The LiDAR Point Clouds is a product that is part of the CanElevation Series created to support the National Elevation Data Strategy implemented by NRCan. This product contains point clouds from various airborne LiDAR acquisition projects conducted in Canada. These airborne LiDAR acquisition projects may have been conducted by NRCan or by various partners. The LiDAR point cloud data is licensed under an open government license and has been incorporated into the National Elevation Data Strategy. Point cloud files are distributed by LiDAR acquisition project without integration between projects. The point cloud files are distributed using the compressed .LAZ / Cloud Optimized Point Cloud (COPC) format. The COPC open format is an octree reorganization of the data inside a .LAZ 1.4 file. It allows efficient use and visualization rendering via HTTP calls (e.g. via the web), while offering the capabilities specific to the compressed .LAZ format which is already well established in the industry. Point cloud files are therefore both downloadable for local use and viewable via URL links from a cloud computing environment. The reference system used for all point clouds in the product is NAD83(CSRS), epoch 2010. The projection used is the UTM projection with the corresponding zone. Elevations are orthometric and expressed in reference to the Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum of 2013 (CGVD2013).

This LiDAR DEM, originated from the Government of Manitoba (2019-05), was hydro-conditioned with a recent culvert inventory including GIS data from the Province of Manitoba for provincial highways as well as hard copy maps from the Rural Municipality of Lorne. It also included GPS and desktop surveys as part of a collaborative effort between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Swan Lake First Nation, and Pembina Valley Watershed District. The hydro-conditioned DEM was used by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) as input for hydrological modelling of catchments near Swan Lake flowing into the Pembina River (Pembina River Watershed, MB) to spatially target water-related agricultural beneficial management practices (e.g, flood management infrastructure, water retention structures, nutrient and sediment load reduction practices). The DEM spatial extent represents the area of interest referred to as the “Swan Lake Study Area”, as part of the Eastern Prairies Living Lab, AAFC (2019-2023).

In July and August of 2019, a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) project was undertaken in Canada’s western Arctic along the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk (ITH) and Dempster highways. The objective of this project was to test long-range RPAS missions for photogrammetric data acquisition and processing of these two Arctic highway corridors with embankments, bridges and culverts at risk of changing environmental and climatic regimes. The imagery was used to derive an orthomosaic and digital elevation model that could be used to measure road infrastructure and landscape change over time (e.g., fish habitat). The RPAS missions were conducted with a Griffon SeaHunter and full-frame DSLR sensor and scoped to obtain <10 cm spatial resolution imagery along a combined 396 linear km. The final deliverables covered over 22,000 ha and 29,000 ha for the ITH and Dempster Highways, respectively, and represent one of the first non-military beyond-visual-line-of-sight RPAS data products of its kind and scale in Canada, and likely elsewhere. At the time of collection the data constituted the most current and detailed photo surveys of two of Canada’s most northern highways constructed over ice-rich permafrost terrain, and will provide a valuable baseline to study past and future landscape change.

The High Resolution Digital Elevation Model Mosaic provides a unique and continuous representation of the high resolution elevation data available across the country. The High Resolution Digital Elevation Model (HRDEM) product used is derived from airborne LiDAR data (mainly in the south) and satellite images in the north. The mosaic is available for both the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and the Digital Surface Model (DSM) from web mapping services. It is part of the CanElevation Series created to support the National Elevation Data Strategy implemented by NRCan. This strategy aims to increase Canada's coverage of high-resolution elevation data and increase the accessibility of the products. Unlike the HRDEM product in the same series, which is distributed by acquisition project without integration between projects, the mosaic is created to provide a single, continuous representation of strategy data. The most recent datasets for a given territory are used to generate the mosaic. This mosaic is disseminated through the Data Cube Platform, implemented by NRCan using geospatial big data management technologies. These technologies enable the rapid and efficient visualization of high-resolution geospatial data and allow for the rapid generation of dynamically derived products. The mosaic is available from Web Map Services (WMS), Web Coverage Services (WCS) and SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) collections. Accessible data includes the Digital Terrain Model (DTM), the Digital Surface Model (DSM) and derived products such as shaded relief and slope. The mosaic is referenced to the Canadian Height Reference System 2013 (CGVD2013) which is the reference standard for orthometric heights across Canada. Source data for HRDEM datasets used to create the mosaic is acquired through multiple projects with different partners. Collaboration is a key factor to the success of the National Elevation Strategy. Refer to the “Supporting Document” section to access the list of the different partners including links to their respective data.

