5 replies to this topic

[bchubb]

I'm not sure this has been mentioned, I've been away much of the last few months.

The Ministry of Natural Resources Canada will discontinue the printing of paper topographic maps and will close the Canada Map Office effective January 2007.

For any Canadians interested, there's been quite a debate in some circles and there is now a website devoted to the cause of preserving the printing of topographical maps by the Government of Canada.

Save the maps website

There are lots of pros and cons, but as a long time user, I'll be sorry to see them go, even though they are often somewhat obsolete.

Bryan

[frax]

seems like a great oppurtunity to set up a business and print those vector maps on demand for people...

[ELeFevre]

The idea that everyday people will have to go through the hassle of having one 24X36 pdf printed seems somewhat crazy (if I understand the proposition correctly). Have the topos been free in the past?

[bchubb]

Have the topos been free in the past?

No, you've always had to pay for them, and they are often obsolete for many mapsheets (all of Canada is covered at 1:50000 and 1:25000). Nevertheless, they have always been readily available and utilized by a wide range of users due to their high print quality and accessibility. Raster versions are freely available online at Toporama and quite useful making maps. Vector versions are avaialble for purchase. Perhaps I'm old fashioned but my desktop printer won't provide a substitute for the published version. For example, I've reused published maps for canoe trips over and over, but where a printout wouldn't last a day

seems like a great oppurtunity to set up a business and print those vector maps on demand for people...

Yes, I believe this is what's to happen, but the quality and availability just aren't there yet. There are companies who now produce similar maps for high use areas such as the Rocky Mountain Parks.

[frax]

The Swedish survey are still printing maps, but most of it is on demand now. This also means that you can design your own sheets, and are not limited to pre-defined tiles as windows to their database. I don't think they provide any vector data though.

What is cool is that they also provide historical maps (re-printed on demand). I thought I would buy an old 19th century map over where I live.

[Lori Martin]

As an update...

"On the morning of October 11, 2006 the Map Uses Advisory Committee was contacted by Kathleen Olson, Acting Director of Communications to the Minister of Natural Resources. Ms. Olson wanted to make key stakeholders groups aware of Minister Lunn?s recent decision to keep the Canada Map Office open. According to Ms. Olson, ?as soon as this was brought to Minister Lunn?s attention he recognized the need to continue this service to stakeholders and Canadians?. "


Thanks to the hard work of a couple of map librarians in spearheading the campaign against the closure of the Canada Map Office.

Lori King,
Porcupine, Ontario
Canada