Canada Mobilizing Maps, Data, and Investigative Journalism for Project Pandemic
Access to information should not be determined by where we live.
Project Pandemic is a data co-op and collaboration designed to support Canadian news organizations by providing local maps of infections and other unique information at no cost. Project Pandemic is a collaborative mapping effort, mobilizing journalists across the country. It’s led by the Institute for Investigative Journalism at Montreal’s Concordia University , the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) and Esri Canada. Project Pandemic employs reporters from journalism schools across Canada along with traditional news media organizations such as CTV News. Technical assistance has been provided by Nova Scotia Community College’s Centre of Geographic Sciences.
Learn more about their story through these series of maps.
The goal is to collect data about the coronavirus pandemic and to use mapping and other analysis tools to allow a clearer picture of where the COVID-19 disease has spread and to analyse the impact on Canadians. Members have access to a storehouse of resources and assets that empower reporters and engage audiences as they together document the impacts of COVID-19 on essential services workers and vulnerable populations. The maps cover cases in each health-care region across every province, as well as hospitalization numbers and reports on Indigenous lands. They are drawn from publicly reported data plus information uploaded by journalists and trusted members of the public.
If you cannot see the map on your device, Click here for the full experience. You could also visit Esri Canada’s GIS hub for more details.
Recently, some interesting and very important insights were drawn through these datasets. More than 500 COVID-19 infections in Canada have been linked to public venues including stores, bars, restaurants, day cares and schools since the beginning of July as more businesses continue to reopen and restrictions are eased. [ source : CTV news.ca ]
