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Geospatial Data: Census of Population

This research guide provides information on how to access Geospatial (GIS) data at York University.

Mapping Census of Population Data

There are several tools and methods that can be used to map data from Canada's census of population. Some methods require the use of Geographic Information Systems; whereas other tools can be used to create interactive maps of census data. 

Mapping Census Profile Data from Statistics Canada using a GIS

One way to map census of population data in a GIS is to download census profile data using the Canadian Census Analyser and combine this with Census Boundary Files downloaded from Statistic Canada. This method is recommended for researchers who are planning on publishing their findings. Before you download the data you have to determine the following: 

  1. Census Year
  2. Level of census geography (such as Census Tract, Census Subdivision, Census Metropolitan Area etc.) 
  3. Census profile variables (as listed in the Canadian Census Analyser)
  4. Software you want to use to map (ArcGIS or QGIS)  

You can then use these one of these two step-by-step instructions to map the data: 

Please note, you will need to adapt the step by step instructions for other census years. In addition, you may want to consult this guide from Carleton University.

Mapping Adjusted Census Data in SimplyAnalytics

SimplyAnalytics is a web-based mapping, analytics, and data visualization application. It is possible to create interactive charts, reports, and maps. You can also export data in shapefile format.

The application contains a census data products from 2016, 2011, 2006 and 2011 produced by Environics called CensusPlus, The CensusPlus product uses a set of proprietary algorithms for adjusting the census data. In addition, select variables (not all!) from the Census of Canada are available in the CensusPlus datasets. 

SimplyAnalytics is available to members of the York University community and can be accessed via this hyperlink. It is recommended that you create an account so you can save your projects and work.

Here are several guides and learning tools: