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SIMCOE, ON – August 4, 2021 –  Lots has changed in Norfolk County over the last half-decade, and now you can see it all from the air.

 

Thanks to SWOOP – a provincial program that helps smaller municipalities secure high-quality air photography every five years – Norfolk County residents can view photos of the region taken just last year through an online GIS Viewer.

 

The 2020 photos are the highest quality the county has ever had with 16cm resolution, which equals a clearer picture and allows smaller items to be better identified.

 

“This is very exciting news for the GIS team and all our users,” said Andrew Cull, Norfolk County GIS analyst. “Our numbers indicate the web mapping has been very popular and that continues to increase each year. This update will give staff and external users better views of our beautiful county.”

 

The GIS viewer has become a well-used application amongst community members. Views have increased steadily from 14,600 in 2016 to over 38,700 in 2020. On average, a resident logs on to the site every 13.5 minutes.

 

The site isn’t simply a useful tool for residents but municipal employees as well. Over 290 staff members logged on in 2020, while the service averaged 98 views per day, totaling just shy of 25,000 in total.

 

In addition to the main web mapping application, Norfolk’s GIS team provides seven additional maps – trails, 1964 vs. 2015 photography, pending planning applications, building permits, Ride Norfolk routes, Heritage and Culture, and a Heritage Designated Properties Storymap.

 

Members of the public can view the external mapping here: https://www.norfolkcounty.ca/visiting/norfolk-maps/.