Foundation Geospatial Data
Foundation Geospatial Data Your location-based decision making starts here On this page Skip to the content What is Foundation Geospatial Data? Foundation geospatial data (FGD) are the spatial layers common to mapping. These layers include roads, rivers, lakes, political boundaries, imagery, and elevation. While the list of things people map is endless, most maps use these layers. Government FGD is an authoritative and trusted source for users in many sectors for mapping and analysis. FGD criteria FGD must meet these criteria: Themes Organizing FGD by themes makes it easier to manage and for users to discover. Categories such as physical, ecological or infrastructure bundle FGD into non-technical groupings. FGD’s full potential is evident when data across themes are used together to provide value-added context, for example, when combined on a topographic map. Transportation Water Elevation and depth Imagery Infrastructure Land Parcel and property Place names Administrative boundaries Addressing Geodetic control Transportation The transportation theme includes roads, trails, railroads, airports and other features associated with the transport of people or goods. This data supports a wide range of needs such as emergency response, disaster planning, resource access, route planning, traffic safety, congestion mitigation and tourism. Transportation FGD layers in the Thunder Bay area Picture of transportation Foundation Geospatial Data layers in the Thunder Bay area on top of imagery. Water The water theme is made up of surface hydrology features including lakes, rivers, streams, dams, falls and rapids. This data supports a wide range of needs such as forest management planning, flood mitigation, emergency response, mitigation of invasive species and tourism. Water FGD layers in Caribou Falls Picture of water Foundation Geospatial Data layers near Caribou Falls on top of imagery. Elevation and depth Elevation and depth data represent the height of land or bathymetric depth of water relative to mean sea level. Elevation geospatial data can be represented as a continuous surface or as features (points, lines, polygons). The most common types of elevation data include Digital Terrain Models (DTM) depicting bare earth elevation and Digital Surface Models (DSM) depicting all surfaces on the earth including ground, trees and buildings. Elevation and Depth FGD layers in Millbrook Overhead view of a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) showing height of land and bathymetric depth in Millbrook. Imagery This theme includes aerial and satellite images of the Earth's surface. Imagery is the basis from which most other geospatial data is created and is fundamental to all geospatial business needs. Imagery geospatial data can be represented as 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional (stereo) imagery. Stereo imagery can be used to create elevation geospatial data. Imagery is used as a base map for most common web-mapping applications. Imagery FGD layers in Sault Ste. Marie Imagery showing shoreline and vegetation near Sault Ste. Marie. Infrastructure Infrastructure includes basic human systems and services including transmission lines, pipelines and buildings which together sustain or enhance the lifestyle of Ontarians. This data supports a wide range of needs such as infrastructure planning, emergency response and disaster planning. Infrastructure FGD layers in Belleville Picture of infrastructure Foundation Geospatial data layers in Belleville on top of imagery. Land parcel and property Land parcel and property refers to administrative land boundaries. Land boundaries can be titled with various types of ownership or not titled such as Crown land. This data supports a wide range of needs such as taxation, land registration and management, as well as land use and business planning. Land Parcel and Property FGD layers in Scarborough Picture showing parcel data Foundation Geospatial Data in Scarborough on top of imagery. Place names Place names help us describe our surroundings and identify historic, cultural and natural features on the landscape. The data consists of the official names, location and extents of named geographic features and unincorporated places. This data supports needs such as emergency response, navigation, travel and tourism and law enforcement. Place Names FGD layers in Orillia Picture showing examples of place name Foundation Geospatial Data in Orillia on top of imagery. Administrative boundaries The administrative boundary theme includes legislative, regulatory, electoral, statistical or territorial extents. These extents help define the jurisdiction of various levels of governmental responsibility or management. Administrative Boundaries FGD layers around Smiths Falls Picture of administrative boundary Foundation Geospatial Data layers around Smith Falls on top of imagery. Addressing An address is a collection of information (building number, street name, town or city and postal code) that is used to locate a structure or plot of land. Geocoding services convert addresses into map coordinates for mapping and business analysis. Ministries use geocoding when delivering services to identify spatial relationships between address locations and geographic features, see trends, derive patterns and inform decision-making. Addressing FGD layers in North Bay Picture of addressing in the Ontario Road Network Foundation Geospatial Data in North Bay on top of imagery. Geodetic control Geodetic control surveying is an area of geodesy that establishes precise reference networks providing