Free data is always great (even if you can already bill it to you client). This is my first post of many that lists some good sources for free data all over the world. We will start with Canada.
With regards to Ontario, you can find a number of OBMs (Ontario Base Maps/Ontario Base Data) for free all over the net. The best source for general data, in my opinion, is:
http://www.geographynetwork.ca
You can select the layers you want, the extent of your study area, the projection and the datum you want the data in. Then you download ESRI shapefiles with exactly what you are looking for.
Some others:
Free Map data For the Guelph, Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge Area:
http://grims.grandriver.ca/imf/imf.jsp?site=grca_datadis&ddsid=25aa6
- download watershed information, and usual boundaries. As well as free ortho imagery! If you love it, and want the whole water shed quickly, you can pay them a small fee for the entire data set on a DVD.
For DEM information for all of Ontario, check out
www.geobase.ca for Ontario DEMs
They dont have the highest pixel resolution size (30 meters if i remember correctly). But they are good for a general or key map/site plan elevation.
More coming soon...
One caveat for any free data - make sure it is accurate and up to date! You dont want to get burned for digitizing a forest that is no longer there.
