department for a special project. I remember Peggy
Findlay who painstakingly organized and classified
all the American geology maps. I remember Diane
Wales and Lorna Turcotte who worked diligently
on the rare map descriptions. I remember the
amazing display they presented on their favourite
rare map treasures for the audience of a Lager
Lecture. I remember Lorna’s bloodhound research
skills and her excitement when she found any
tidbit on our elusive map collector and spy, Robert
Clifford. And of course we had many many great
student assistants who helped their peers and also
helped us to accomplish so many worthy projects.
In the Trzeciak years, the Map Collection was
blessed with a new and wonderful category of staff
members, the catalogers: Silvia Halfon, Doris Forget
and Margaret Rutten. Sadly I didn’t get to work
nearly long enough with any one of them. Each was
unique and special, and yet every one was devoted to
providing the best access possible to our collections
and the best catalogue possible for our researchers.
They were a godsend after years of limited access
and bibliographic control, and the cataloging of the
Map Collection finally surged forward. I sincerely
hope that they could feel how greatly their work
was valued and respected in this department.
And finally my dear library assistant, now titled
Map Specialist, who is Gord. Words are not
enough to express my admiration for Gord and his
achievements. He also came to the Map Collection
with little preparation. He has grown and stretched
and learned beyond all measure, and is a most
remarkable self-made man. Gord has a deep public
service ethic and loves teaching others what he has
learned. He morphed his personal interest in military
history into a special database project for a small
collection of World War I trench maps. He persisted
at that access tool for years when the prospects for
any online exposure or digitization money were dim.
All the while, he added to his personal knowledge
until he has developed a nationally acknowledged
expertise in the area of WWI cartography. When Gord
first started in the Map Collection, our supervisor
Dave Cook came in once to warn him that I had
High Expectations. I was always puzzled by that.
Obviously Gord is capable of achieving far more
than I ever would or could dream of expecting.
He has never been limited by High Expectations!
I remember moving the Map Collection three times,
each move a masterpiece of logistics and teamwork.
I remember a beautiful rare map display created in
pretty short order for a library donor event, another
superb piece of teamwork, and Mr. Hill’s incredulity
when he heard that our colleague at New York Public
Library had been working on a rare map display
for four years. I remember working with some
wonderful faculty members, always learning as well
as teaching. I choose to forget the grueling hours of
repetitive instruction, but am happy to remember
the collaborations, the perennial concern for our
students’ learning experiences and even the cheesy
music for the bell-ringer assignments. I am proud
to remember the dedication and public service
ethic of the Map Collection team and am so blessed
to have been a part of this great group of people.
Please give my regards to all who also remember the
Map Collection fondly.
Cathy Moulder
Curator, Lloyd Reeds Map Library and Urban Documentation
Centre (1986-1992)
Curator, Lloyd Reeds Map Collection (1993-2006)
Director of Library Services, Maps, Data and GIS (2007-
2011)
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
11
THE CENTRE FOR RUPERT’S LAND STUDIES :
COLLOQUIUM AND MAP WORKSHOP
David Malaher
Centre for Rupert’s Land Studies
The Centre for Rupert’s Land Studies at the
University of Winnipeg facilitates scholarly
research and publishing concerning the human
history of the Hudson Bay watershed, known in
the period from 1670-1870 as Rupert’s Land.
“Rupert’s Land” was the name given to the Hudson
Bay watershed by King Charles II of Great Britain and
Ireland in 1670. At the time, he had no idea that this
encompassed about 3,861,400 square kilometers
(1,490,900 square miles). English merchants and
explorers only had a sketchy knowledge of the
Hudson Bay coastline and almost no concrete data
on the areas draining into that body of water. In
terms of modern geo-political boundaries, Rupert’s
Land covered northern Quebec, northern Ontario,
much of the three prairie provinces, and most
of southern Nunavut. It also included parts of
Montana, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota.
The Centre hosts biennial colloquiums, publishes
The Rupert’s Land Newsletter, promotes
awareness of the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives
in Winnipeg, and co-publishes, with McGill-
Queen’s University Press, a series of documentary
volumes on aspects of the history of Rupert’s Land.
The Centre for Rupert’s Land Studies also functions
as a clearinghouse to assist researchers with similar
interests to be in touch with each other, to communicate
about their research projects and findings, and to
assist researchers from out of town by putting them
in touch with qualified local assistants or by providing
a congenial meeting spot when visiting Winnipeg.
Cartography of the Hudson’s Bay Company
The Governor and Committee of the Company of
Adventurers of England trading into Hudsons Bay”
were major contributors to the mapping of Canada
and the Northwest Pacific region of the United States.
In two centuries, 1670 to 1870, they geographically
Image by Weldon Hiebert, Geography Department, University of Winnipeg
Map Base by Mountain High Maps
defined and measured, and cartographically
depicted the larger share of the territory of
our nation.
In effect, the Hudson’s Bay Company
was our first national mapping agency.
Exploration, surveying, and mapping became
vital elements of the company’s trading
enterprise. These basic “tools of the trade”
were part of the training and daily life of
many of its servants, significant cost entries
in its financial ledgers, and fundamental
requirements for the successful capture
and management of its market area.*
* Opening lines in the foreword by Richard I.
Ruggles in his outstanding work, A Country So
Interesting. McGill Queens University Press, 1991.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
12
“A Country So Interesting”
In his book of this tile, Richard Ruggles discusses
the HBCA map collection in general and several
hundred maps in detail as well as presenting plates
of 66 selected maps. He reports that there are, in the
Hudson Bay Company Archives in Winnipeg, 581
manuscript maps originating between 1670 and
1870. There are also 557 segmental sketches in the
HBCA of a similar origin. The list goes on to account for
additional plans, charts, printed products, post-1870
manuscript maps, uncatalogued maps and recorded
but lost maps amounting to 5,390 documents.
