Canadian Topo Map Update: Globe and Mail Coverage

The Globe and Mail has picked up the story (free registration may be required) about the Canadian government’s decision to get out of the business of printing paper topo maps, and map seller Brad Green’s campaign to overturn that decision. From the article:

[John Dawson, acting director of Natural Resources Canada’s Centre for Topographic Information,] said topographic distribution has been sliding over the past few years as people have moved to digital files or sought out more up-to-date maps. In the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2003, Canada distributed about 330,000 topographic maps. Over the next year, that dropped to 261,000 and in the most recent year, only 2,008 maps left the warehouse, he said. Some people worry that without a warehouse of ready-made maps, emergency services would not be able to react quickly to natural disasters such as ice storms, floods and earthquakes. But Mr. Dawson said Ottawa could quickly plot and print maps in times of disaster.

See previous entry: Canadian Government Abandoning Paper Topo Maps?

Posted on Tuesday, October 4, 2005 at 6:52 AM
Categories: Topo Maps & Trails

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Comments

There was a significant error in the this article. It is even repeated in the extract above. The figure for the number of maps that left the warehouse “in the most recent year” is over 200,000 - not a mere 2008.

The figure given in the article is quite misleading.

This slight decline reflects not only a move to digitsl files but a decline in the service provided

David Jones | 10/07/2005 at 10:29 AM | #

That’s very good to know, David: it means that it’s a slight year-over-year decline (and, as you say, attributable) rather than a precipitous collapse in demand.

Jonathan Crowe | 10/07/2005 at 10:31 AM | #

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