Abstract

Geospatial information is the primary data that links people, the economy and the environment to their location and place. At Statistics Canada, geospatial data and tools have been used for several decades to support the agency's activities, including those related to the Census of Population. In recent years, innovative and user-driven geomatics tools and services have emerged, particularly in the context of climate change, disasters and sustainable development goals.

The key drivers are
• The importance of geo-enabled statistics in the Statistics Canada Geomatics Vision
• The increasing needs for geo-enabled statistics from various end users
• The availability of new data sources

This presentation will examine the challenges and lessons learned during the StatCan journey to integrate geospatial and statistical data in the last years. For example, how to deliver internal or external geomatics services in collaboration with and for users? Can the new capabilities of geomatics be used to link massive amounts of statistical data to geography with minimal data preparation? Can geospatial data in real or near real time be exploited in a statistical agency?

The presentation will review what has been done so far and what is to come.