Altogether this is a remarkable collection of
Canadian history in graphical format. The work was
accomplished by 206 people, at least, including 34
Natives Persons by Ruggles’ count. Naturally, the
styles of mapping were varied and the quality of
drafting ranges from free-hand sketches to very fine.
Sizes ranged from as small as 6 cm square upward to
a grand 9 sheet map 93 cm x 259 cm by Philip Turnor
in 1794. Typical examples are around 30 to 60 cm.
These maps and their related journals, letters
and other documents provide researchers at the
HBCA with a wonderful resource. The opportunity
is there to see different projections of map,
different art styles in the drafting, and different
geographical features that interested each map
maker at the time of creating their cartography.
Map Analysis Workshop for the Historian, May
18, 2016
History projects involving territory within Rupert’s
Land, on topics that may have little direct bearing
on the fur trade, can make use of the HBCA
collection. The results can be illuminating and
unexpected. To help with recording information
from HBCA maps, the Workshop attached to the
Colloquium in May, 2016, will use examples from
the HBCA collection, actually from Ruggle’s book, to
demonstrate various characteristics that are present
not only in the collection but also in maps made
by other surveyors and map makers in that time
period. In these historical maps it is good to have
certain known landmarks in mind for comparison.
The Centre for Rupert’s Land Studies recognizes
that the term “Rupert’s Land” is a colonial term,
imposed by outsiders who at the time had little
knowledge of the area or its people. However, Rupert’s
Land was a more complex political and social entity
than may at first appear, and the term highlights the
potential flexibility of seemingly straightforward
geographical and political labels. The power that
individuals and communities have for adapting old
uses and meanings, and for creating new ones, strongly
suggest that the Hudson Bay watershed – however
labeled – can be viewed from multiple perspectives.
Why was King Charles interested in this territory?
He was granting a royal charter to a new company
of socially well-connected merchants: the Governor
and Company of Adventurers of England Trading
into Hudson’s Bay, or the Hudson’s Bay Company
for short. He named them “true and absolute Lords
and Proprietors” of the land, and granted them “the
sole Trade and Commerce” within Rupert’s Land.
The Company’s territories were named after their
first Governor, the King’s cousin, Prince Rupert.
The royal charter did not apply to any parts of
Rupert’s Land “actually possessed” by “any other
Christian Prince or State,” but made no mention
of the many First Nations who actually held
sovereignty within the territory. At the time, the
Hudson’s Bay Company’s actual claim to the land
was limited to small sites for trading posts and
safe passage between those posts. Nearly two
centuries later, however, in the 1860s, the issue
became more contentious as the HBC negotiated
the sale of this territory to the emerging Dominion
of Canada without consulting the First Nations or
Metis communities who held Aboriginal land title.
Rupert’s Land Record Society
One of the Centre’s most important activities
is publishing, in affiliation with McGill-Queen’s
University Press, the Rupert’s Land Record Society
volumes, a series of documentary publications
on the fur trade and Native history of Rupert’s
Land. Some volumes are available in limited
quantities from the Centre for Rupert’s Land
Studies, at a special price to Centre members.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
13
We also hold for sale a small stock of Hudson's
Bay Record Society and Rupert's Land Research
Centre publications. We also make accessible
papers from past Colloquiums, including the Papers
of the 1994 Rupert's Land Colloquium, edited
by Ian MacLaren, Michael Payne and Heather
Rollason. See our book order page for details.
• Algonquian Conference Papers
• Member Publications
• Sample Books Available
• Publications & Hudson's Bay Record Society Books
Order Form [PDF]
Fur Trade History Sources
Canadiana.org is a membership alliance dedicated to
building Canada’s digital preservation infrastructure
and providing the broadest possible access to
Canadian documentary heritage. The organizations
works closely with major memory institutions to
identify, catalogue, digitize and store documentary
heritage—books, newspapers, periodicals, images
and nationally-significant archival materials—in
specialized research databases. There are a number
of online collections currently available including
Department of Foreign Affairs, Early Canadian
Periodicals, and Health and Medicine. Their website
also has several links to other resources and
institutions.
Nametau innu: Memory and knowledge of Nitassinan
is a website dedicated to the Innu nation in which
elders pass on their skills and knowledge to younger
generations.
Statistics Canada: Canada Year Book Historical
Collection
CBC Archives
The Champlain Society Digital Collection contains
almost 50,000 digitized pages of original documents
dealing with early white explorers in Canada.
France in America is a bilingual digital library of
documents from the Library of Congress and the
Bibliothèque nationale de France which explores
the history of the French in North America from the
17thto the 19th century.
Fur Trade Family History is Nancy Marguerite
Anderson’s blog about her family’s fur trade history.
Fur Trade Stories is a unique presentation of primary
and secondary resources found in the collections of
Canada’s National History Society, HBCA - Archives
of Manitoba, The Manitoba Museum, Parks Canada
and several First Nations communities.
Library of Western Fur Trade Historical Source
Documents: Diaries, Narratives, and Letters of the
Mountain Men. This website contains accounts of
the Rocky Mountain fur trade during the first half of
the 19th century. Most of these are either primary or
secondary historical sources that were transcribed
from printed or manuscript form.
Hudson’s Bay Company Archives: Winnipeg, MB
Centre du patrimoine - Voyageurs Contracts
Database – claims to be the single largest collection
of data regarding the contracts signed by men of the
Montreal fur trade.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
14
17th Rupert's Land Colloquium
The University of Winnipeg, 18-21 May 2016
On the campus of the University of Winnipeg.
The Centre for Rupert's Land Studies is pleased to announce the call for papers, poster presentations
and displays for the Colloquium in 2016. We welcome any submissions related to Aboriginal and fur
trade history, legal histories, treaty histories, science and geography, material culture, and gender
studies in the vast region of land surrounding all sides of Hudson’s Bay once known as Rupert's Land.
