Geospatial/GIS and Mapping

The Nova Scotia Archives have a number of historical maps of the province from the 1600s-1900s.

Scholars GeoPortal has a number of historical topographic maps and map indexes (mainly Ontario, though other provinces are being added as available). Also available is Census District data extending back to 1851, transformed into vector data for joining to data in GIS, and more recent census boundary files.

Approximately 22,000 digitized topographic maps of Canada are available, spanning from 1905-2012. These are not georeferenced, though Scholars GeoPortal and Borealis are working on this.

The David Rumsey Map Center, at Stanford University, houses an impressive collection of historical maps that have been digitized and made available for use.

The Atlas of Canada includes maps and geospatial data from the Government of Canada, for reference and downloading.

Historical place names from around the world. Currently in beta, this is a place to explore the different names places have had over time.

Natural Resources Canada has a short primer on air photos, aerial photography, and other concepts about geospatial imagery data.