View the most recent version.

3. 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 2006 Road Network File is a geographic reference product and geocoding tool for use with the 2006 Census geographic and data products.

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 on the 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 Inquiries line at 1-800-263-1136 or infostats@statcan.gc.ca.

Error processing SSI file

 

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 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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.

Error processing SSI file

 

General methodology

The 2006 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. The National Geographic Database is the source for all 2006 Census dissemination geographic units, geography products and geocoding services.

The 2006 Road Network File is not compatible with 2001 Census Geography products. See Data quality, Consistency with other products, for more details.

Error processing SSI file

 

Content

This product contains road arcs with name, type, direction, and address ranges.

A large number of addresses are missing in the National Geographic Database (from which the 2006 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 2006 Road Network File. Table 3.1 provides information on number of known addresses (prior to imputation) and the number of missing and imputed addresses in the 2006 Road Network File.

Table 3.1 Number of known and missing/imputed address by province or territory, 2006 Road Network File

Error processing SSI file

 

Comparisons to the 2005 Road Network File

Differences between the 2006 Road Network File and the 2005 Road Network File are:

• The 2006 Road Network File contains additional roads, road names and address ranges.
• RB_UID replaces NGD_ID as the attribute which uniquely identifies road arcs.
• The attribute CLASS is no longer maintained by the National Geographic Database, and therefore is not included in the product.
• Roads in this version of the product are not ranked. Therefore, users are not able to derive a layer equivalent to the 2001 Skeletal Road Network File (SRNF).