GIS Services

About GIS

GIS is short for "Geographic Information System", a computer database that combines digital mapping with descriptive text information about an individual geographic feature. The City of Hamilton uses GIS in almost every department: for sewer, water, and road projects, urban and regional planning, emergency planning, preparedness and dispatch, economic development, taxation, municipal elections, and even tracking of public health risks such as the West Nile Virus.

The uses of GIS technology are limited only by your imagination. Public uses of this site include locating municipal services, verifying the location of a particular address, viewing aerial photos for land use, measuring distances and areas, investigating tax and other property information, etc. Businesses can use Map.Hamilton to show customers where they are and what other services are in close proximity. Developers around the world can utilize the information here to assist in finding appropriate development opportunities.

As a subset of the City's Information Technology Services division, the role of the GIS Services Section is to facilitate the effective use of GIS technology and applications to meet the business needs of both internal and external Corporate clients. For more information about the City's GIS Services section, view our GIS Services brochure.

Since its conception over 2 decades ago, the GIS department for the City of Hamilton has made many accomplishments. Listed below are some of the most notable awards and accomplishments.

2007

• Upgrade GISNet from WebMap 5.0 to 6.0
• Pilot of AVL for Public Works
• Product AVL/MRM for EMS with vision to expand to a corporate application
• PRISM accessible to external stakeholders (collaboration between CoE, Network, and GIS)
• 2007 Aerial Photo Update
• Emergency reporting tool for Emergency Operations Center Activation
• Property Data Mining tool for City Call Center
• Migration of GeoMedia suite products and custom applications from version 5.x to 6.0 has begun
• Investigation of migrating Oracle 9i to 10g
• Re-branding of Invest in Hamilton and the Site Selection Tool
• 100+ users attended GIS orientation sessions (Corporate training of GIS)
• Successful GISDay (formation of GIS Day planning committee)
• Installation of FLEXnet Manager application to track and report on the concurrent licensing usage

2006

• iMapper link established from the MapIT Interface
• Improved functionality for the Find IT interface on Map Hamilton utilizes fuzzy logic for KeyWord search
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• Improved functionality for the Business Directory Application
• Deployed an interface to display Census Data Geographically
• Implemented the 2006 Tax impact Topic for iMapper
• Converted the development environments to utilize Virtual Servers
• Implemented MapText's Label Web product - Cartographic placement of text for Map Hamilton
• DDC Checker application - review DDC prior to deployment
• City of Hamilton (Ontario, CAN) Integrates MapText’s Label-Web into High-Quality Dynamic Web Mapping Service.
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• (WFS) Successfully implemented a pilot instance of Web Feature Services (WFS)
• Blackberry Mapping - Successfully implemented a pilot mapping application for the Blackberry handheld devices
• Public Works Forestry section had a contracter complete the GPS capture of all Urban area trees within the City's road allowance. Also captured possible future planting sites. Data to be stored in Oracle and tracked by Hansen as an asset.
• GIS Web Services Solutions at the City of Hamilton - Jin Xie – Published in Directions Magazine
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• Development and launch of an interim solution for the provision of interactive mapping in Police vehicles
• Re-Branding project for the map.hamilton.ca site. The map.hamilton.ca site went through an extensive face lift; we also streamlined the sites functionality to improve user satisfaction. (July 2006)
• Top programs in public schools: Real-world geography and innovative literacy learning are among the best, (The Hamilton Spectator, Apr 20, 2006)
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• Be Spatial 2006 Program will demonstrate the transformative power of GIS in Organizations, (URISA - Ontario Chapter, Spring 2006)
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• Public Works Utilizes GIS Technologies to Improve Emergency Preparedness for Water Systems, (URISA - Ontario Chapter, Spring 2006)
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• Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Uses A GIS-Enhanced Web-Site, (Public Management, March 2006)
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• URISA-OC Event Shows Diversity of Benefits from GIS Technologies, (URISA - Ontario Chapter, Winter 2006)
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• Economic Development Web Site Face Lift
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• Participation at Intergraph Corporation User's Conference in Orlando, Florida by GIS Coordinator (Application)

2005

• Honorable Mention in the GeoSpatial Solutions (online GIS e-zine) Application Contest - "West Nile Virus Data Collection", (August, 2005)
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• Silver Award in the Map Gallery Showcase - "Digital Elevation Model", Urban and Regional Information System Association (URISA) - Ontario Chapter, (May, 2005)
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• Geospatial Solutions Win Gold Medals For City of Hamilton, (URISA - Ontario Chapter, Winter 2005)
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• GIS Seen as Tool for Economic Development, (URISA - Ontario Chapter, Winter 2005)Geospatial Solutions Win Gold Medals For City of Hamilton, (URISA - Ontario Chapter, Winter 2005)
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2004

