Toronto Maps – Help Guide

Navigating the Map

When you first bring up Toronto Maps, it displays a map of the entire City and its surrounding area. Toronto Maps is comprised of the following components, identified on the image below: Map Tools, Zoom Tools, Tool Panel, Address Search Bar, and the main Map window.

Using Map Tools

 

1. About: Provides general information on Toronto Maps application, including contact information.

2. Basemap Gallery: Toronto Maps can have a street map, topographic, dark or light grey map for its background. Choose the background from the Basemap Gallery.

3. Image Gallery: Toronto Maps can have imagery for its background. Choose between different years of imagery.

4. Feature Filter: You may choose to display information on the map from the Feature Filter. You can select one or more features, one or more years of Ortho imagery to display on the map. This tool is selected at start-up.

5. Legend: Displays labels and symbols for layers in the map that are selected in the Feature Filter menu.

6. Spatial Bookmark: Zooms to a particular ward or user-defined extent.

7. Measurement: Set of measurement tools such as measuring an area, measuring a line, and locating a point.

8. Draw: Allows you to draw lines, shapes, and insert text on your map. You can print your customized map.

9. Add Data: You can add your own data to the map.

10. Near Me: Allows you to pin a location on the map and set a buffer around the pin. The tool shows a list of the selected features within the buffer range and provides turn-by-turn directions to the selected feature.

11. Swipe: You can slide the swipe tool or move the mouse around to reveal the content of another layer.

12. Select: Allows you to select features by selecting by mouse from the map. Selected features can then be compared, exported or printed.

13. Share: Allows you to share the app by posting it to your social media account or by sending an email with a link.

14. Print: This feature allows you to create printouts choosing from a variety of layouts and formats.

15. User Guide: opens this help file.

Change the Basemap

Toronto Maps can have a street map, topography, light or dark grey map for its background. You may choose the background by clicking:

1. Click on the Basemap Gallery button
   
2. And then select from the list (i.e. Canada Light Grey Canvas)
   
3. The map will update with the selected basemap.
   

 

Image Gallery

Toronto Maps can have aerial photography for its background. You may choose the background by clicking:

1. Click on the Image Gallery button
   
2. Select from the imagery from the list (i.e. 2021 Imagery)
   
3. The background of the map updates to the selected imagery layer (i.e. 2021 Imagery)
   

Feature Filter

The Feature Filter allows you to check on and off layers on the map. It is also the place where you find the legend with names and symbols for all features. Map Layers are organized according to type and shown in separate tabs.

1. Click on the different tabs (Boundaries, Getting Around, Public Services, Properties, Historic Maps) to access other layers that can be drawn on the map. You can choose to select a group of layers or individual layers. As well there are buttons to Unselect All layers from a tab or to Expand All to see all layers in the tab.Layers will be greyed out if they aren’t available at the current zoom level of the map.
2. Once you zoom in on the map using the zoom tools or by mouse these layers will now be available for selection.
   
3. Try clicking on “Tree Canopy” to draw this layer on the map.

 

Search Features

You can also search for layers at the top of the Feature Filter menu.

As you type in the search bar, a list of matching layers will be displayed.

When you select one of the layers from the list that layer will be selected in the Feature Filter menu and drawn on the map.

Reset Features

This button clears the selection of all features in all tabs and clears the map display.

Before

After

Legend Tool

The Legend tool displays the legend information for all of the layers that have been selected in the Feature Filter tool.

If you have selected to display additional layers using the Feature Filter tool, these additional layers will be displayed in the Legend menu.

Spatial Bookmark

TOMaps provides default bookmarks for each ward and allows you to create custom ones to save the current map view.

To use a bookmark:

1. Select the “Spatial Bookmark” tool.
2. Select one of the pre-set bookmarks to zoom into the area [e.g. York Centre (6)]
   
3. The Map will zoom into the selected bookmark

You can also add your customized bookmarks continuing with the following instructions:

1. Zoom and Pan into the area of interest
2. Click the “Add” button.
3. Type a name for the new bookmark (e.g. City Hall in the example below)
   
4. The new bookmark will be displayed at the bottom of the list
5. To delete a bookmark, select it and then click the “X” button.

The next time that you open the “Spatial Bookmark” tool, this new bookmark will be available for use.

