Online maps show aerial details of Terrace

BIRDS, PLANES and those flying in them have up until now been the only ones with a bird’s eye view of the city, but that’s changed thanks to a new form of digital mapping.

TerraMap, accessible from the City of Terrace website, provides an aerial view of the city, access to city property information, contours, flood plains, walkways and trails, places of interest, the city’s official community plan, livestock sub areas etc.

There’s even a 1998 black and white photo and a 2007 colour photo of the city.

“We thought it would be helpful for kids in school learning about maps. Digital mapping is kind of the new wave and also for developers,” said Shelley Larkin, computer assisted drafting/geographic info system technician at the city public works office.

The maps could be helpful for people moving here to check out neighbourhoods and the location of schools, she added.

All the info is current, except for the 1998 map, but city staff may be able to put heritage type mapping online someday, she said.

The TerraMap link is on the City of Terrace website or can be found at http://terrace.pat.ca. The map is updated every month to keep on top of changes.

Map users must have a PC computer with Windows Internet Explorer, and download the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer compatible with their operating system.

New software is available that could make it more compatible with Macs and other internet programs but it will be a while before the city can upgrade, said Larkin.

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