Cross-Border mashup merges Google Maps, OGC Web Services

At 5,500 miles, the US and Canada share the world's longest common border and identifying critical infrastructures is a vital function for organizations in the cross-border region. With this requirement in mind, a collaborative project has developed, deployed and demonstrated the foundations of an online network to help identify critical infrastructure during emergencies and everyday operations.

The network is based on OGC Web Feature Service (WFS), Web Map Service (WMS) and GML standards, data from Montana and Natural Resources Canada. The WFS are located in Montana and Quebec. Cross-border users are able to access the two secure data services across the US-Canada border, navigate through their content, and access critical infrastructure data using free geospatial viewers such as Gaia, CarbonArc PRO extensions for ArcGIS - and Web 2.0 mashups like the one above.

This Cross-Border mashup merges Google Maps, OGC WMS and WFS, Secure SDI and FGDC Emergency Mapping Symbology - and provides an easy way to make sure critical geospatial information goes to the people who are supposed to have it.

The Cross-Border SDI Project is part of the 2008 National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Cooperative Agreement Program (CAP) - and brings together a collaborative group committed to joint US-Canadian Spatial Data Infrastructure including: the Montana Department of Administration; the Centre for Topographic Information, Natural Resources Canada; Canada's Department of National Defense; United States Federal Government partners, and industry partners L-3 Communications GS&ES, GCS Research of Missoula, Montana, CubeWerx and The Carbon Project.

To learn how to participate, please contact info@TheCarbonProject.com. Recent Cross-Border SDI demos are also available online.

- Jeff