Data for the City of Toronto (MDL collection)

Here is a list of helpful resources for geospatial (GIS) and numeric data pertaining to Toronto within the Map & Data Library collection. Unless access to a resource is specifically listed as “public”, any resources listed here are restricted for use by University of Toronto faculty, staff, and students.

Theme

Resource Location,
Link, or Call Number

Format and File Extension

Temporal Extent

Details and Usage

Administrative and Political Boundaries

Elevation

Facilities/Services

Land Use

Structures

Transportation Networks

Waterbodies

CanMap Content Suite

AccommodationsBuilding Footprints
Built Up AreasContours
ElevationHealth Care
Health and Emergency Services
Fire StationsLand Cover
PipelinesPower PlantsRail and TransitRetailRoadsTrails
Transmission LinesVegetation IndexWaterbodies

Shapefile (.shp)
CAD
KML

2015–2017

Contains comprehensive and precise (but not limited to) street,
rail, and topographic maps as well as geospatial features
such as boundary files, buildings, land use, vegetation,
waterbodies and more

Default projection: WGS 84

Coverage: Varies

Instructions to download data for the CMA of Toronto available here

Notes

To access more content beyond what is listed among the resources,
please search for “CanMap Content Suite” under “Data”
on Scholars GeoPortal where you can further refine your criteria

CanMap RouteLogistics – City of Toronto Subset

Shapefile (.shp)

2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013

Contains comprehensive and precise
(but not limited to) street, rail, and topographic
maps as well as geospatial features
such as boundary files, buildings, land use, vegetation,
waterbodies and more

Projection: WGS 84, NAD 83 (older datasets)

CanMap RouteLogistics – Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) Subset

2002 5.1
2002 6.2
2004 8.2
2004 v2005.3
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013

Enterprise Stereoscopic Model (ESM) Topographic Mapping 3D Toronto

DWG

N/A

Contains (but not limited to) street, rail, and topographic
mapping features such as buildings, curbs, parks as well as
infrastructure mapping features such as street lights, traffic
lights, transmission lines, sewer and water main networks, and more

Projection: MTM

Coverage: University of Toronto St. George Campus

Access: University of Toronto IP addresses only

Administrative and Political Boundaries

Cartographic Boundary Files

Shapefile (.shp)
DWG
DXF
GDB
KML
Excel (.xls)
CSV
and more

1951
1961 (Census Tracts)
1971
1981 (Census Tracts)
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
2011
2016

Download boundary files, produced by Statistics Canada,
at different census geographic units

Default projection: WGS 84, NAD 83 (older datasets)

Coverage: Varies

Instructions to download data for the CMA of Toronto available here

Digital Boundary Files

1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
2011
2016

Administrative and Political Boundaries

Postal Code

Forward Sortation Area (FSA) Boundaries

 

Local Delivery Unit (LDU) Boundaries

Shapefile (.shp)
CAD
KML

2001–2014

 

2006–2014

Download postal code boundaries at the FSA or LDU levels. Postal codes contain six alphanumeric characters and are utilized by the Canada Post Corporation to sort and deliver mail. The FSA is contained within the first three characters of the postal code and is used to identify an urban or rural geographical area. The LDU is contained within the last three characters and represents neighborhood areas associated with six digit postal code assignments. The LDU can describe either a specific address or a group of addresses within a FSA.

Default projection: WGS 84

Instructions to download data for the CMA of Toronto available here

Notes

The postal code conversion file (PCCF) available here can be used to match six-digit postal codes to standard census geographies. The most recent census year we have at this time is 2011.

Census/Survey

Economic Data

Housing

Income

Population and Demography

CHASS Canadian Census Analyser

CSV
dBase (.dbf)

1961–2016

 

2011

Generate custom tables from the Census of Canada (Census) from 1961-2016 and the National Household Survey (NHS) from 2011. The interface enables the selection of relevant variables and census geographies, providing access to data down to the DA level

Coverage: Varies

Instructions to download data for the CMA of Toronto available here

Census Custom Tabulations

Beyond 20/20 Table (.ivt)

1996–2016

Various custom tabulations of the Census of Canada (Census) or National Household Survey (NHS)

Census geographic unit: CT, DA, FSA

Access: Public via Statistics Canada Open License Agreement

Census/Survey

Opinion Poll

Politics

Relationships

Forum Research Political Poll – Municipal Issues (Toronto)

TAB File (.tab)

2013–Present

This survey is a Toronto municipal opinion poll with general political questions as well as a focus on relationships, marital status and issues

Coverage: Toronto municipality

Elevation

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Data Index

ASCII
CAD
DEM
DWG
LIDAR
SHAPEFILE
TIF

2014–2015

Contour lines at 0.5m intervals generated from accurate and precise Digital Elevation Model (DEM) layers obtained via remote sensing techniques