Measurement Tool

Measuring an Area

User will draw a polygon inside the map window and the area of the polygon will be calculated and its result will be shown inside the Measurement panel.

 

1. Select the Measurement tool.
2. Select the Area icon.
3. Click on the map to start measurement.
4. Click the next vertex of the polygon.
5. Click additional vertices of the polygon.
6. Double click the last vertex to finish drawing.
7. Read the Measurement result.

Measuring a Line

User will draw a line (or polyline) inside the map window and the length of the line will be calculated and its result will be shown inside the Measurement panel.

 

1. Select the Measurement tool.
2. Select the Distance icon.
3. Click the first point on the map.
4. Double click the last point of the segment (note you can click other points to measure multiple segments).
5. Read the Measurement result.

Locating a Point

User will draw a point inside the map window and the x and y of the point will be calculated and its result will be shown inside the Measurement panel.

 

1. Select the Measurement tool.
2. Select the Location icon.
3. Select the coordinate format (Degrees or DMS – Degrees Minutes Seconds).
4. Click a point on the map (coordinates will be displayed next the green pin icon).
5. Moving your mouse on the map will show the coordinates of the location where you are pointing next to the arrow icon.

 

Draw

Personalize your map using Drawing tools like in the picture below. Drawings will be included when you use the print feature, so you can print personalized maps.

 

1. Select the “Draw” tool.
2. Select the Polygon icon.
3. Click points on the map to draw, double-click, when finished, drawing
4. Select the Point icon.
5. Select a symbol under Preview.
6. Click on the map to drop the pin.
7. Select the Text icon, and type text.
8. Click on the map to drop the text box.

Add Data

The “Add Data” tool enables you to add data to the map by entering map service URLs, or uploading local files. In this way, you can temporarily add layers to and remove layers from the map. The results can be printed, however, you can’t save the layers to the map.

1. Select the “Add Data” tool
2. Click on the “Sample URL(S)” link

Copy an example URL (i.e. COT_SPEED_CAMERAS)

Paste this URL in the URL box.

 

Click the “Add” button

 

The Automated Speed Cameras are displayed on the map and can be selected to see the details of each location.

You can also add other types of services – such as kml

Select Type
->A KML File

 

Alternatively, you can Add Data from a file

1. Click on the “File” button
2. Add a zipped Shape File (.zip), Comma Separated Values (.csv) or KML(.kml), GPX or Geo JSON file. This can be done by clicking on the “BROWSE” button or by simply selecting and dragging the file on top of the map display.

Example of a simple .csv file (hotels.csv)

 

Once layer(s) have been added to the map they can be removed by using the “Layers” menu.

The “Layers” menu displays all layers that have been added to the map

Select the “Remove Layer” icon next to the layer to remove the layer from layer list and from the map display.

Result (Ambulance Service Facility – no longer visible):

 

Select Tool

1. Choose the Select tool.
2. Click on the layer(s) that you wish to select from (only those layers that have been turned on in the Feature Filter menu will be visible). See below screenshot.
   
3. Select Features on the map by clicking and pulling the mouse
   
4. The number of features selected is displayed in the Select menu.
   
5. Select the “…” button to access additional tools
   

The selected features are exported to the .csv file which can be viewed and edited in Excel.

Near Me

The Near Me tool allows you to enter a location and create a buffer area around the location. All features that have been selected in the “Feature Filter” that are found within the buffer distance will be listed in the menu (by default the buffer distance is 1000 metres).

1. Select the Near Me tool
   
2. Enter the location in the Search box and press the ENTER key. This can be an address (i.e. 18 Dyas Rd.), an intersection (i.e. Yonge and Bloor) or a place name (i.e. City Hall). Alternatively use the Set Location button to select a location on the map using the mouse.The map centres and zooms to the selected location.A buffered circle will draw on the map and all COVID-19 Resources that fall within this circle (1 km by default) will be listed in the menu.For each category, there is a count of the number of features. (i.e. there are 12 schools within the default buffer distance)
3. You can limit or increase the search results by moving the slider bar on the menu – here it is increased to close to 4000 metres and the larger circle now shows 1 Hospital location in addition to the other features.

