2016 Census Boundary Files
For PCensus Analyst users who plan to map the 2016 Census demographics thematically within their MapInfo Professional or ArcGIS software, Statistics Canada provides a detailed list of several geographic levels to download, in the format of these programs.
Click here to visit the 2016 Boundary File Options
2011, 2006 area boundaries for thematic mapping with PCensus Analyst
These census boundary files are sourced from Statistics Canada and only align with Statistics Canada Road Network File.
There are two types of boundary files:
- Cartographic – portray the census boundaries as areas clipped for water boundaries.
- Digital – protray the census boundaries to their full extent and are not clipped for water boundaries.
2011 Census Boundary Files
ArcGIS Format (.shp files)
| Geography | Cartographic | Digital |
| Province | Download (40MB) | Download (2MB) |
| Census Division | Download (53MB) | Download (14MB) |
| Census Subdivision | Download (86MB) | Download (51MB) |
| Census Metropolitan Area | Download (6MB) | Download (4MB) |
| Census Tract | Download (12MB) | Download (10MB) |
| Dissemination Area | Download (147MB) | Download (113MB) |
| Dissemination Block | Download (334MB) | Download (316MB) |
MapInfo Format (.tab files)
| Geography | Cartographic | Digital |
| Province | Download (19MB) | Download (1MB) |
| Census Division | Download (24MB) | Download (6MB) |
| Census Subdivision | Download (37MB) | Download (20MB) |
| Census Metropolitan Area | Download (3MB) | Download (2MB) |
| Census Tract | Download (5MB) | Download (5MB) |
| Dissemination Area | Download (62MB) | Download (47MB) |
| Dissemination Block | Download (154MB) | Download(199MB) |
2006 Census Boundaries
The following are Statistics Canada’s Cartographic Boundary Files of standard geographic areas in effect as of January 1, 2006:
ArcGIS Format (.shp files)
| Geography | Cartographic | Digital |
| Province | Download (33MB) | |
| Census Division | Download (44MB) | |
| Census Subdivision | Download (73MB) | |
| Census Metropolitan Area | Download (6.1MB) | |
| Census Tract | Download (8MB) | Download (7MB) |
| Dissemination Area | Download (114MB) | Download (80MB) |
| Dissemination Block | Download (213MB) | Download (185MB) |
MapInfo Format (.tab files)
| Geography | Cartographic | Digital |
| Province | Download (16MB) | |
| Census Division | Download (20MB) | |
| Census Subdivision | Download (32MB) | |
| Census Metropolitan Area | Download (6MB) | |
| Census Tract | Download (4MB) | Download (3MB) |
| Dissemination Area | Download (52MB) | Download (38MB) |
| Dissemination Block | Download (122MB) | Download (109MB) |
**TETRAD Computer Applications has been an authorized distributor of selected Statistics Canada files for the 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, and 2011 censuses. No confidential personal information about an individual family, household organization or business has been obtained from Statistics Canada.