Projection: UTM Zone 17N

Imagery

Toronto Orthophotos Index

TIF

1997
2003
2009
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

Explore air photos that have been orthorectified or corrected to ensure uniform scale and no distortion

Projection: UTM Zone 17 N (2003 only) and MTM Zone 10

Access: To access the 2015 index, please contact or visit the Map & Data Library during reference hours

Air Photo Collection Listing

Paper BW

Varies

Explore large-scale air photos that cover small areas of ground features in greater detail

Scale: 1:480, 1:500, 1:2,000

Coverage: Toronto (pre-amalgamation)

Access: Please contact or visit the Map & Data Library during reference hours

3524 T61G46 (4) 1967-68

Paper 1:480

1968

3524 T61G46 (5) 1981-1985

Paper 1:500

1981–1985

3524 T61G46 (5) 1988-

Paper 1:500

1988

3524 T61G46 (5) 1993-

Paper 1:500

1993

3524 T61G46 2 1995

Paper 1:2,000

1995

Economic Data

Conference Board of Canada, GDP at Basic Prices by Industry, Toronto

Excel (.xls)

1987–2017

Quarterly data from 1987-2017 (projection) of GDP at basic prices by industry

Land Ownership

Land Use

Structures

Transportation Networks

Utility Networks

Property Data Maps Index

DWG
PDF

 
2008
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2018
2019

Depicts topographic and parcel mapping (i.e. boundary ownership) features

Projection: NAD 83

Toronto Fire Insurance Plans Index

JPG
TIF

1910–1969

Urban maps that depict physical characteristics of a structure to be insured. Details of the maps include (but not limited to) drawings and symbols on the construction of buildings, height and occupancy or use of buildings, street widths, street addresses, property lines, water pipes or mains, and more

Projection: UTM Zone 17N

Access: To access indexes containing listings to more recently published and/or revised plans, please contact or visit the Map & Data Library during reference hours. Indexes listed as “Out of Copyright” are available to the public

Notes

All Fire Insurance Plans in the Map & Data Library collection have a copyright period of 90 years from the plans’ publication dates. Furthermore, this copyright period of 90 years is also applicable from the plans’ revision dates.

Toronto Fire Insurance Plans Index (Out of Copyright)

JPG
TIF

1889–1918 (Vol. 1)
1910 (Vol. 2)
1911 (Vol. 3)
1910 (Vol. 4)
1890, 1907 (Vol. 5)
1913 (Vol. 6)
1912, 1916, 1922 (Vol. 7)
1916 (Vol. 8)
1897 (Vol. 9)

City of Toronto Fire Insurance Atlases Index (Out of Copyright)

JPG

1884–1923

Administrative and Political Boundaries

Historical

Transportation Networks

Map of the City of Toronto

PDF
JPG
ZOOMIFY

1929

Depicts proposed new and improved through streets, street extensions and widenings, and general plan of existing auto and streetcar streets, and few more

Scale: 1:18.000

Access: Public (Out of Copyright)

Administrative and Political Boundaries

Historical

Historical Ward Boundaries

Shapefile (.shp)

1834–1914

Depicts historical ward boundaries including their annexations

Projection: None

Access: Public

Historical

Transportation Networks

Historical Toronto Streets

Shapefile (.shp)

1818–1884

Depicts historical streets

Projection: NAD 83

Access: Public

Toronto Streetcar Routes to 1961

Shapefile (.shp)
KML
KMZ

1861–1961

Depicts historical streetcar routes and data such as dates the route started and/or ended, type of service provided, length of the route, the owner of the route, and a few more

Projection: UTM Zone 17N

Access: Public

Administrative and Political Boundaries

Facilities/Services

Historical

Land Ownership

Land Use

Structures

Don Valley Historical Mapping Project Shapefile (.shp)
KML
KMZ
1850–1950

Documents historical changes in the landscape of the Don River Valley by drawing from the wide range of geographical information available for the Don River watershed (and the Lower Don in particular), including historical maps, geological maps, fire insurance plans, planning documents, and city directories

Projection: NAD83, UTM Zone 17N

Access: Public

Historical

Utility Networks

Sewers Shapefile (.shp) 1835–1920

Depicts historical sewage line features

Projection: UTM Zone 17N

Access: Please contact or visit the Map & Data Library during reference hours

Notes

The Map & Data Library collection does not have access to any updated and/or a comprehensive database of underground utility features of Toronto such as the Digital Map Owners Group (DMOG) maps at this time

Crime

Structures

Marijuana Grow Operations Shapefile (.shp) 2006–2007

Depicts locations of marijuana grow operations as point features

Projection: NAD 83

Access: Public

Back to Top