Our Data

What's in store?

From Governments to Google, for the last 15 years, First Base Solutions has been the primary source for geospatial data and aerial image acquisition in Ontario. You might not know our name, but you definitely know our data.

A little Background...

FBS started out as an offshoot of a traditional survey company, J. D. Barnes, to perform aerial image acquisition out of Buttonville Airport. It quickly became clear that the library of image archives that was developing had value for all sorts of engineering and design applications. From there, MapWarehouse was born as an easy to use e-commerce site geared towards distribution of mapping resources, accessible to all.

Although our first product was orthophoto, derivative products such as elevation models produced in house from stereo pairs of aerial imagery proved popular and were added to the data inventory. Stemming directly from the success and stability of MapWarehouse's map-based search and efficient data distribution system, third party partner data such as floodplain mapping and property boundaries now fills the digital shelves. Today, MapWarehouse is Ontario's largest geospatial data marketplace.

Related: The Essential Cheat Sheet For Purchasing Digital Geo Data

 

Here's what's in store:

Orthophoto

Our top seller! Cloud free, leaf-free, top down, uniform scale aerial imagery. Use it as a base layer to give context to your vector maps, show changes over time, or digitize built and natural features. Vintages range from 2000-current, resolution as good as 5cm/pixel in some areas. We have more than 250,000 square km of archived imagery across southern Ontario and major cities across Canada, with updates and new areas being added annually.


Property Identification Numbers (PINs) 

Geometry for parcel boundaries with PIN for every property in Ontario, maintained by Teranet. Any section of the cadastral fabric mapping may be purchased for projects such as business planning, real estate, site design, and more. Only the best quality mapping with the highest locational accuracy available (POLARIS) makes it to MapWarehouse. For all other areas, contact customer service. CAD and GIS formats available.


Elevation Models 

Choose from either digital elevation models (DEM) including spot heights and break lines for bare earth features, or contour lines showing topographic relief at 1m intervals. Both options are available through MapWarehouse for coverage in the Golden Horseshoe area, or, can be produced on demand for any area where our orthophoto is available.



Floodplains

Regulatory floodplain mapping defines the known historical and predicted high water levels for lakes and rivers used for risk assessment and to develop informed land use policies for adjacent properties, maintained by our partner, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). Elevations, historical high water levels, and regulatory flood lines are included. PDF and CAD formats available.


Oak Ridges Moraine Groundwater 

ASCII files of geological and hydrogeological strata across the Oak Ridges Moraine watersheds maintained by the Conservation Authorities Moraine Coalition (CAMC). Create 3D models of strata depth and thickness, locate potential aquifers, and model groundwater flows. Essential data for managing groundwater resources in this ecologically sensitive zone.


Ontario Base Mapping 

General purpose "topo" mapping produced by the Ministry of Natural Resources (1983). Full coverage is available for Ontario, except City of Toronto, and some areas in the extreme north of the province. Historically the staple map of hikers and boaters, today, these maps are offered in digital formats as well as on paper, suitable for more commercial applications such a preliminary site investigations. Water features, topography, vegetation, roads, and other built structures and natural features. Available in print, PDF, raster, CAD and GIS vector formats.
Beyond MapWarehouse


Assessment Roll Numbers (ARNs)

Property boundaries geared for value assessment purposes. While the boundaries of ARN parcels are often the same as for PIN parcels, it's not always the case. ARN is stored and maintained in a separate database and is sold as a distinct product through First Base Solutions' customer service. CAD and GIS formats available.



Satellite Imagery 

Global coverage, multiple sensor vehicles, and many spectral band options to choose from. View the imagery directly or have features extracted as vectors. Use this imagery as a simple base layer, or for complex analysis. Contact First Base Solutions' customer service for a quote.Ontario coverage is available through MapWarehouse.

Advanced Elevation Series

As an authorized reseller of DigitalGlobe products, GIS-ready elevations are available with global coverage as contour lines in 2m intervals through First Base Solutions' customer service.


Not sure what to choose? Download full quality, georeferenced sample files in a variety of formats to try in your own software from our resource centre here.