Web Map Service

The Atlas of Canada's OGC (Open GIS Consortium) Web Map Service (WMS) is an Internet-based service designed to provide developers of on-line WMS compliant mapping tools access to the Atlas of Canada's base layers. By using this service, developers will have access to our most current and accurate base data for rendering customized maps. Our OGC-compliant WMS technology is provided free of charge and does not require a contract or license agreement. WMS client software is also required to render maps based on layers obtained from various server sources. To construct maps from WMS layers, WMS visualization software is also required. Here are links to Web Map Viewers:

For more information on WMS go to the GeoConnections Web site and select the CGDI-Access Technical Services Manual in either PDF or HTML formats.

Due to non-redistribution agreements in effect between the Atlas and our providers of thematic data, we presently can only offer our base information to the public. Please note that all our base layers were compiled from data at a scale of 1:7 500 000 and subsets were created to optimize visualization at three other scales: 1:2 000 000, 1:15 000 000 and 1:60 000 000.

List of Topics:

WMS Map Layers

The Atlas’s WMS provided layers from 5 separate data sets. Each data set is comprised of a number of individual base layers with English titles provided by this WMS (a separate WMS exists with French layer titles and descriptions). The names of capitals and populated places are provided in separate layers from their associated point locations.

World data set

  1. Ocean Background
  2. Land Area
  3. Country Names
  4. Lakes
  5. Lake Outline
  6. Ocean Coastline
  7. Rivers
  8. Boundaries
  9. Country Capital Cities
  10. Country Capital City Names

North Circumpolar data set:

  1. Bathymetry
  2. Lakes and Major Rivers
  3. Glaciers and Icefields
  4. Countries
  5. Circumpolar Country Names
  6. Drainage
  7. Transportation Network
  8. Railway
  9. International Dateline
  10. 10. Boundaries
  11. 11. Sea Ice-edge

North America data set:

  1. Bathymetry
  2. Countries
  3. Lakes and Reservoirs
  4. Lake Names
  5. Glacier and Icefield
  6. Seaice
  7. Ocean Coastline
  8. Rivers
  9. River Names
  10. Railways
  11. Transportation Network
  12. Boundaries
  13. Capitals Cities
  14. Capital City Names
  15. Populated Places
  16. Populated Place Names
  17. Province, Territory, State Names

Canada - Atlas Base maps:

  1. Province and territorial Boundaries
  2. International Boundaries
  3. Capitals Cities
  4. Capitals City Names
  5. Water Areas (1:60 000 000)
  6. Rivers (1:60 000 000)
  7. Water Areas (1:15 000 000)
  8. Regions Outside Canada (1:15 000 000)
  9. Landmass outline (1:7 500 000)
  10. Rivers (1:15 000 000)
  11. Transportation Network (1:15 000 000)
  12. Populated Places (1:15 000 000)
  13. Populated Place Names (1:15 000 000)
  14. Water Areas (1:7 500 000)
  15. Regions Outside Canada (1:7 500 000)
  16. Rivers (1:7 500 000)
  17. Transportation Network (1:7 500 000)
  18. Populated Places (1:7 500 000)
  19. Populated Place Names (1:7 500 000)
  20. Water Areas (1:2 000 000)
  21. Regions Outside Canada (1:2 000 000)
  22. Rivers (1:2 000 000)
  23. Transportation Network (1:2 000 000)
  24. Populated Places (1:2 0500 000)
  25. Populated Place Names (1:2 000 000)

Canada - National Scale Framework:

  1. Ocean (1:1 000 000)
  2. Provinces and Territories (1:1 000 000)
  3. Province and Territory Names (1:1 000 000)
  4. Abbreviated Province and Territory Names (1:1 000 000)
  5. Regions Outside Canada (1:1 000 000)
  6. Terrain Features (1:1 000 000)
  7. Terrain Features Names(1:1 000 000)
  8. Lakes, Inlets and Major Rivers (1:1 000 000)
  9. Lake, Inlet and Major River Names (1:1 000 000)
  10. Glaciers and Icefields (1:1 000 000)
  11. Glacier and Icefield Names (1:1 000 000)
  12. Protected Areas (1:1 000 000)
  13. Protected Areas Names (1:1 000 000)
  14. Ocean Drainage Area (1:1 000 000)
  15. Ocean Drainage Area Names (1:1 000 000)
  16. Water Survey of Canada Major Drainage Areas (1:1 000 000)
  17. Water Survey of Canada Major Drainage Area Names (1:1 000 000)
  18. Water Survey of Canada Sub-drainage Areas (1:1 000 000)
  19. Water Survey of Canada Sub-drainage Area Names (1:1 000 000)
  20. Water Survey of Canada Sub-sub-drainage Areas (1:1 000 000)
  21. Water Survey of Canada Sub-sub-drainage Area Names(1:1 000 000)
  22. Rivers (1:1 000 000)
  23. River Names (1:1 000 000)
  24. Ocean Coastline (1:1 000 000)
  25. Railways (1:1 000 000)
  26. Transportation Network (1:1 000 000)
  27. Boundaries (1:1 000 000)
  28. Capital Cities(1:1 000 000)
  29. Capital City Names (1:1 000 000)
  30. Populated Places (1:1 000 000)
  31. Populated Place Names (1:1 000 000)
  32. Large Cape Names (1:1 000 000)
  33. Small Cape Names (1:1 000 000)
  34. Bay Names (1:1 000 000)
  35. Ocean Island Names (1:1 000 000)
  36. Lake Island Names (1:1 000 000)
  37. Additional Island Names (1:1 000 000)

Service Requests

GetCapabilities

To obtain general information about this WMS and specific information about the available map layers, users should invoke the "GetCapabilities" request. The response generated by "GetCapabilities" consists of an XML document to be displayed in your browser window. The form of the URL-encoded request is as follows:

http://atlas.gc.ca/cgi-bin/atlaswms_en?VERSION=1.1.1&request=Getcapabilities&service=wms

The information contained within the resulting XML document will assist in selecting the layers desired for the creation of a map. The unique layer names and their description as well as projection options are also provided in the XML document. For a list of other available request parameters, please consult the following document: “OpenGIS® Web Map Server Interfaces Implementation Specification, Version 1.1.0”.