• City attracts record number of visitors, (The Hamilton Spectator, November 4, 2004)
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• Congratulations to the City's Public Works Department for its Geospatial Award of Excellence, (Directions Magazine - November 2, 2004)
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• GTEC Week 2004, a National Government Technology Showcase:
• Gold Medal for the Distinction Awards 2004 under GROUP III - Municipal Awards - "Map.Hamilton", (GTECWeek 2004, a National Government Technology Showcase - October, 2004)
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• Intergraph Customers Honored with Gold Distinction Award, (GeoPlace - December, 2004)
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• Finalist - Canadian Information Productivity Association (CIPA) Awards - "Map.Hamilton", (September, 2004)
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• City of Hamilton Corporate GIS Rocks On (Directions Magazine - August 4, 2004)
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• Finalist for the Distinction Awards 2004 under GROUP III - Municipal Awards - "Map.Hamilton", (GTECWeek 2004, a National Government Technology Showcase - July, 2004)
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• 7th Place GeoSpatial Solutions (online GIS e-zine) Application Contest - "Economic Development Site Selection Web GIS Tool", (July, 2004)
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• 21st Place GeoSpatial Solutions (online GIS e-zine) Application Contest - "Creating Custom GIS Search Tools", (July, 2004)
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• GeoResources Press Release, (GeoPlace - June 17, 2004)
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• First Place Award for Innovative Raster Analysis - "Locational Suitability for Future Library Services", (GeoSpatial World 2004 in Miami - May, 2004)
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• Using GIS to Illustrate Locational Suitability For Future Library Services, (GISUser - May 28, 2004)
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• Gold Award in the Best Municipal GIS Challenge - "Map.Hamilton", Urban and Regional Information System Association (URISA) - Ontario Chapter, (May, 2004)
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• Gold Award in the Map Gallery Showcase - "Cascades and Waterfalls", Urban and Regional Information System Association (URISA) - Ontario Chapter, (May, 2004)
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• GITA Award Press Release, (GISCafe - May, 2004)
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• GITA Award Press Release, (GeoPlace - May, 2004)
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• Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) Excellence Award - Public Sector - "Map.Hamilton", (April, 2004)
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• Positive International Press, (April 25, 2004)
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• Map.Hamilton presentation at GEOTec – national conference – March
• Map.Hamilton Economic Development Site Selection Application Live – March

2003

• 1st place at 2003 URISA and 2nd place Cartographic Excellence Award at 2003 Geospatial World for poster displaying GIS/Mapping datasets
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• City of Hamilton tackles merger to become Canada's ninth-largest city, (Intergraph Global Link Newsletter - December, 2003)
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• GIS Day 2003 in City of Hamilton, (URISA Members Celebrate GIS Day - November 19, 2003)
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• Web-Based GIS Innovation Wins Accolades for Hamilton, (URISA - Ontario Chapter, Fall 2003)
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• Web-Based GIS Wins Accolades for Hamilton, (The Ontario Land Surveyor, Fall 2003)
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• Best Web GIS - Government Category, (Directions Magazine, July 2003)
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• Hamilton's Layered Look, (The Hamilton Spectator, July 24, 2003)
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• GEO Resources Press Release (Awards of Excellence) - (June 18, 2003)
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• Congratulations from the Mayor - (June 11, 2003)
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• GeoCommunity's Spatial News - (June 5, 2003)
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• Intergraph Press Release (Awards of Excellence) - (June 4, 2003)
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• Intergraph Press Release(Bi-directional Interface) - (May 19, 2003)
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• URISA Press Release (Awards of Excellence)
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• News in the Ontario Land Surveyor - (summer, 2003)
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• Testimonials Neil Everson - (May 28, 2003)
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• Testimonials James Goodram and Philip Homerski
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• WNV Spectator - (May 23, 2003)
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• Web Site Opens Door for Big Business - (January 23, 2003)
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2002

• External Economic Development GIS web application developed
• West Nile Virus GIS tracking application enhanced
• Completion of Emergency Services Map Book
• Partnership in the GTA and Hamilton region / Province of Ontario Orthophoto initiative
• Designation of "Ontario Land Surveyor - Ontario Land Information Professional - Geographic Information Manager" for GIS Manager
• Participation in Connect Hamilton - Create Community partnership under Provincial GeoSmart/Connect Ontario Superbuild initiatives
• Introduction of GIS Technology to Emergency Control Group and use during Emergency Exercise
• Development of hand-held field data capture application for Planning Land Use Inventory
• Second GIS Services staff member (Heather Howe) participation in Roundtable Leadership Forum
• Participation at Intergraph Corporation's "Geospatial World" conference in Atlanta by GIS Coordinator (Application)
• Drawing Management presentation at the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association international conference in Chicago by GIS Manager

2001

• Planimetric datasets updated
• Migrated from Intergraph MGE to Intergraph GeoMedia Environment
• Amalgamation of 6 area municipalities into one
• City PaRCIL becomes GIS Services section, Information Technology Services, Finance & Corporate Department

1999

• Ortho Photo captured

1995

• GIS available to the user community Received and begin maintenance on the street centerline network for the Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Police Computer-Aided Dispatch System(CAD)

1994

• Graphic mapping data released to the user community

1993

• Received Landbase data deliveries from Baymont Technologies Ltd.

1991

• PaRCIL is born (Parcel Related Computer information Library) as part of the Roads Department

1990

• Pilot Project reviewed and audited by an independent consultant

1989

• Pilot Project completed

1988

• Project team assembled

1987

• Feasibility Study completed

1986

• Hamilton-Wentworth investigates the potential of developing a GIS