 

Click on Hospitals and the details of the Hospital(s) that fall within the buffer distance is shown.

 

The Name of the closest hospital is shown along with the approximate distance from the address that was entered in the search bar or the pin location that was selected on the map.

 

Swipe Tool

The Swipe Layer tool is used to interactively reveal layers beneath the layer being swiped. This tool makes it easy to see what is underneath a particular layer without having to turn it off in the table of contents.

1. Select an imagery layer as the basemap (ie. 2021) from the Imagery gallery.
   
2. Select layers in the Feature Filter (Building)
   
3. Select the “Swipe” tool and select the layer to swipe (Building_Polygon)
   
4. Use the swipe tool to show a “before and after” view of the Feature Filter layer on the left and the basemap on the right
   
5. Zoom in to an area of interest (ie. Rogers Centre)
6. Select another layer from the Feature Filter (Property_Parcel)
7. Choose a second layer to swipe – both layers are swiped on and off as you move the vertical swipe line
   
8. From the Feature filter – select the “Reset Features” button.
9. Use the swipe tool to reveal what the shoreline used to look like in 1924 compared to present day.
   Select Historic Maps
   – 1924
   Select the Swipe tool
   

 

Share Tool

You can share your map via email, Twitter or Facebook.

1. Choose the “Share” tool
   
2. Click on the “Email” button to share the link to Email.
3. Alternatively, click on “Link Options” button
4. Select desired options in the “Link Options” menu
   
5. Click on the back arrow to return to the Share menu and then click the “Email” button to share the link to Email.
   

Print Tool

Print allows you to export the current view of the map in different formats (e.g. PDF, PNG etc.…). The printout will also include all selected features, drawings, a title, and the legend.

To print your map:

1. Select the Print tool
   
2. Optionally change the Map title
3. Click the Print button
   
4. Double Click on the new print document in the list to preview
   
5. Optionally, Click the drop-down button in the Layout field, and select the Layout from the list (e.g. A4 Landscape)
6. Optionally, click on the drop-down button in the Format field, and select the Format from the list (e.g. PDF)
7. Optionally, Click the Advanced button to customize Map Author and Copyright text
   

 

Open Attribute Table

1. Click on the Open Attribute Table button at the bottom of the map to display detailed tabular information for layers displayed on the map.
2. The attribute information is displayed in table form with the attributes for the first layer displayed (Business Improvement Area)
3. Click on the second tab in order to see the attributes for the second layer (City Ward)
4. Select one of the records (i.e. Toronto-Danforth) by clicking in the left-most column of the attribute table, this highlights the record in the table and on the map.
5. Select the Zoom to button to zoom to the selected feature on the map.

Filter layer based on attribute value

1. Click the Filter by Map Extent button. This selects all features in the layer and the total count of features is shown at the bottom of the menu. (i.e. 1194 Features)
2. Select the Options button and select Filter.
3. Select an attribute value from the pulldown list (i.e. SCHOOL_TYPE_DESC) and type in the Search value (i.e. Private).
4. Click on the OK button.

The filter is applied to the attribute table and the map display. 318 of 1194 features where (SCHOOL_TYPE_DESC = Private) are displayed.

 

Only the Private schools are now displayed on the map.

Optionally, you can click Options and Show/Hide Columns to limit the columns of information shown in the attribute table.

When you add an additional layer to the map using the Feature Filter tool they will be displayed in the attribute table showing an additional tab (i.e. Subway Station)

Alternatively, you can display a layer’s attributes by selecting the ellipses “…” button and View in Attribute Table from the popup menu for each layer.

References

Toronto Historic Maps
Courtesy of Nathan Ng – Historical Maps of Toronto project

• 1924 Map Service Reference
• 1913 Map Service Reference
• 1903 Map Service Reference
• 1889 Map Service Reference
• 1880 Map Service Reference
• 1858 Map Service Reference
• 1818 Map Service Reference

1856 (Etobicoke Only) Map Service Reference

Release Notes

Version 3.1.0

August 18, 2023

• Added the 1856 Etobicoke historic map
• Fix for Tree Canopy to show the correct neighbourhood information
• Added link to Help menu to show Attribute Table help
• Fix for missing Heritage districts
• Fire Service Facility – display station name in popup menu
• Various Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) fixes