The Rupert’s Colloquium is a long standing event for researchers and authors to meet for
updates on current work-in-process and learn first-hand of the latest topics being studied across
Canada and the USA. Visitors and presenters come from Britain, Europe, USA and Canada.
Submissions will be accepted until 1 March 2016.
For more information on the Colloquium, please contact Josephine Sallis
j.sallis-ra@uwinnipeg.ca
Phone 204-786-9003
Map Analysis Workshop for the Historian
Immediately preceding this year's colloquium is a Map Analysis Workshop for the Historian
(particularly maps of Rupert's Land from 1670 - 1870), which is being held at the University
of Manitoba, Wednesday, 18 May 2016 between 8:15 - 4:15 pm. Topics of the Workshop will
include analysis processes for older maps, capabilities of ArcGIS on-line tools, a hands-on study
of David Thompson’s 1826 map of NW Canada, and aboriginal perspectives on map making.
For more information on the Workshop, please contact Kyle Feenstra
kyle.feenstra@umanitoba.ca
Winnipeg is home to the Hudson's Bay Company Archives, The Manitoba Museum, and the Winnipeg Art
Gallery, as well as the Canadian Museum for Human Rights located at the Forks, The National Research
Centre for the Truth and Reconciliation commission located at the University of Manitoba, and the
new Upper Fort Garry Heritage Park located downtown. Parks Canada welcomes visitors to Lower
Fort Garry 35 km north of Winnipeg on the Red River, built under George Simpson’s orders in 1830.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
15
Association of Canadian Map Libraries
and Archives
Twelfth Annual
ACMLAStudent PaperAward
The Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives (ACMLA) announces its annual student
paper contest. Essays may deal with access to and information about geospatial data, cartography,
cartographic materials, map information, map data, GIS data and geo-referenced information.
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
2015-2016 school year.
Essay
The essay shall be original and unpublished, and of no
more than 3,000 words. Judging of the papers will
give primary consideration 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.
Award
$250.00 and free membership in the Association for
one year. The award includes an invitation to present
the paper at the ACMLA annual conference, normally
held at the end of May/early June. If the winner
chooses to attend the conference, the Association will
waive registration fees and provide a travel stipend of
$250.00.
Deadline: 15 April 2016
Eva Dodsworth, ACMLA Awards Committee,
Geospatial Centre, University of Waterloo Library,
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
edodsworth@uwaterloo.ca
Submit a paper to the Contest!
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
16
ACMLA AWARDS
The ACMLA Awards Committee is responsible for three awards given by the Association. We
invite nominations for these awards and encourage members to participate in the selection of
the awards for outstanding accomplishments in our field.
ACMLA Honours Award
The Awards Committee invites nominations for the ACMLA Honours Award. According to
the guidelines for the award, the nominee should be a person who has made an outstanding
contribution in the field of map/GIS librarianship. The contribution may either be for a
specific activity or for general services and contributions such as continued membership in
the Association with active participation either as an executive officer, committee chairperson,
or committee member. Normally, membership in ACMLA is a prerequisite, however that does
not preclude considering outstanding non-members.
- Deadline : April 15th, 2016
ACMLA Cathy Moulder Paper Award
To be nominated for the Paper Award, which carries a $200 monetary prize, a feature article by
one or more authors consisting of at least three pages in length must have appeared in issues
149-151 of the ACMLA Bulletin.
- Deadline : April 15th, 2016
ACMLA Student Paper Award
The Student Paper Award will consist of a prize of $250 and free membership in the Association
for one year. The award includes an invitation to present the winning paper at the Annual
Conference. The Association will waive registration fees and provide a travel stipent of $250.
The award will normally be given on an annual basis to a student from Canada or studying in
Canada currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution (college or university). The essay
shall be original and unpublished and of no more than 3000 words. Priimary consideration
for the award will be given to the essay’s originality and its contribution to new knowledge
and inight. Other considerations include the author’s demonstration of the relevance of the
subject, the quality of the presentation and documentation, and the literary merits of the essay.
- Deadline: April 15th, 2016
For more information on ACMLA Awards, contact:
Eva Dodsworth
Chair, ACMLA Awards Committee
edodsworth@uwaterloo.ca
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
17
GEOSPATIAL DATA AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Andrew Nicholson
EarthWorks
Reviewed by Andrew Nicholson
Coordinator of GIS and Research Data Services
University of Toronto Mississauga
https://earthworks.stanford.edu/
In September 2015, this reviewer took the opportunity
to attend the annual conference of the Western
Association of Map Libraries (WAML), which took place
at the ESRI World Headquarters in Redlands, California.
Although several ESRI products and initiatives
were featured and discussed at the conference, it
was actually a presentation on a non-ESRI resource
in particular that stood out for this reviewer.
Stace Maples, the Geospatial Manager at Stanford
University Libraries presented on “Earthworks”,
a geospatial data discovery application launched
in the spring of 2015 by Stanford University.
With a focus on geospatial data collections
housed at Stanford University and other American
university and government agency partners,
EarthWorks allows access to thousands of datasets,
many of which are in the public domain and
are available for free download to anyone who
visits this new federated geospatial search tool.
Description and Metadata
Earthworks is a web resource made available to
the academic community by Stanford University
Libraries. Built using Geoblacklight, an open source
collaboration platform for disseminating geospatial
data, EarthWorks includes a easy to navigate
search interface allowing users to do searches
by browsing by specific institutional collections,
data types, place names, as well as subjects.
