Digital boundary files (DBFs) were reinstated for the 2006 Census.
The boundaries of the geographic areas reflect those in effect on January 1, 2006 (the geographic reference date for the 2006 Census of Canada).
The boundaries are generated from the Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). The boundaries extend into bodies of water, rather than follow the shoreline, to ensure that limits are followed and that all land and islands are included for census enumeration. Thus, boundaries may cut through lakes, extend into oceans, or follow the approximate centres of rivers.
Digital boundary files are available for the following standard geographic areas:
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provinces and territories
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federal electoral districts (FEDs), 2003 Representation Order <
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economic regions (ERs)
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census divisions (CDs)
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census consolidated subdivisions (CCSs)
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census subdivisions (CSDs)
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census metropolitan areas/census agglomerations (CMAs/CAs)
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census tracts (CTs)
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urban areas (UAs)
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designated places (DPLs)
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dissemination areas (DAs)
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dissemination blocks (DBs)
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forward sortation areas (FSAs).
Digital boundary files are not suitable for computing land area, thematic mapping applications or other types of analyses requiring the realistic depiction of shorelines and water bodies, unless the user intends to apply his or her own shorelines to the boundaries (Source: Statistics Canada, 2008).
A limited number
of Digital Boundary Files have been produced for the 1981 and
1986 Census years. The 1986 files were digitized independently
of one another and, therefore, there may be slight inconsistencies
when overlaying adjacent boundaries. These files also
contain some shorelines and hydrographic features.
The 1991 census
is the first census that an enumeration area (EA) boundary file
was available as a standard geography product. All other
Digital Boundary Files are created by aggregating the component
enumeration area boundaries. Since these digital boundaries
reflect the actual boundaries required to enumerate all the
households in Canada, boundaries running through water bodies
(such as lakes and oceans) may appear as straight lines, rather
than following the shoreline. Thus, the digital boundary files
may not be suitable for mapping applications where realistic
shoreline is important, or for analysis requiring the computation
of real land area.
The Digital Boundary
Files are packaged by type of geographic boundary (e.g. enumeration
areas, census subdivisions, census consolidated subdivisions,
census divisions, urban areas, federal electoral districts,
provinces and territories) and coverage (e.g. Canada, province
or territory, census metropolitan area or census agglomeration).(Source:
Stats Canada,1991)
1996 Digital Boundary
Files portray the official boundaries used for 1996 Census collection
and, therefore, often extend as straight lines into bodies of
water. The 1996 files are similar to the 1991 files.
- USER
GUIDES:
For detailed notes
on the Digital Boundary Files, follow the links for each year:
1981, 1986, 1991,
1996,
2006
