Designated Place Boundary Files

The Designated Place Boundary Files portray the designated place boundaries for which Census data are disseminated. A designated place is normally a small community or settlement that does not meet the criteria established by Statistics Canada to be a census subdivision (an area with municipal status) or population centre. Designated places are created by provinces and territories, in cooperation with Statistics Canada, to provide data for sub-municipal areas. The files contain the boundaries of all designated places defined for the Census.

There are two types of boundary files: digital and cartographic. Digital files depict the full extent of the geographical areas, including the coastal water area. Cartographic files depict the geographical areas using only the major land mass of Canada and its coastal islands. The files provide a framework for mapping and spatial analysis using commercially available geographic information systems (GIS) or other mapping software.

The Designated Place Boundary Files are in latitude and longitude coordinates and are based on the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). A reference guide is available (92-160-G).