high-accuracy reference points over large areas. Geodetic control surveying supports mapping, geographic information systems (GIS), property boundary surveys, construction projects and positioning and monitoring of engineering structures such as dams, bridges and highways. Control monument locations in Thunder Bay Control monument locations in Thunder Bay. Contact information [email protected] Geospatial Ontario Open Data Resources Ontario’s Open Government Initiative is about creating a more open and transparent government for the people of Ontario. Read more at the following resources. Access and Terms of Use Acceptance Disclaimers We are committed to providing accessible customer service. For alternate formats, communications supports, or more information, please contact Geospatial Ontario by email at [email protected], call 1-705-772-5891, or visit Geospatial Ontario. GEO Support is available Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (ET). This website was created by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on behalf of the Geospatial Ontario partner ministries. Use of this site and any of the data, text, maps and other information on the site (collectively "content") is governed by the terms and conditions set out below ("Terms of Use"). Use of the site implies acceptance of these terms. The site and its content are made available by MNR as a public service without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Use of this site and any of its content is at the user's sole risk. In no event shall MNR be liable to users or others in any way for any loss, damage or injury, regardless of cause, arising from access to, use of or reliance on this site or any of the content. MNR makes no guarantee concerning the data's content, accuracy, completeness, or the results obtained from queries or use of the data. MNR makes no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, no representation as to the quality of any data, and assumes no liability for the data represented here. These data do not represent exhaustive inventories, but are compilations of existing knowledge from subject matter experts that are updated periodically as knowledge improves. These data should be used cautiously because they are not exhaustive, and are subject to change. Consider using additional information gathered from field investigations and consultations with MNR. © King's Printer for Ontario, 2026.
Datasets available for download
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Additional Info
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| Last Updated | March 24, 2026, 20:43 (UTC) |
| Created | March 24, 2026, 20:43 (UTC) |
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Domain / Topic
Domain or topic of the dataset being cataloged.
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Title
Title for the Dataset.
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Foundation Geospatial Data |
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Description
A description of the dataset.
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Foundation Geospatial Data Your location-based decision making starts here On this page Skip to the content What is Foundation Geospatial Data? Foundation geospatial data (FGD) are the spatial layers common to mapping. These layers include roads, rivers, lakes, political boundaries, imagery, and elevation. While the list of things people map is endless, most maps use these layers. Government FGD is an authoritative and trusted source for users in many sectors for mapping and analysis. FGD criteria FGD must meet these criteria: Themes Organizing FGD by themes makes it easier to manage and for users to discover. Categories such as physical, ecological or infrastructure bundle FGD into non-technical groupings. FGD’s full potential is evident when data across themes are used together to provide value-added context, for example, when combined on a topographic map. Transportation Water Elevation and depth Imagery Infrastructure Land Parcel and property Place names Administrative boundaries Addressing Geodetic control Transportation The transportation theme includes roads, trails, railroads, airports and other features associated with the transport of people or goods. This data supports a wide range of needs such as emergency response, disaster planning, resource access, route planning, traffic safety, congestion mitigation and tourism. Transportation FGD layers in the Thunder Bay area Picture of transportation Foundation Geospatial Data layers in the Thunder Bay area on top of imagery. Water The water theme is made up of surface hydrology features including lakes, rivers, streams, dams, falls and rapids. This data supports a wide range of needs such as forest management planning, flood mitigation, emergency response, mitigation of invasive species and tourism. Water FGD layers in Caribou Falls Picture of water Foundation Geospatial Data layers near Caribou Falls on top of imagery. Elevation and depth Elevation and depth data represent the height of land or bathymetric depth of water relative to mean sea level. Elevation geospatial data can be represented as a continuous surface or as features (points, lines, polygons). The most common types of elevation data include Digital Terrain Models (DTM) depicting bare earth elevation and Digital Surface Models (DSM) depicting all surfaces on the earth including ground, trees and buildings. Elevation and Depth FGD layers in Millbrook Overhead view of a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) showing height of land and bathymetric depth