2007/110 (a)

BACKGROUNDER

Critical Infrastructure Information Identification Project

GeoConnections is working with Public Safety Canada and other safety and security partners to develop a standard way to share and exchange information about Canada's critical infrastructure.

Critical infrastructure consists of physical assets such as pipelines, transmission lines and transportation facilities, as well as information technology such as communications facilities, networks and services. If such key infrastructure was destroyed or damaged, the disruption could have a serious impact on the safety, security, health or economic well-being of Canadians.

While various types of information about Canada's energy, transportation and water infrastructure are currently held by numerous government agencies and private companies, they are not easily accessed and shared. GeoConnections' Critical Infrastructure Information Identification Project will develop standardized ways to share, merge and map infrastructure data using the Internet, without the need for a centralized database.

By employing a distributed approach that eliminates the need for centralized databases, GeoConnections protects ownership and control of the data. The project will also ensure that data can be accessed by emergency management organizations as needed. The outcome will be a valuable tool for emergency management in Canada.

Through GeoConnections, the Government of Canada is providing $150,000 to fund the Critical Infrastructure Information Identification Project. Holonics Incorporated of Gatineau, Quebec, will undertake the two-phase project. The first phase involves Canada-wide consultations to identify reliable sources of location-based ("geospatial") infrastructure data and to prioritize the information needs relating to critical infrastructure. The second phase will develop a standard framework to exchange critical infrastructure data.

GeoConnections promotes the exchange of critical infrastructure information among a variety of jurisdictions before, during and after a natural disaster. Accessing and exchanging this information online, using the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure that is being expanded by GeoConnections and its partners, will enable the public safety and security community to share data between different levels of government, infrastructure owners, and emergency agencies while respecting any security or privacy limitations. This capability will better equip these organizations to predict, prepare for, detect and respond to threats to public safety and security.

Launched in 1999, GeoConnections involves a broad network of partners, including the Government of Canada, provincial and territorial governments, private companies, non-government organizations and academia. Additional information about GeoConnections is available at www.geoconnections.org.

For more information, media may contact:

Louise Girouard
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-996-2007

The general public may contact:

Mon-Fri, 8:30-4:30 EDT
Telephone: 613-995-0947
TTY: 613-996-4397s
(teletype for the hearing-impaired)
E-mail: questions@nrcan.gc.ca

NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media.