In replacement of the former Canadian Digital Elevation Model (CDEM) that is no longer supported, the Medium Resolution Digital Elevation Model (MRDEM) product is a multi-source product that integrates elevation data from the Copernicus DEM** acquired during the TanDEM-X Mission (AIRBUS, 2022), and the High Resolution Digital Elevation Model data derived from airborne lidar. This product provides a complete, 30 meters resolution, nationwide coverage for Canada. It includes a Digital Terrain Model (DTM), a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and other derived products. The spatial coverage extends into the USA, where needed, to provide coverage for cross-border watersheds in support of hydrological studies and applications. The MRDEM DSM dataset is based on the GLO-30 version of the Copernicus DEM** (hereafter named GLO-30). The process to generate the MRDEM DTM dataset is more complex and involves different sources. Where available, the HRDEM Mosaic derived from lidar was used since it already provides reliable terrain elevation values. The HRDEM Mosaic data used was resampled from 1 meter to 30 meters. Elsewhere, the processing workflow combines a forest removal model and a settlement removal model that is applied to the GLO-30 values in order to estimate the terrain elevation values. Both datasets are projected to Canada Atlas Lambert NAD83 (CSRS) (EPSG:3979). The MRDEM is referenced to the CGVD2013 which is the reference standard for orthometric heights across Canada. The product Medium Resolution Digital Elevation Model (MRDEM) is part of the CanElevation Series created in support to the National Elevation Data Strategy implemented by NRCan. ** This product was in part produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014- 2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved. The organisations in charge of the Copernicus program by law or by delegation do not incur any liability for any use of the Copernicus WorldDEM-30.

The Marine Geoscience for Marine Spatial Planning (MGMSP) program, implemented by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), is an initiative with the goal of offering innovative regional geoscience products to support the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in their Marine Spatial Planning endeavors. To develop spatial management plans for various expansive bioregions across Canada, the DFO has undertaken the task of creating comprehensive ocean management strategies. Presently, the MGMSP program is concentrating its efforts on two significant bioregions, namely the Scotian Shelf and Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves bioregions. In pursuit of this objective, the work presented in this report has focused on the assimilation and gridding of numerous disparate bathymetry datasets sourced from authoritative and reliable channels. The purpose of this comprehensive data gathering approach is to establish a unified bathymetric grid, with a consistent spatial resolution, which can be utilized in both oceanographic modeling and geological interpretation. By collating information from a diverse range of sources, we aim to create a comprehensive and reliable foundation that will enable accurate and informed decision-making in the field of marine spatial planning, as well as enhance the accuracy and reliability of subsequent analyses and simulations.

The High Resolution Digital Elevation Model (HRDEM) product is derived from airborne LiDAR data (mainly in the south) and satellite images in the north. The complete coverage of the Canadian territory is gradually being established. It includes a Digital Terrain Model (DTM), a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and other derived data. For DTM datasets, derived data available are slope, aspect, shaded relief, color relief and color shaded relief maps and for DSM datasets, derived data available are shaded relief, color relief and color shaded relief maps. The productive forest line is used to separate the northern and the southern parts of the country. This line is approximate and may change based on requirements. In the southern part of the country (south of the productive forest line), DTM and DSM datasets are generated from airborne LiDAR data. They are offered at a 1 m or 2 m resolution and projected to the UTM NAD83 (CSRS) coordinate system and the corresponding zones. The datasets at a 1 m resolution cover an area of 10 km x 10 km while datasets at a 2 m resolution cover an area of 20 km by 20 km. In the northern part of the country (north of the productive forest line), due to the low density of vegetation and infrastructure, only DSM datasets are generally generated. Most of these datasets have optical digital images as their source data. They are generated at a 2 m resolution using the Polar Stereographic North coordinate system referenced to WGS84 horizontal datum or UTM NAD83 (CSRS) coordinate system. Each dataset covers an area of 50 km by 50 km. For some locations in the north, DSM and DTM datasets can also be generated from airborne LiDAR data. In this case, these products will be generated with the same specifications as those generated from airborne LiDAR in the southern part of the country. The HRDEM product is referenced to the Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum of 2013 (CGVD2013), which is now the reference standard for heights across Canada. Source data for HRDEM datasets is acquired through multiple projects with different partners. Since data is being acquired by project, there is no integration or edgematching done between projects. The tiles are aligned within each project. The product High Resolution Digital Elevation Model (HRDEM) is part of the CanElevation Series created in support to the National Elevation Data Strategy implemented by NRCan. Collaboration is a key factor to the success of the National Elevation Data Strategy. Refer to the “Supporting Document” section to access the list of the different partners including links to their respective data.

In July and August of 2019, a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) project was undertaken in Canada’s western Arctic along the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk (ITH) and Dempster highways. The objective of this project was to test long-range RPAS missions for photogrammetric data acquisition and processing of these two Arctic highway corridors with embankments, bridges and culverts at risk of changing environmental and climatic regimes. The imagery was used to derive an orthomosaic and digital elevation model that could be used to measure road infrastructure and landscape change over time (e.g., fish habitat). The RPAS missions were conducted with a Griffon SeaHunter and full-frame DSLR sensor and scoped to obtain <10 cm spatial resolution imagery along a combined 396 linear km. The final deliverables covered over 22,000 ha and 29,000 ha for the ITH and Dempster Highways, respectively, and represent one of the first non-military beyond-visual-line-of-sight RPAS data products of its kind and scale in Canada, and likely elsewhere. At the time of collection the data constituted the most current and detailed photo surveys of two of Canada’s most northern highways constructed over ice-rich permafrost terrain, and will provide a valuable baseline to study past and future landscape change.

The joint Natural Resources Canada/Department of Fisheries and Oceans Marine Spatial Planning Program requires the highest resolution marine based bathymetric elevation data and adjacent land based topographic elevation data that are available. This digital elevation model of Canada's west coast compiles the best data available from multiple government agencies to create a regional model gridded at 10 meter spacing. The transitions between the marine and terrestrial areas are seamless creating a continuous surface of elevations for scientific research and mapping.