in Millbrook. Imagery This theme includes aerial and satellite images of the Earth's surface. Imagery is the basis from which most other geospatial data is created and is fundamental to all geospatial business needs. Imagery geospatial data can be represented as 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional (stereo) imagery. Stereo imagery can be used to create elevation geospatial data. Imagery is used as a base map for most common web-mapping applications. Imagery FGD layers in Sault Ste. Marie Imagery showing shoreline and vegetation near Sault Ste. Marie. Infrastructure Infrastructure includes basic human systems and services including transmission lines, pipelines and buildings which together sustain or enhance the lifestyle of Ontarians. This data supports a wide range of needs such as infrastructure planning, emergency response and disaster planning. Infrastructure FGD layers in Belleville Picture of infrastructure Foundation Geospatial data layers in Belleville on top of imagery. Land parcel and property Land parcel and property refers to administrative land boundaries. Land boundaries can be titled with various types of ownership or not titled such as Crown land. This data supports a wide range of needs such as taxation, land registration and management, as well as land use and business planning. Land Parcel and Property FGD layers in Scarborough Picture showing parcel data Foundation Geospatial Data in Scarborough on top of imagery. Place names Place names help us describe our surroundings and identify historic, cultural and natural features on the landscape. The data consists of the official names, location and extents of named geographic features and unincorporated places. This data supports needs such as emergency response, navigation, travel and tourism and law enforcement. Place Names FGD layers in Orillia Picture showing examples of place name Foundation Geospatial Data in Orillia on top of imagery. Administrative boundaries The administrative boundary theme includes legislative, regulatory, electoral, statistical or territorial extents. These extents help define the jurisdiction of various levels of governmental responsibility or management. Administrative Boundaries FGD layers around Smiths Falls Picture of administrative boundary Foundation Geospatial Data layers around Smith Falls on top of imagery. Addressing An address is a collection of information (building number, street name, town or city and postal code) that is used to locate a structure or plot of land. Geocoding services convert addresses into map coordinates for mapping and business analysis. Ministries use geocoding when delivering services to identify spatial relationships between address locations and geographic features, see trends, derive patterns and inform decision-making. Addressing FGD layers in North Bay Picture of addressing in the Ontario Road Network Foundation Geospatial Data in North Bay on top of imagery. Geodetic control Geodetic control surveying is an area of geodesy that establishes precise reference networks providing high-accuracy reference points over large areas. Geodetic control surveying supports mapping, geographic information systems (GIS), property boundary surveys, construction projects and positioning and monitoring of engineering structures such as dams, bridges and highways. Control monument locations in Thunder Bay Control monument locations in Thunder Bay. Contact information [email protected] Geospatial Ontario Open Data Resources Ontario’s Open Government Initiative is about creating a more open and transparent government for the people of Ontario. Read more at the following resources. Access and Terms of Use Acceptance Disclaimers We are committed to providing accessible customer service. For alternate formats, communications supports, or more information, please contact Geospatial Ontario by email at [email protected], call 1-705-772-5891, or visit Geospatial Ontario. GEO Support is available Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (ET). This website was created by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on behalf of the Geospatial Ontario partner ministries. Use of this site and any of the data, text, maps and other information on the site (collectively "content") is governed by the terms and conditions set out below ("Terms of Use"). Use of the site implies acceptance of these terms. The site and its content are made available by MNR as a public service without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Use of this site and any of its content is at the user's sole risk. In no event shall MNR be liable to users or others in any way for any loss, damage or injury, regardless of cause, arising from access to, use of or reliance on this site or any of the content. MNR makes no guarantee concerning the data's content, accuracy, completeness, or the results obtained from queries or use of the data. MNR makes no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, no representation as to the quality of any data, and assumes no liability for the data represented here. These data do not represent exhaustive inventories, but are compilations of existing knowledge from subject matter experts that are updated periodically as knowledge improves. These data should be used cautiously because they are not exhaustive, and are subject to change. Consider using additional information gathered from field investigations and consultations with MNR. © King's Printer for Ontario, 2026. |
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Tags / Keywords
Keywords/tags categorizing the dataset.
