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From: fst%ITS.NLC-BNC.CA%cni.org@Csa2.LBL.Gov (Turner Fay)
To: gils@cni.org (Multiple recipients of list)
Subject: FW: geographic and place names
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I am forwarding a copy of this e-mail which was sent to the GILS list with 
the wrong address.

Fay
 ----------
From: Jake Knoppers
To: GILS listserve
Cc: Fay Turner
Subject: geographic and place names
Date: Friday, May 10, 1996 4:36PM

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment on Geographic Name and Place Names Discussion
  and GILS Core Elements - Data Element Place

1. Context

Fay Turner and Linda Hill recently  made some comments on  "Place 
Keyword" "Geographic Name", "Place Name", etc. Linda also concluded by 
stating "My assumption is that if the geographic name is selected from 
an authorized list then the (source) thesaurus is noted"

2.  Comments

Last year I completed work on the development of an IT-processable and
EDI-facilitated version (fully bilingual) of  a National Standard of 
Canada CAN/CGSB 171.3-94 titled "Directory Information describing 
geo-referenced data sets". This work was sponsored by Dr. Valerie Hume, 
Sustainable Development, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and copies 
are available (phone:819- 997-9480, fax: 819-953-2590) There we took a 
data element based approach for  geographic names including place names.

The year previous we worked on developing the business operational rules, 
functional requirements and detailed specifications for a "paperless" 
and data element based implementation of the Canadian Environmental 
Assessment Act(CEAA).  All Canadian federal institutions subject to the 
CEAA must fundertake and report on environmental assessments. Here also 
geographic location and name are important descriptive, i.e. metadata, 
elements. Further the CEAA requires institutions to establish and 
maintain document registries in relation to each EA. For the results 
visit "www.ceaa.gc.ca" where you find the Act, the Regulations, all the 
descriptive information (data element-based) and the permitted values 
controlled in most cases through code tables also containing equivalent 
English and French terms/phrases.

Consequently, the GILS data element Place and the resolution of comment 
raised can benefit from this experience. The broader term or concept 
here would be "geographic (or geographical) names and features. Here 
the narrower terms would include names of populated places, names of 
administrative areas (e.g.  parks, reserves, municipalities), names of 
water features (e.g. lakes, rivers, "Walden's Pond"), vegetation 
(e.g. marshes), man-made features (e.g. =reader's choice).

3. Decision Required before Issue can be Resolved

As such Place Name can be considered a NT of Geographic Name (BT). GILS 
has to develop and decide on an overall strategy, objectives and the 
level of detail, i.e. granularity and specificity, required for 
descriptive data of a geograhic nature with respect to the contents of 
the recorded information being described.

Only when such a decision is taken will it be possible to  develop the 
data elements applicable, defition and rules required.


4.  Canadian Authoritative Source for Geographical Names

In Canada, an authoritative and exhaustive source exists for geographical 
names.

It is called the Canadian Geographical Names Data Base (CGNDB) and is 
part of the National Atlas Information Service. The CGNDB stores names 
that have been approved by the  Canadian Permanent Committee on 
Geographical Names and makes these authoritative records available for 
government and public use (including on CD-ROM) . In addition to current 
names it contains, historical, dates of changes, cross-reference to the 
Gazaetteer Map, lat/long coordinates of the feature/place information, 
etc. Each geographical name and associated record is assigned  a unique 
5-alpha key the first character of which indicates the province or 
territory to which the feature/place belong.  Currently, there are near 
320,000 unique geographical names in Canada. Two quick notes here: 
(1) in Quebec there are near 132 geographical places named "Lac Castor".  
The use of the unique key as the code value entered in the database(s) 
ensure unambiguity as to which instance of this entity type is being 
referenced (e.g. useful  for going fishing in the right lake). There are 
hundreds of such "duplicate" name occurences; and (2) the CGNB has sarted 
the process on adding even street names starting with those in the 
province of Quebec.

This authoritative source has already been successfully used for the 
implementation of  the CEAA and will likely also be referenced in a 
Canadian government-wide standard for names, i.e. contacts and addressing 
that I am working on developing.

        ---------
Well I have said enough for one  session and it has stopped raing outside.
Trust the above comments are of some use .

Regards- Jake Knoppers