Geomatics Industry Survey

2004

Just over 2,200 firms in Canada provide geomatics products or services according to data from the 2004 Geomatics Industry Survey.

Revenue earned strictly from geomatics products or services totalled $2.8 billion in 2004. Revenue from geomatics activities rose 15.6% from 2003, up from the 13.2% gain the previous year.

Geomatics is the science and technology of activities, products or services involved in the collection, integration, interpretation, analysis and management of location based data (geospatial data); and the development of tools to support those activities.

An earlier release in The Daily of February 8, 2006 on Canada's surveying and mapping industry produced industry estimates for firms classified under the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes 541360 and 541370, geophysical surveying and mapping services and non-geophysical survey and mapping services (land surveying) respectively.

The Geomatics Industry Survey was a census of all known firms engaged in geomatics activities in Canada and was sponsored by Natural Resources Canada.

This release provides detailed information on all geomatics activities in Canada. It covers firms that provide geomatics products or services from the two primary geomatics NAICS codes (541360 and 541370) as well as 11 other NAICS codes which also provide geomatics products and services.

Alberta accounted for about 27% of firms with geomatics activities in 2004, the highest proportion, thanks to the significant role played by the province's oil and gas sector. Ontario followed with 21%, Quebec with 20% and British Columbia with 18%.

The most common geomatics activity in Canada was surveying, cited by nearly 69% of firms. About 57% listed it as their core activity. About 35% of firms cited mapping and cartography, the second most common activity.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5092.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this survey, contact Client Services (1-877-679-2746, sbss-info@statcan.gc.ca), Small Business and Special Surveys Division.