GetMap

The “GetMap” request is used to produce a map with Atlas of Canada base layers. Several parameters are required to form the URL request including: VERSION, REQUEST, SRS, BBOX, WIDTH, HEIGHT, LAYERS, STYLES and FORMAT. For further information on these parameters and others, please consult the on-line document entitled “OpenGIS® Web Map Server Interfaces Implementation Specification, Version 1.1.1”.

The following URL-encoded string is an example of a functional GetMap request containing the above-mentioned parameters and their values: the “version” of WMS used is 1.1.0, the “request” is GetMap; the “SRS” (spatial reference system or projection) is expressed as EPSG:42304 (See the list in the Projections section that follows.); the bounding box (“bbox”) coordinates are: 2750564.75,-936638.5,3583872.5,4673125, the “width” and “height” parameters specify a rectangle of pixels 500 by 500 in dimension, the value of “layers” is the name of the single layer displayed, wa_15m; a null value is use for the “styles” parameter as the layer will be displayed using it’s default styles; and the “format” of the map image returned is GIF.

http://atlas.gc.ca/cgi-bin/atlaswms_en?VERSION=1.1.1&request=GetMap&SRS=EPSG:42304&BBOX=-2750564.75,-936638.5,3583872.5,4673125&WIDTH=500&HEIGHT=500&LAYERS=wa_15m&STYLES=&FORMAT=GIF

Please note that each parameter is separated by an “&” and values are assigned using the “=” sign.


Projections

When requesting a map from the Atlas WMS, users can obtain the resulting image in any of the following pre-defined EPSG (European Petroleum Survey Group) projections:

  1. EPSG:4326 - WGS84 (World Geodesic Datum)
  2. EPSG:4269 - NAD83
  3. EPSG:2294 - ATS77 / MTM Nova Scotia zone 4
  4. EPSG:2295 - ATS77 / MTM Nova Scotia zone 5
  5. EPSG:26707 - NAD27 / UTM zone 7N
  6. EPSG:26708 - NAD27 / UTM zone 8N
  7. EPSG:26709 - NAD27 / UTM zone 9N
  8. EPSG:26710 - NAD27 / UTM zone 10N
  9. EPSG:26711 - NAD27 / UTM zone 11N
  10. EPSG:26712 - NAD27 / UTM zone 12N
  11. EPSG:26713 - NAD27 / UTM zone 13N
  12. EPSG:26714 - NAD27 / UTM zone 14N
  13. EPSG:26715 - NAD27 / UTM zone 15N
  14. EPSG:26716 - NAD27 / UTM zone 16N
  15. EPSG:26717 - NAD27 / UTM zone 17N
  16. EPSG:26718 - NAD27 / UTM zone 18N
  17. EPSG:26719 - NAD27 / UTM zone 19N
  18. EPSG:26720 - NAD27 / UTM zone 20N
  19. EPSG:26721 - NAD27 / UTM zone 21N
  20. EPSG:26722 - NAD27 / UTM zone 22N
  21. EPSG:26907 - NAD83 / UTM zone 7N
  22. EPSG:26908 - NAD83 / UTM zone 8N
  23. EPSG:26909 - NAD83 / UTM zone 9N
  24. EPSG:26910 - NAD83 / UTM zone 10N
  25. EPSG:26911 - NAD83 / UTM zone 11N
  26. EPSG:26912 - NAD83 / UTM zone 12N
  27. EPSG:26913 - NAD83 / UTM zone 13N
  28. EPSG:26914 - NAD83 / UTM zone 14N
  29. EPSG:26915 - NAD83 / UTM zone 15N
  30. EPSG:26916 - NAD83 / UTM zone 16N
  31. EPSG:26917 - NAD83 / UTM zone 17N
  32. EPSG:26918 - NAD83 / UTM zone 18N
  33. EPSG:26919 - NAD83 / UTM zone 19N
  34. EPSG:26920 - NAD83 / UTM zone 20N
  35. EPSG:26921 - NAD83 / UTM zone 21N
  36. EPSG:26922 - NAD83 / UTM zone 22N
  37. EPSG:42101 - LCC
  38. EPSG: 54003 - World Miller Cylindrical
  39. EPSG: 54004 - World Mercator
  40. EPSG: 54008 - World Sinusoidal
  41. EPSG: 54009 - World Mollweide
  42. EPSG: 54030 - World Robinson
  43. EPSG: 102008 - North America Albers Equal Area Conic
  44. EPSG: 102009 - North America Lambert Conformal Conic
  45. EPSG: 102016 - North Pole Azimuthal Equidistant
  46. EPSG: 102017 - North Pole Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area
  47. EPSG: 102018 - North Pole Stereographic

In addition, the following Lambert Conformal Conic projection used by the Atlas of Canada is also available:

  1. EPSG:42304 - LCC / Atlas of Canada