Press Release

GeoConnections Discovery Portal

Service Nova Scotia has partnered with the federal government to enhance the GeoConnections Discovery Portal. This "portal" is a common window or interface to Canada's geospatial information.

What information can be accessed via the GeoConnections Discovery Portal?

The Discovery Portal provides information on geomatics organizations and services, and also links to various thematic portals and regional networks (including Service Nova Scotia). Users can query and access on-line metadata, maps, satellite images and related information. Nova Scotia provincial departments currently registered with GeoConnections include Service Nova Scotia, Agriculture and Fisheries, Environment and Labour, Natural Resources, Transportation and Public Works, and Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation. A number of Nova Scotia private sector companies and educational institutions are also registered.

To view Service Nova Scotia datasets registered with GeoConnections click here.

How do I register my organization, service or geospatial product on the GeoConnections Discovery Portal?

To register your organization visit http://www.geoconnections.org/ - select the "Organizations" tab and then select the "Register your Organization" link, where you will be prompted to fill in an on-line form to capture information about your company, product or service. Once registered, users are assigned a "user name" and "password". Editing site content is relatively easy and users are notified via email when content needs to be reviewed and updated. Metadata content is based on the "Federal Geographic Data Committee" (FGDC) data collection standard and technical assistance is available for "mapping" on-line databases.

What role did Service Nova Scotia play in enhancing the GeoConnections Discovery Portal?

Service Nova Scotia provided technical expertise for the GeoConnections Discovery Portal under the Atlantic Canada Content and Connectivity Project. This worthwhile project was established to promote and assist Geoconnections content and activity in Atlantic Canada. Our project objectives were to register Atlantic Canada provincial and federal geospatial data collections, to connect metadata to the Geoconnections portal, and to facilitate access to this geospatial data. This work has built upon previous metadata work done by the Province of Nova Scotia.