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How to use this product
Purpose of the product
Limitations
General methodology
Content
Comparisons with previous versions of the Road Network File
Purpose of the product
The Road Network File is a geographic reference product made available to users who wish to have an annually updated road network file.
The 2010 Road Network File can be used to replace previous versions of the Road Network File. However, the 2010 Road Network File does not replace the 2006 Road Network File, which is a similar product available as part of the 2006 suite of Geography products, and used in conjunction with products and services from the 2006 Census.
Note: It is recommended that the 2006 Road Network File be used as a basis for the retrieval of 2006 Census data for user-defined areas. Users can define their custom areas based on the roads in the 2006 Road Network File. Boundaries created with the 2006 Road Network File correspond to the 2006 geographic frame and therefore do not require additional boundary reconciliation work, which facilitates the geocoding process. For information on custom area creation and geocoding services, please contact the National Contact Centre at 1-800-263-1136 or infostats@statcan.gc.ca.
Limitations
Statistics Canada maintains road network file information to support the census and other Statistics Canada activities. The relative position of road network features is important in maps created for navigation and reference purposes; therefore, relative positional accuracy takes precedence over absolute positional accuracy. The Road Network File does not contain street information required for route optimization. For example, data on one-way streets, dead-ends and other street obstacles are not included in the road network file. Consequently, this file is not recommended for engineering applications, emergency dispatching services, surveying or legal applications.
The Road Network File contains road arcs with either 'true' address ranges, imputed address ranges, or no address ranges. Imputed address ranges are not meant to replace true address ranges for any purpose other than address geocoding. Thus, if the files are to be used for computer-aided dispatch or similar purposes (that require an address to be matched to a dissemination block or street), it may be necessary to supplement the file with local knowledge by updating existing true addresses and replacing imputed addresses.
The limitations of the Road Network File should be recognized for uses other than the mapping, analysis and retrieval of census data. See Data quality for information related to the effective use of this file.
General methodology
The Road Network File is based on road network components extracted from the National Geographic Database. The National Geographic Database is maintained by Statistics Canada and Elections Canada for use in their various mapping applications. The National Geographic Database is continuously improved as a result of Statistics Canada's partnership with Elections Canada, and with input from Natural Resources Canada's National Topographic Database.
Content
This product contains road arcs with name, type, direction, and address range.
A large number of addresses are missing in the National Geographic Database (from which the Road Network File is derived). Some addresses were imputed in order to increase the number of complete address ranges in the final product. Imputed addresses were specifically created to assist users who wish to geocode addresses. See Data quality for more information about the completeness of the information. See Technical specifications for more details on record layouts and file formats of the Road Network File.
Comparisons with previous versions of the Road Network File
Differences between the 2010 Road Network File and with previous versions of the Road Network File are:
- The 2010 Road Network File contains additional roads, road names and address ranges.
- The 2010 Road Network File does not necessarily follow 2006 Census boundaries.
The 2006 Road Network File is compatible with the suite of 2006 Census Geography products.
Users may notice a change in the 2010 version of the Road Network File. The British Columbia Digital Road Atlas has been used to update the road network in British Columbia. Territorial sourced data has been used to realign the 2010 road network in the Northwest Territories.
