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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Before I get on with my comments let me introduce myself to the
group. My name is Mike Mepham and I am a member of the GeoBase Steering
Committee. In fact, I was in on the founding of GeoBase in 2000/2001 and
have been active with it ever since. I have 19+ years with <st1:State
w:st="on">Saskatchewan</st1:State>’s geomatics agencies and am currently
on secondment to the federal government tasked with helping to continue and
enhance the cooperative geomatics programs between the 14 governments in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>
(federal, 10 provincial, and 3 territorial). A couple of things I am not
– I am not an employee of the Government of Canada although they provide
me with my work facilities. I am still employed by one of the provincial
governments. Also I am not the technical go to guy. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I have two objectives with this note – The first is to clarify
exactly what GeoBase is and is not. Hopefully I can help clear up some of
the confusion I have noticed in some in the postings to this discussion
group. The second is to enter into a discussion about what this group is
trying to do, why, and how we can work together or at least not get in each
others way. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><u><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>What is GeoBase?<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>GeoBase is a collaborative partnership of the federal, provincial, and
territorial governments working to wards a vision of “Fundamental
geographic data of choice for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>
– collected once, maintained and available without
restrictions”. The idea is to ensure that any data collection only
takes place once and the results shared. Also, every effort is made to
ensure that the agency responsible for the content of the mapping is the agency
that is “closest” to the items being mapped. For example,
many of the municipal roads in GeoBase are mapped by the municipality itself
who provide the data to the province who add it to the provincial roads mapped
by their department of transportation and then the whole is submitted to
GeoBase for inclusion in the portal.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>So please do not refer to GeoBase data as federal data. While
some of it is federally sourced most of it is municipally, territorially, or
provincially sourced and made available through the collaborative partnership. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>There are several attributes (not data base attributes) that the data
must have to be included in GeoBase. These include that it is expected to
be authoritative, maintained, freely available, etc. For full details on
this and more on how the partnership works I strongly recommend reading the <a
href="http://www.geobase.ca/doc/GeoBase-ppp-v1_5_en.pdf">GeoBase Principles,
Policies, and Procedures</a> (PPP) document. It will give you a
better understanding of the animal you are dealing with.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><u><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Some Questions<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Let me start by making it clear that I am asking these questions to
help my understanding. Nothing here is intended to stop, or delay the
groups progress in loading the GeoBase information into the OSM. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>My first question has to be “Why are you doing
this?”. I have spent some time looking through the OSM web site and
I understand the rational for building street maps where none exist or at least
are not generally available but that is not the case here. I know of at
least two other complete downloads of the GeoBase data for redistribution but
still do not fully understand the reasons for replication / duplication. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Secondly – How does this group expect maintenance to work? When
the data suppliers pass updates to the GeoBase portal team and those updates
are made available then GeoBase and OSM will be out of sync. What are the
expectations on how or when they will be brought back into sync?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>And finally, for now, Are there any comments or questions you would
like to direct to the GeoBase Steering Committee? We don’t always
hear back from those who are using the GeoBase portal and it’s data but
want to. Please speak up if you have something to say to us.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In closing I would like
to suggest that you also check out the video at YouTube that shows some of the
research we have been involved with looking at interoperability of diverse
geomatics data bases. The video is at <a
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIZLc_qHYZc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIZLc_qHYZc</a>
in English and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXvUqWVtjQo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXvUqWVtjQo</a>
in French.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Thanks for your time.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Mike Mepham<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Federal/Provincial/Territorial Liaison<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>GeoConnections Program<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Natural Resources <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><b><font size=3 face="Arial Narrow"><span lang=FR-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";font-weight:bold'>E-Mail:</span></font></b><font
face=Arial><span lang=FR-CA style='font-family:Arial'> </span></font><a
href="mailto:MMepham@NRCan.gc.ca"><font face=Arial><span lang=FR-CA
style='font-family:Arial'>MMepham@NRCan.gc.ca</span></font></a><font
face=Arial><span lang=FR-CA style='font-family:Arial'> <br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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</td>
<td width=204 valign=top style='width:153.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><u><font
size=1 face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
font-weight:bold'>Ottawa</span></font></u></b></st1:place></st1:City><u><font
size=1 face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
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size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:black;font-weight:bold'>Regina</span></font></u></b></st1:place></st1:City><u><font
size=1 face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
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<p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin-top:3.0pt'><b><font size=1 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Phone:<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
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<p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin-top:3.0pt'><font size=1 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial'>(613) 992-8549<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</td>
<td width=265 valign=top style='width:7.0cm;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'>
<p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin-top:3.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>(306)
780-3634</span></font><font size=1 face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin-top:3.0pt'><font size=1 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial'>(613) 947-2410<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin-top:3.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>(306)
780-5191<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin-top:3.0pt'><b><font size=1 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Address:<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
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<p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin-top:3.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>06A<sup>th</sup>
Floor, Room. 646R <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><font
size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:black'>615 Booth Street</span></font></st1:address></st1:Street><font
size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=1
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'>Ottawa</span></font></st1:City><font size=1 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>, <st1:State
w:st="on">ON</st1:State> <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">K1A 0E9</st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place><font
size=1 face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</td>
<td width=265 valign=top style='width:7.0cm;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'>
<p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin-top:3.0pt'><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address
w:st="on"><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:black'>100 Central Park Place</span></font></st1:address></st1:Street><font
size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><font
size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:black'>2208 Scarth Street</span></font></st1:address></st1:Street><font
size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=1
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'>Regina</span></font></st1:City><font size=1 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>, <st1:State
w:st="on">SK</st1:State> <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">S4P 2J6</st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place><font
size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
8.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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