Search Tips

Search for the community’s official website(s). Remember, there may well be more than one level of local government (e.g. the City of Cambridge is in the Region of Waterloo).
- The local government websites are great sources of information for local communities.
Search for the community’s open data repositories.
- Most larger communities have open data repositories that provide LOTS of valuable information about the communities.
- Remember, once again, that there may be more than one local open data repository as there might be more than one level of local government.
Look through relevant datasets on the Ontario Data Catalogue (Ontario's open data repository) for references to the community.
- Tip: You will likely have to search for potentially relevant datasets by topic and then search the dataset for references to your community.
Study the community using Google Maps.
- Use the layers in the map to see the data that is available.
- Use the street view feature to travel down the streets in the community.
- Tip: Google will often have several years worth of pictures available for a community, thereby permitting a diachronic examination of the community.