Users can also limit their searches by several different
facets including Institution, Author, Publisher,
Subject, Place, Year, Data Type (Point, Polygon, Line,
Raster), and Format. As a Canadian user unaffiliated
with an American school, the most important limiter
for this reviewer was “Access”. For example, a search
for Pakistan geospatial data can be performed, and
the results limited to “Public” and “Available” which
then only displays the data that is available for direct
download. Also of note is the map preview window
on the right side of the screen, which highlights
the geographic extent of geospatial data selected.
Along with geospatial datasets available through
Stanford University Library, a visitor to the EarthWorks
search interface will also find collection metadata
from Harvard University, Tufts University, Columbia
University, University of Minnesota, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, University of California-
Berkeley, and University of California-Los Angeles.
Interestingly, some government agencies have
also provided metadata to the EarthWorks project,
including the Massachusetts Office of GIS (MassGIS).
At this time, no Canadian partners are included,
and the actual Canadian content publicly available
is disappointing, although not surprising given the
newness of EarthWorks and its focus on assisting
American students and researchers. Nevertheless,
the EarthWorks collection of international datasets,
raster images, and scanned geotiffs still makes it
worth a look, especially as the system continues to
expand in numbers of data files and data providers.
Although locating geospatial data for direct
download is one of the most attractive aspects
of EarthWorks, being able to pull up metadata
for geospatial collections not available is still a
valuable part of the resource. The metadata tells
the users which institution holds the data, as well
as its publisher and year of creation, allowing
the user to contact that institution or publisher
directly for possible access (and/or) purchase.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
18
Currency and Formats
EarthWorks features geospatial data in many
incarnations from geotiff to shapefiles. Although still a
new resource coming online only in the Spring of 2015,
EarthWorks holds almost 24,000 files, the earliest of
which is from 1750 (a scanned Geotiff map of Tibet,
Western China, and Nepal), and the latest includes
United States government shapefiles from 2015.
Licensing
Geospatial data found in EarthWorks is subject to
the specific licence requirements documented for
each record. Fortunately, this information is easily
found in the “Use and Reproduction” section on
the file collection page and written in layperson’s
terms rather than legalese. When it comes to the
publically available data such as scanned maps,
many of the files appear to have Creative Commons
licensing permitting reuse and modification as
long as credit is given. For other files that are
licensed the terms are provided and indicate
which institution holds the access and terms.
Conclusion
Although an American resource for American
researchers, EarthWorks can nevertheless be a useful
resource for Canadians looking for international
geospatial data that is in the public domain. As it is
still new with datasets and new institutional partners
being added regularly, the reviewer recommends
EarthWorks as another data resource to be aware of
when hunting for hard to find data. If the data you
find is not available for download in EarthWorks,
information about acquiring the data is provided.
Perhaps the best part of EarthWorks is that
the search interface and code are also built on
open source code, allowing other Libraries to
build their own data catalogues that can be just
as easy to use as EarthWorks. The EarthWorks
code and other materials can be found here in
Github: https://github.com/sul-dlss/earthworks
https://earthworks.stanford.edu/
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
19
Dear ACMLA members and colleagues,
On behalf of the ACMLA Executive Group, we are very pleased to announce that the 50th Annual
Conference of the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives (ACMLA) will be held from
14-17 June at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, NB.
At this time, we invite you to participate in the planning process by becoming a member of either
the Program Committee or the Local Arrangements Committee. Members of the Program Committee
will work together to plan the theme, sessions and guest speakers for the event, while the Local
Arrangements Committee team will organize local preparations and logistics. Both committees
will work collaboratively to produce a successful event.
If either (or both) of these groups interests you, we would love to have you as a part of the team.
For more information or to join a committee, please contact:
Program Committee: programme@acmla-acacc.ca
Local Arrangements Committee: carto2016@acmla-acacc.ca
Sincerely,
Siobhan Hanratty, President, ACMLA
Jay Brodeur, Vice President Professional Development, ACMLA
*************************************
Chers membres de l’ACACC et collègues,
Au nom du groupe de l’exécutif ACACC, nous sommes très heureux d'annoncer que le 50e colloque
annuel de l'Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada (ACACC) aura
lieu du 14 au 17 juin à l'Université du Nouveau-Brunswick à Fredericton, au Nouveau-Brunswick.
A ce moment, nous vous invitons à participer au processus de planification en devenant un membre
du Comité de Programme ou du Comité d'Organisation. Les membres du comité de programme
travailleront ensemble pour planifier le thème, les sessions et les conférenciers invités pour
l'événement, tandis que les membres du comité d'organisation organiseront les logistiques et les
préparations locales. Les deux comités collaboreront afin de produire un événement réussi.
Si un (ou les deux) de ces groupes vous intéressent, nous serions ravis que vous faite partie de
l'équipe. Pour plus d'informations ou pour se joindre à un comité, veuillez communiquer avec:
Comité de programme: programme@acmla-acacc.ca
Comité d'organisation: carto2016@acmla-acacc.ca
Cordialement,
Siobhan Hanratty, Président, ACACC
Jay Brodeur, Vice-Président au Développement Professionnel, ACACC
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
20
REGIONAL NEWS
Compiled by Tomasz Mrozewski
Alberta
Edmonton Map Society
David Jones
The Edmonton Map Society held its Fall Meeting
on November 19, 2015 with 17 members in
attendance. We received two presentations.
Larry Laliberte, GIS Librarian, U. of A. spoke
of: “The power of GIS, geovisualization and
metadatadata for online historical collections.” Over
the past fifteen years many collections (textual,
numerical, photo, maps) have been digitized and
are made available online. However, they often
exist as either standalone platforms, isolated
from other digital collections, or as databases
that can be queried but not expressed spatially.
By highlighting various #HGIS examples, the
presentation touched upon how thinking spatially
and combining the power of GIS, geovisualization
and metadata open up interesting ways of
spatially linking, querying, and mapping online
collections. Presentation link: http://bit.ly/1T4Fys8
Ian MacLaren, Dept. of History & Classics, spoke
about “Edward Weller’s Map to Illustrate Mr.
