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National Geographic Database (NGD)
Modified on November 14, 2007
Part A - Plain language definition:
Not applicable
Part B - Detailed definition:
The National Geographic Database (NGD) is a shared database between Statistics Canada and Elections Canada. The database contains roads, road names and address ranges. It also includes separate reference layers containing physical and cultural features, such as hydrography and hydrographic names, railroads and power transmission lines.
The NGD was created in 1997 as a joint Statistics Canada/Elections Canada initiative to develop and maintain a national road network file serving the needs of both organizations. The active building of the NGD – that is, integrating the files from Statistics Canada, Elections Canada and Natural Resources Canada – occurred from 1998 to 2000. Thereafter, Statistics Canada and Elections Canada reconciled their digital boundary holdings to the new database's road network geometry so that operational products could be derived.
Since 2001, the focus of the NGD has been on intensive data quality improvements, especially regarding the quality and currency of its road network coverage. There has been considerable expansion of road names and civic addresses ranges, as well as the addition of hydrographic names. Priorities were determined by Statistics Canada and Elections Canada, enabling the NGD to meet the joint operational needs of both agencies in support of census and electoral activities.
