More topics

Base Map Online Store

Last updated on February 1, 2024

The following base mapping products are available to order from the Base Map Online Store (BMOS). Please follow the links in the descriptions below for more information such as how to acquire, product details, and pricing.

Launch BMOS Apps

 

Air Photos 

Aerial photographs, or air photos, are images taken of the ground from a high altitude. Air photos are used for a variety of applications, such as viewing an area over time and noting the changes in land use.

Explore the Digital Air Photos of B.C. page for more product details and information on how to acquire.

Digital air photos can be certified as to true copies and date of exposure for court or litigation purposes. When Searching the Base Map Online Store for air photos, there will be a check box to certify the photo when adding it to your cart. 

Maps and Orthos Products

Topographic Map Images - Free of Charge

The BC Government offers free topographic maps at three scales: 1:20,000, 1:250,000 and 1:2,000,000.  

Explore the Topographic Maps page for more product details and information on how to acquire.

TRIM Vector Base Mapping Data - Cost Associated

Terrain Resource Information Management (TRIM) provides 1:20,000 scale base data for the Province of British Columbia. TRIM is a set of three-dimensional digital files that support development and management of land-related information.

Use the links below to access individual TRIM products, or explore the TRIM homepage for more product details and information on how to acquire.

Enhanced Topographic Data

Positional Data

Representational Data

Hillshade

DEM

NTS Vector Topographic Data - Cost Associated

The B.C. Government has produced 1:250,000 scale base mapping data of the province, based on the Canadian National Topographic System (NTS) topographical maps. This vector data product was developed by scanning and restructuring various lithographic layers of the federal paper map series.

Explore the National Topographic System (NTS) page for more product details and information on how to acquire.

Orthophotos (Geo-Referenced Imagery) - Cost Associated

All B.C. Government orthophotos are provided at 1:20,000 scale as uncompressed TIFF files in UTM projection, unless otherwise specified. Images are not available in tiled TIFF format.

Orthophotos are available for selected areas of British Columbia in black & white or colour. Most images have a pixel resolution of 1 metre, with some colour orthophotos available at 0.5 metre resolution.

Explore the Orthophoto page for more product details and information on how to acquire.

Requirements

To use the Base Map Online Store you will require:

  • A valid email address
  • A valid credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express)
  • A valid mailing address (Canadian or international)
  • A courier account, if using courier delivery

To gain access, you will also need a B.C. Government ID in the form of:

Internet Explorer 11 is not a supported browser for the Base Map Online Store. Alternative browsers are Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Ordering

All products within BMOS can be searched by:

  • Panning and zooming the map to locate the 250k or 20k mapsheet (Topographic or Ortho) OR roll and frame (Aerial Photos)
  • Using the search tools to find a place name, address or mapsheet

The following guide demonstrates how to order products from the Base Map Online Store.

Purchasing

Learn about the purchasing details and policies for the Base Map Online Store.

Expand All | Collapse All
 

Payments

All prices indicated throughout the order are in Canadian dollars (CAD).

The total cost of the order includes:

  • Product costs
  • Service costs (if applicable)
  • Taxes
  • Shipping charges (if applicable)

On your Visa, MasterCard or American Express statement, please look for a billing charge from the Base Map Online Store.

All products ordered through the Base Map Online Store, whether for online or offline delivery, will be subject to the applicable provincial and federal taxes. Taxes will be calculated and added to your order based on the shipping address you enter online at checkout time. For customers outside of Canada, there will be no taxes added to the products and shipping charges (if any) of your order.

 

Cancellations

Please check over the details of your order very carefully to ensure that you have selected the correct products before clicking Submit and Pay. After your credit card payment is processed, the order cannot be cancelled by you online. For certain products, it may be possible to cancel the order after it has been submitted, provided that it has not yet been processed.

If you wish to cancel an order that has been placed by you, email GeoBCinfo@gov.bc.ca with the Order Number and the specific details (please see Refunds). If it is possible for the order to be cancelled, you will be advised by email. In the event that a refund or partial refund is approved, the credit will show up on your Visa, MasterCard or American Express statement in due course.

 

Refunds

Payments must be made in advance of delivery (no Cash on Delivery). Once ordered, delivered materials have no returnable value. An exception is made when incorrect items are shipped or items are damaged during shipment, and are returned within seven (7) days of receipt. Refunds will only be approved at the sole discretion of the data distributor.

 

Delivery Times

Online products will be available to download in the format you requested. You will be sent an email with an FTP link to download your order. Online orders will be available for download for a period of seven (7) business days. After seven (7) business days, your order will be purged from the FTP server.

For offline orders where human intervention is required, it will take additional time for your order to be processed. Orthophotos take three (3) to five (5) business days. Air photos take 10–15 business days.

Delivery times indicated on product pages are average, based on the size of the order, backlog of previous orders and available lab technicians. Orders are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Large orders may take longer than indicated.

Rush orders for digital photos will be considered for court cases, provided that a court file number is included with the order. Please indicate this in the Special Instructions area of the Add Products page of the BMOS Shopping Cart. Rush orders are subject to approval. Times are subject to change without notice and cannot be guaranteed.

 

Discounts

If you are a TRIM Data Exchange Agreement (DEA) partner or an educational institution in British Columbia, you may be entitled to receive certain products at reduced or no charge. Email GeoBCinfo for further information. They will forward your request to the appropriate data distributor.

 

Contact information

For help with your order or technical assistance, contact GeoBC Service Desk:

Inbox
GeoBCinfo@gov.bc.ca