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Format (CSV, XLS, TXT, PDF, etc)
File format of the dataset.
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Dataset Size
Dataset size in megabytes.
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13974.6 |
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Metadata Identifier
Metadata identifier – can be used as the unique identifier for catalogue entry
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Published Date
Published date of the dataset.
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2023-05-03 |
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Time Period Data Span (start date)
Start date of the data in the dataset.
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Time Period Data Span (end date)
End date of time data in the dataset.
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GeoSpatial Area Data Span
A spatial region or named place the dataset covers.
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Access category
Type of access granted for the dataset (open, closed, service, etc).
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public |
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License
License used to access the dataset.
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License not specified |
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Limits on use
Limits on use of data.
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Location
Location of the dataset.
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https://ontariogeohub-lio.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/lio::foundation-geospatial-data |
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Data Service
Data service for accessing a dataset.
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Owner
Owner of the dataset.
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LandInformationOntario |
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Contact Point
Who to contact regarding access?
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Land Information Ontario |
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Contact Point Email
The email to contact regarding access?
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[email protected] |
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Publisher
Publisher of the dataset.
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Land Information Ontario |
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Publisher Email
Email of the publisher.
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Author
Author of the dataset.
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LandInformationOntario |
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Author Email
Email of the author.
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Accessed At
Date the data and metadata was accessed.
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2026-03-23 |
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Identifier
Unique identifier for the dataset.
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891e62551ef048e59b4d4498deff546c |
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Language
Language(s) of the dataset
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English |
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Link to dataset description
A URL to an external document describing the dataset.
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https://ontariogeohub-lio.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/lio::foundation-geospatial-data |
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Persistent Identifier
Data is identified by a persistent identifier.
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Globally Unique Identifier
Data is identified by a persistent and globally unique identifier.
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Contains data about individuals
Does the data hold data about individuals?
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Contains data about identifiable individuals
Does the data hold identifiable data about individual?
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Contains Indigenous Data
Does the data hold data about Indigenous communities?
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Portal Type
Platform type of the source portal.
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Version
Version of the datatset
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None |
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Source
Source of the dataset.
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None |
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Version notes
Version notes about the dataset.
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Is version of another dataset
Link to dataset that it is a version of.
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Other versions
Link to datasets that are versions of it.
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Provenance Text
Provenance Text of the data.
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Land Information Ontario |
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Provenance URL
Provenance URL of the data.
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Temporal resolution
Describes how granular the date/time data in the dataset is.
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GeoSpatial resolution in meters
Describes how granular (in meters) geospatial data is in the dataset.
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GeoSpatial resolution (in regions)
Describes how granular (in regions) geospatial data is in the dataset.
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Indigenous Community Permission
Who holds the Indigenous Community Permission. Who to contact regarding access to a dataset that has data about Indigenous communities.
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Community Permission
Community permission (who gave permission).
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The Indigenous communities the dataset is about
Indigenous communities from which data is derived.
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Number of data rows
If tabular dataset, total number of rows.
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Number of data columns
If tabular dataset, total number of unique columns.
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Number of data cells
If tabular dataset, total number of cells with data.
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Number of data relations
If RDF dataset, total number of triples.
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Number of entities
If RDF dataset, total number of entities.
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Number of data properties
If RDF dataset, total number of unique properties used by the triples.
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Data quality
Describes the quality of the data in the dataset.
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Metric for data quality
A metric used to measure the quality of the data, such as missing values or invalid formats.
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