Kane’s Travels in the Territory of the Hudson’s
Bay Company (1859).” He discussed this map that
accompanied Paul Kane’s Wanderings of an Artist
(1859). He has found that cartographer Edward
Weller (1819–1884) received £12 for drawing
and engraving the map that accompanied the first
edition. This appears to be a well-known name
among cartographic historians. We discussed
various discrepancies in the map, how it does,
and doesn’t, relate to the narrative and why it
may have been included in the published volume.
University of Alberta
Larry Laliberte
The William C. Wonders Map Library recently
completed an index to all of the 1:50,000 National
Topographic System (NTS) maps that cover the
Province of Alberta. The index is available as
a .shp file so that one can determine, for any
area within Alberta, which NTS sheet, year
and edition the WCW map collection has. The
ideal next step - digitize and georeference all
of the earlier editions. The Index can be found
here: http://dx.doi.org/10.7939/DVN/10523.
University of Calgary
Susan McKee
Spatial and Numeric Data Services has started to
digitize some older western Canadian maps from
our collection. They are available through our Digital
Historic Maps guide (http://bit.ly/1QW8VO7).
Thanks to our Maps & GIS Specialist Iris Morgan
for all the work on this project. Please try it out
and let SANDS know if you have any comments.
SANDS is looking forward to hosting the
annual western Canada ACCOLEDS (A COPPUL
Consortium of Library Electronic Data Services)
workshops in the first week of December. We
have an interesting program lined up, including
a full day with data visualization tools,
techniques, and practice: http://accoleds.org/
University of Lethbridge
Rhys Stevens
Alberta Historical Air Photo Mosaics: Here at the U.
of Lethbridge Library, we had a cabinet of air photo
mosaics that I discovered which we then had digitized
and added to our CONTENTdm digital collections in
early 2015; U. of Calgary & U. of Alberta provided
guidance about the content itself and copies of some
missing mosaics. The Alberta Historical Air Photo
Mosaics LibGuide page (http://bit.ly/1O9b3Bf)
provides links to the 700+ items. Users can “zoom
in” on the images using the CONTENTdm viewer
interface. More recently, the ABMI Data Portal
(http://bit.ly/1XhpdRp) made available for public FTP
downloadable georeferenced TIFF versions of this
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
21
same mosaic collection which, unlike ours,
seems to be 100% complete. The collections
complement each other quite nicely I think.
Several U. of Lethbridge faculty members
have been making use of both resources.
British Columbia
University of British Columbia
Kelly Schultz
UBC Digital Initiatives has just finished digitizing
old Vancouver land use maps. This digital
collection has also been integrated into our new
Open Collections portal (http://bit.ly/1Xhq6Ju)
so the landing page has some interesting
visualizations surrounding the collection. In the
future we also hope to georeference these maps.
Manitoba
Centre for Rupert’s Land Studies (University
of Winnipeg)
David Malaher
Rupert’s Colloquium 2016: the Centre for
Rupert’s Land Studies is pleased to announce the
call for papers, poster presentations and displays
for the Colloquium in 2016. We welcome any
submissions related to Aboriginal and fur trade
history, legal histories, treaty histories, science and
geography, material culture, and gender studies
in the vast region of land surrounding all sides
of Hudson’s Bay once known as Rupert’s Land.
The Rupert’s Colloquium is a long standing event
for researchers and authors to meet for updates
on current work-in-process and learn first-hand
of the latest topics being studied across
Canada and the USA. Visitors and presenters
come from Britain, Europe, USA and Canada.
Submissions will be accepted until 1 March
2016. For more information on the Colloquium,
please contact Josephine Sallis at j.sallis-ra@
uwinnipeg.ca or by phone: 204-786-9003.
Map Analysis Workshop for the Historian:
Immediately preceding this year’s colloquium is a Map
Analysis Workshop for the Historian (particularly
maps of Rupert’s Land from 1670 - 1870), which is
being held at the University of Manitoba, Wednesday,
18 May 2016 between 8:15 - 4:15 pm. Topics if the
Workshop will include analysis processes for older
maps, capabilities of ArcGIS on-line tools, a hands-on
study of David Thompson’s 1826 map of NW
Canada, and aboriginal perspectives on map making.
For more information on the Workshop, please
contact Kyle Feenstra at kyle.feenstra@umanitoba.ca.
Ontario
University of Ottawa
Sarah Simpkin
It has been another busy fall at the GSG Centre!
William Gautier joined our team as a contract
cartographic support specialist in September, filling
in for Pierre Leblanc. We also recently welcomed a
new interim head, Lindsey Sikora, who is joining us
from our Health Sciences Library for the next year.
We’re continuing work on two digitization projects.
The first, a collaboration with other Ontario
universities, is an OCUL-funded map digitization
project focussing on public domain topographic maps
covering Ontario at 1:25000 and 1:63360 scales. The
second are air photos of the Ottawa-Gatineau region
covering several years between 1928 and 1945.
University of Waterloo
Eva Dodsworth
The Geospatial Centre is pleased to announce
that Markus Wieland has accepted the position
of GIS Specialist. Markus’ main responsibilities
include providing advanced geospatial technical
information services, providing library instruction
and developing geospatial digital projects. He will
also be helping out with this year’s GIS Day event
on November 18th. GIS Day will include a series
of student presentations, Lightening Talks, and
a Geospatial Centre open house with postcard
creations, cake and coffee. This term we have offered
three workshops: Getting Started with GIS, Editing
with GIS, and Introduction to ArcGIS Online. We
hope to offer an introductory cartography course
next term. We have also gone into several courses
and lab sessions to teach how to read maps, how to
work with census information, and demonstrations
on both the Scholar’s Portal and SimplyMap.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
22
Quebec
Université Laval
Stéfano Biondo
Le Gouvernement du Québec et les universités
québécoises, sous la coordination du Bureau de
coopération interuniversitaire (BCI), sont fiers
d’annoncer une importante entente portant sur
une accessibilité accrue aux données géospatiales
gouvernementales. Cette entente a pour but de
soutenir et de stimuler l’enseignement et la recherche
appliquée sur le territoire québécois ainsi que de
développer l’expertise québécoise en la matière.
