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Open Data is a practice that makes data freely available by way of portals, metadata, and search tools for reuse by governments, citizens, voluntary organizations, academia, and the private sector in new and unanticipated ways.
The Open Data Portal is a catalogue of federal government datasets that are available for commercial and non-commercial users, developers and data suppliers to find, evaluate, access, visualize and reuse. This site is the first step in providing access to reusable government data.
We encourage the participation of all citizens to make the Open Data Portal better. How can we improve the portal? Let us know.
No, the data published on the Open Data Portal and on related Websites is public data that is not sensitive in nature (i.e. data which is NOT personal or confidential) and does not identify or provide ways to identify individuals.
There are two ways to find data on the Portal:
By accessing datasets or tools made available on the Open Data Portal, you agree to the Licence Agreement , which should be read before accessing any data on the site.
Open Data formats are intended to be machine-readable and are typically XML-based. Data can also be presented in human-readable formats (XLS) that can be read using spreadsheet software and that permit data extraction to facilitate integration with other data sets.
If there are particular datasets that you think should be made available, Suggest a Dataset
Yes, this is just the start. As outlined in Canada's Action Plan on Open Government commitments have been made for the Open Data Portal. During the first year of the Action Plan, the Government of Canada will continue to expand on the number of datasets made available through the existing portal.
Yes. The Government of Canada has committed to implement a next generation platform for the delivery of open data in Canada’s Action Plan on Open Government. During the first year of the Action Plan (April 2012-April 2013), the Government of Canada will complete the requirements for the next generation platform. During the following two years, the new data portal will be designed and put in place as well as further improvements to the level of standardization of data published by departments. The Government will make use of user feedback, particularly among Canada's open data community, to ensure that this new open data portal meets the needs and expectations of those who will use it most, and provides the best possible opportunity to support entrepreneurs eager to make use of Government of Canada data.
The Government of Canada shall have no liability for any damage caused by the use of the data, nor for how the data is used.
The data published on this portal is made available by Government of Canada departments and Crown corporations. While each of these entities is responsible for managing their own data, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is responsible for the governance, including guidelines and policies, applicable to the data.
With respect to the preservation of the data made available on this site, it is generally subject to the rules governing retention and disposition of government information. This includes, but is not limited to, requirements of the Library and Archives of Canada Act and the disposition authorities issues pursuant to it, the Financial Administration Act and the Treasury Board policies adopted pursuant to it, the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
The pilot stage of this project was successfully completed in September 2012. The Open Data Portal Pilot was well received and well used. The portal will continue to expand and evolve in order to better serve the public. During the pilot period there were over 1 million user sessions and approximately 150,000 datasets were downloaded As well, the number of participating departments increased from 10 at launch to over 20.
A proposed Open Government Licence is currently posted on this site for public feedback. Future improvements to this site will be based on comments and discussions with the Open Data community and could include widespread consultations.
The intellectual property rights of the data belong to the Crown and, exceptionally, to third parties. Additional information regarding the conditions governing the use of the data can be found in the Government of Canada Open Data Licence Agreement.
The Licence Agreement allows the licencee to use, incorporate, grant end-user licences to modify, improve, develop and distribute the data. The licencees must, however, identify the source of the data on their derived products.
The proposed Open Government Licence allows for unrestricted commercial and non-commercial reuse of information. The proposed licence is consistent with international best practices, and uses simplified language. It is currently provided online for feedback from Canadians. Canada’s Action Plan on Open Government includes a commitment to issuing a new universal Open Government Licence.
The proposed licence is provided for feedback and informational purposes only. The current licence remains in effect until the proposed licence is finalized and issued.
If you encounter any difficulties or notice any errors while using the Open Data Portal, or if you require assistance, please Contact Us.
Let us know about any broken links, corrupt files, or any other technical issues you may be experiencing on the site by using the Contact Us page.
Yes. You can also read the GeoConnections FAQ and the GeoGratis FAQ to learn more about geographic datasets and geospatial data.
The Open Data Portal adheres to the Dublin Core standard (ISO Standard 15836 /NISO Standard Z39.85-2007) for Web page metadata and to standards for Open Data, namely CSV, XML, and RSS.
Open Data
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