GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS
The City of Hamilton's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Services Section and McMaster University GIS Lab and Map Library have been moving forward over the last couple of years with respect to mutually beneficial partnerships. Some of these partnerships are as follows:
GIS data sharing agreements with the GIS Lab
GIS data sharing agreements with the Map Library
GIS data sharing agreements with Masters Students
GIS data sharing agreements with Faculty (e.g. Centre for Spatial Analysis)
participation in annual GIS Day
joint development of GIS pilot projects (e.g. Economic Development GIS Web Site)
Hamilton Atlas project (ongoing)
Most recently, GIS Services and the Lloyd Reeds Map Collection have entered into an agreement for the use and educational distribution of the City's digital high resolution colour orthoimagery. The University population (students and faculty) now have access to this valuable GIS data set through the Map Library. In addition, the agreement allows inter-University data sharing, and, so far, 6 other Ontario Universities have been provided copies of the orthoimagery data, distributed by the McMaster Map Library.
In addition to McMaster University, GIS Services has been working with other educational institutes. GIS data has been provided in the past to Mohawk College, Sir Sandford Fleming College, and Hillfield Strathallan College. GIS Services staff have also been involved in the development and delivery of an Introduction to GIS course at Niagara College. Most recently, a GIS data sharing agreement has been negotiated with Viscount Montgomery Public School. This agreement sees the provision of the City's digital high resolution colour orthoimagery to the school in exchange for satellite imagery acquired by the school under a multi-agency license agreement that includes the City of Hamilton.
This is just the beginning for GIS Services involvement in the educational sector. Increased awareness of Geographic Information Systems technology is a goal of the section, both internal to the City organization and within the community at large. Only through this awareness will the discipline grow and full benefits will be achieved. The educational sector had embraced GIS technology, municipalities (and all government agencies for that matter) depend on GIS technology, and the private sector is rapidly seeing dividends through the use of GIS technology. Collaboration across these sectors can only benefit everyone in the long run.