À l’initiative des bibliothèques universitaires,
le gouvernement vient de conclure une entente
de deux ans avec les universités québécoises
afin de rendre plus accessibles ses données
géospatiales actuellement diffusées par Géoboutique
Québec, sous la responsabilité du ministère de
l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles (MERN).
Grâce à cette entente, 18 partenaires membres des
établissements universitaires pourront accéder
à pas moins de 34 jeux de données géospatiales
produites par le Secteur du territoire du MERN,
mais aussi par d’autres ministères (le ministère des
Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Transport Québec,
le Directeur général des élections, le ministère
des Affaires municipales et de l’Occupation du
territoire ainsi que le ministère du Développement
durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les
changements climatiques). Parmi ces jeux, pensons
notamment aux données d’Adresses Québec, à des
orthophotographies, aux données géodésiques, à
différents produits cartographiques et cadastraux,
aux produits et données d’inventaire écoforestier, etc.
Université du Québec à Montréal
Sylvie St-Pierre
Le 13 octobre 2015, le Service des bibliothèques
de l’Université du Québec à Montréal a procédé au
lancement officiel de Géoindex+ UQAM (http://
geoindex.uqam.ca/), notre portail de données
géospatiales. Grâce à la collaboration entre
l’Université Laval et l’Université du Québec à
Montréal, nos usagers peuvent désormais découvrir
et utiliser nos collections par l’entremise de
cette formidable plateforme créée par Stéfano
Biondo et Martin Ouellet de l’Université Laval.
Communiqué de presse : http://bit.ly/1hobbPi
On October 19th, 2015 the Service des bibliothèques
de l’Université du Québec à Montréal has officially
launched Géoindex+ UQAM (http://geoindex.uqam.
ca/), our geospatial portal. Through collaboration
between the Université Laval and the Université
du Québec à Montréal, our users can now discover
and utilize our collections with this great platform
created by Stéfano Biondo and Martin Ouellet of
Université Laval. Press release: http://bit.ly/1hobbPi
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
23
NEW MAPS
Compiled by Cheryl Woods
Map of Djbouti
Scale: 1:300,000
Publisher: Ing. Houssein Ahmed Hersi
Year of Publication: 2015
The Map. Kigali.
Scale: 1:9,300 & 1:13,000
Publisher: Living in Kigali
Year of Publication: 2015
Massachusetts and Rhode Island Lighthouses
Scale: NA
Publisher: Bella Terra Publishing
Year of Publication: 2015
Northwest Lighthouses
Scale: NA
Publisher: Bella Terra Publishing
Year of Publication: 2015
The Age of Pirates (Map/Poster)
Scale: NA
Publisher: Bella Terra Publishing
Year of Publication: NA
Best of Lake Louise Hiking
Scale: 1:35,000
Publisher: Gem Trek
Year of Publication: [2015]
Italy Vino di Eta Wine of Ages
Scale: NA
Publisher: Vinmaps
Year of Publication: 2015
South Vietnam
Scale: 1:600,000
Publisher: Reise Know-How Verlag
Year of Publication: 2015
Australia, West
Scale: 1:1,800,000
Publisher: Reise Know-How Verlag
Year of Publication: 2015
Haunted Savannah Illustrated Map
Scale: NA
Publisher: Karpovage Creative, Inc.
Year of Publication: 2015
Dalmatian Coast
Scale: 1:150,000
Publisher: Freytag-Berndt
Year of Publication: 2015
Poland
Scale: 1:700,000
Publisher: Freytag-Berndt
Year of Publication: 2015
British Columbia
Scale: 1:1,400,000
Publisher: GM Johnson Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
Toronto
Scale: NA
Publisher: Canadian Cartographics Corp.
Year of Publication: 2015
Greater Victoria
Scale: NA
Publisher: Canadian Cartographics Corp.
Year of Publication: 2015
Vancouver & Area
Scale: NA
Publisher: Canadian Cartographics Corp.
Year of Publication: 2015
Edmonton, Jasper & Environs
Scale: NA
Publisher: Canadian Cartographics Corp.
Year of Publication: 2015
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
24
Romania
Scale: 1:750,000
Publisher: Cartographia
Year of Publication: 2015
Hungary
Scale: 1:400,000
Publisher: Cartographia
Year of Publication: 2015
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Scale: NA
Publisher: Jimapco
Year of Publication: 2015
Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park
Scale: NA
Publisher: Jimapco
Year of Publication: 2015
Canada
Scale: 1:8,600,000
Publisher: GM Johnson Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
Miami
Scale: NA
Publisher: PopOut Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
Paris
Scale: NA
Publisher: PopOut Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
Chicago-Great Places to Eat
Scale: NA
Publisher: Michelin
Year of Publication: 2015
San Francisco
Scale: NA
Publisher: Michelin
Year of Publication: 2015
New Mexico
Scale: NAPublisher: Butler Motorcycle Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
Washington
Scale: NA
Publisher: Butler Motorcycle Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
Oregon
Scale: NA
Publisher: Butler Motorcycle Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
Perth and Region
Scale: 1:12,500/1:115,000
Publisher: Hema Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
Melbourne and Region
Scale: 1:12,500/1:115,000
Publisher: Hema Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
South East Queensland
Scale: 1:500,000
Publisher: Hema Maps
Year of Publication: 2015
Rhodes
Scale: 1:50,000
Publisher: Freytag-Berndt
Year of Publication: 2015
Germany, West
Scale: 1:500,000
Publisher: Freytag-Berndt
Year of Publication: 2015
Germany, East
Scale: 1:500,000
Publisher: Freytag-Berndt
Year of Publication: 2015
Albania
Scale: 1:150,000
Publisher: Freytag-Berndt
Year of Publication: 2015
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
25
GIS TRENDS
Barbara Znamirowski
bznamirowski@trentu.ca
ONTARIO FLOW ASSESSMENT TOOL (OFAT)
Introduction
In this issue we examine the Ontario Flow Assessment Tool (OFAT), an open source web application
for watershed delineation and analysis produced by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and
Forestry. OFAT automates complex hydrological and spatial processing tasks, drawing on various spatial
and attribute databases to generate outputs useful to researchers, managers and others interested in
watersheds.
The Ontario Flow Assessment tool was initially released by the Ministry of Natural Resources in 2002,
as a customized add-on to proprietary software.i The current version operates as a stand-alone web-based
product that requires only a browser to use. The Ministry announced the release of a number of
enhancements in October 2015. This article discusses Ontario Flow Assessment Tools III, as evaluated
from the web in November 2015.
OFAT web application: http://www.giscoeapp.lrc.gov.on.ca/web/mnr/wrip/ofat/Viewer/viewer.html
Functions
Ontario Flow Assessment Tools III is used to calculate information about Ontario’s watersheds (defined
as areas of land where surface water converges to a single point).ii
The web interface includes five main tabs (Navigation, Map Layers, OFAT III, Find Information
and Markup and Printing) each of which have a set of associated tools. The main functions
for watershed analysis are found under the “OFAT III” tab. Key functions include: creating a
watershed, extracting the watershed’s physiographic characteristics, and executing hydrological
models to determine flow regimes for the watershed. These functions are outlined further below.
1. Create Watershed
The “Create Watershed” tool delineates watersheds using a pour point method. First steps involve
designating a pour point (outlet for watershed). This can be achieved through selecting “Create from a
Map Point”, and clicking on the application’s base map to assign a point (Figure 1). The corresponding
watershed associated to this pour point is generated through a series of automated processes (Figure 2).
A pour point must be designated on a mapped hydrological feature (i.e., a lake or stream). Alternatively,
instead of a mouse click, a pour point can be designated by entering its coordinates (either in Lat/long,
UTM or MNR Lambert). The coordinates entered must be within 90 meters of a mapped hydrology
feature. One or more watersheds can be generated during one session, and will be listed separately in
search results. Each watershed is independent of any other watershed generated, permitting overlapping
or nested sub-watersheds. Figures 1 through 5 show the progressive steps involved in running tools
to delineate, characterize and model flow of one watershed. In this example the watershed was named
“Jackson Creek”.iii
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
26
Figure 1. Create watershed tool; user clicks on map to designate a pour point for watershed
delineation (Snapshot from: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Ontario
Flow Assessment Tools III, Powered by Land Information Ontario, ©Queen’s Printer for
Ontario, 2013. Taken on, November 24, 2015, from: http://www.giscoeapp.lrc.gov.on.ca/
web/mnr/wrip/ofat/Viewer/viewer.html)
Figure 2: Create watershed result for Jackson Creek watershed as generated from pour
point designated in Figure 1(Snapshot from: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
and Forestry, Ontario Flow Assessment Tools III, Powered by Land Information Ontario,
©Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2013. Taken on, November 24, 2015, from: http://www.
giscoeapp.lrc.gov.on.ca/web/mnr/wrip/ofat/Viewer/viewer.html)
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
27
2. Characterize the Watershed
After generating a watershed the Watershed Characterization tool can be run to calculate
features of the watershed including: Drainage Area, Shape Factor, Mean Elevation, Maximum
Elevation, Mean Slope, Length of Main Channel, Maximum Channel Elevation, Minimum
Channel Elevation, Slope of Main Channel (m/km), Slope of Main Channel (%), Annual Mean
Temperature, Annual Precipitation, Area – Lakes/Wetlands, Area – Lakes, and Area – Wetlands.
Figure 3:
Watershed Characterization of
Jackson Creek watershed (Snapshot
from: Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources and Forestry, Ontario
Flow Assessment Tools III, Powered
by Land Information Ontario,
©Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2013.
Taken on, November 24, 2015,
from: http://www.giscoeapp.lrc.
gov.on.ca/web/mnr/wrip/ofat/
Viewer/viewer.html)
In addition, it is possible to add 30 land cover types to the map, with, for each type, the area (in
km2) and percent coverage within the watershed listed (Figure 4). The land cover types can also
be viewed on the map. This viewable layer is for the entire province, not just the watershed.iv
Figure 4.
Land Cover Characterization of
Jackson Creek watershed (Snapshot
from: Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources and Forestry, Ontario
Flow Assessment Tools III,Powered
by Land Information Ontario,
©Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2013.
Taken on, November 24, 2015,
from: http://www.giscoeapp.lrc.
gov.on.ca/web/mnr/wrip/ofat/
Viewer/viewer.html)
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
28
3. Execute hydrological models to generate water flow information
The hydrology models tool has been created by automating a number of existing regional hydrologic models.
Currently, OFAT includes three flow model categories (Low Flow Prediction Model, Flood Prediction
Model and Mean Annual Flow Prediction Model), each of which contains one or more models (five models
in total) which can be applied to each generated watershed, after the required characterizations have
been completed (Figure 5). A detailed explanation of the models is included in the OFAT User Guide.v
Figure 5: Hydrology Model run on Jackson Creek watershed (Snapshot from: Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources and Forestry, Ontario Flow Assessment Tools III, Powered by Land Information
Ontario, ©Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2013. Taken on, November 24, 2015, from: http://www.
giscoeapp.lrc.gov.on.ca/web/mnr/wrip/ofat/Viewer/viewer.html)
Other Features
The “Flow Statistics” tool within OFAT III estimates flow statistics for select Water Survey of Canada HYDAT
gauges in the Southwestern Hudson Bay, Nelson River and Great Lakes-St Lawrence River watershed
systems that lie within Ontario.vi These are useful for many reasons, including as comparators to ungauged
flow statistics obtained through running OFAT processes. Using “Find Watersheds” it is also possible to add
predefined Ontario tertiary watershed boundaries to a map by selecting a watershed name or ID from a list.
The Map Layers tab includes a range of background maps and imagery as well as Ontario dam inventory
and diversion information.
The Markup and Printing tab, includes tools for customizing and exporting print-ready maps.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 151, Automme 2015
29
Export Options
Each tool includes options to download results, thereby permitting further analysis in GIS software
and other applications. Supported formats include .shp, kmz, GRID, .lyr and .dbf.vii
Data Sources
OFAT tools draw on extensive databases. Some of the key data sets used within OFAT are listed below.
See the “Metadata” section within the User Guide for further details.
For watershed creation: Ontario Integrated Hydrology (OIH) Stream Geometric Network; OIH
Enhanced Flow Direction grid.
For watershed characterization: OIH Digital Elevation Model (DEM); OIH Enhanced Flow Direction
grid; OIH Waterbody data; Land Information Ontario Wetland data; Environment Canada’s Historical
normal data 1981-2010.
For Watershed Land Cover summary: The Ontario Land Cover Compilation, which combines the
Provincial Land Cover Database, Far North Land Cover, and the Southern Ontario Land Resource
Information System.
For Hydrology Models: Models use information from derived watershed characteristics. Source
data to create grids for regression models was taken from Moin and Shaw “Regional Flood
Frequency Analysis for Ontario Streams” 1985. Hard copy maps were digitized to create a mean
annual runoff contour dataset, which were then interpolated into surface using TOPOGID.viii
For Streamflow: Estimates of streamflow statistics for select Environment Canada’s Water
Survey of Canada’s HYDAT gauges in the Southwestern Hudson Bay, the Nelson River and the
Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River watershed systems that lie within the Province of Ontario.ix
More Information
OFAT documentation includes the Ontario Flow Assessment Tool Guide (see: http://www.ontario.
ca/page/ontario-flow-assessment-tool-guide) and a more detailed (78 page) User Guide, which
contains procedures for use, metadata for data sets, and information on models and associated
methodologies. Users are encouraged to consult the excellent full version of the user guide, found at:
https://www.sse.gov.on.ca/sites/MNR-PublicDocs/EN/CMID/OFAT%20-%20User%20Guide%20-%20eng.pdf
Evaluation
With a user-friendly and highly flexible interface that requires only a browser to use, Ontario
Flow Assessment Tools III is an impressive web application, particularly because of its capacity
to access diverse databases and to automate complex spatial tasks. The ability to delineate
and characterize watersheds is of huge value to graduate students, researchers, scientists,
planners and others. Similarly, the automated use of existing hydrological models, drawing on
extensive database information, eases the time-consuming tasks of estimating different stream
flow regimes and identifying their implications for watershed management. Furthermore, the
ability to export generated output for further analysis adds the product’s strength and versatility.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 151, Fall 2015
30
The tools are relevant to a broad range of tasks such as site evaluation, conservation assessment,
water quantity risk assessment, storm water management, flood control, streambed mobilization,
sewage assessments, study of sediment movement, monitoring of fish migration and spawning, habitat
protection and wetlands study.
As with most automated procedures and models, the tools must be used critically, and models assessed
for their suitability to a particular research project or question. The ability to delineate watersheds
and their characteristics based on ungauged pour points and automated procedures is a powerful
feature that should be evaluated in relation to research objectives and the unique characteristics of a
particular research site or watershed. OFAT III is intended to support diverse applications, sometimes
as a stand-alone product or in combination with other products, procedures (such as field verification),
and information, as appropriate.
The growth of web technologies and the need to understand and manage watersheds effectively calls
for a generation of new products that will hopefully be in the public domain. For example, readers may
wish to explore the US Geological Survey’s StreamStats Version 3 web application, now in Beta release
at: http://streamstatsags.cr.usgs.gov/v3_beta/.
Ontario Flow Assessment Tools III is highly recommended for researchers, watershed managers and
planners, and others interested in watersheds.
Disclaimer
All inaccuracies or omissions within this article are the responsibility of the author.
Barbara Znamirowski, Head, Maps, Data & Government Information Centre, Trent University
Library
______________________________
iOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. User Guide for Ontario Flow Assessment Tool (OFAT) – 2015-09-
23, https://www.sse.gov.on.ca/sites/MNR-PublicDocs/EN/CMID/OFAT%20-%20User%20Guide%20-%20eng.pdf,
p. 11, accessed November 15, 2015
iiOntario Flow Assessment Tool Guide, http://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-flow-assessment-tool-guide#section-1,
accessed November 15, 2015
iiiUser Guide for Ontario Flow Assessment Tool (OFAT), Spatial Data Infrastructure, Mapping and Information Resources
Branch, Corporate Management and Information Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, 2015-09-23,
pp. 18-21, https://www.sse.gov.on.ca/sites/MNR-PublicDocs/EN/CMID/OFAT%20-%20User%20Guide%20-%20
eng.pdf, Accessed in November 2015
ivIbid. OFAT User Guide, pp. 22-23
vIbid. OFAT User Guide, pp. 24-25
viIbid.OFAT User Guide, p. 27
viiIbid.OFAT User Guide, p. 35
viiiIbid. OFAT User Guide, p.43
ixIbid.OFAT User Guide, pp. 40-45
