Yellowknife (Dec 01/06) - Last Wednesday, the City of Yellowknife launched an on-line interactive mapping tool on its website called cityExplorer - useful to those new to the city, life-long Yellowknifers or homeowners wanting specifics on their properties.

Two years ago, the Systems Department at City Hall began developing a mapping program of Yellowknife that meshed information from all the city's departments.

It was originally envisioned as an internal tool for staff to pin-point locations and information on city infrastructure. However, as the program developed, so did the ideas on who could benefit from the tool.

"We developed the internal system," said Sarah MacLaurin, a City of Yellowknife systems analyst, who first pitched the idea three years ago. "Then we took out some of the sensitive information, duplicated it, and put it on our website for the public to use."

The system is along the lines of other more vast products such as Google World, which allows a user to see minute areas of the world using GIS technology and computer graphic map systems.

Ciaran Coates, a systems analyst with the city, also played a major role in developing the system. He said that it simplifies a process that used to cost money and time.

"In the past if people needed geographic information in Yellowknife, they'd have to come in and request a map from the old GIS person," he said. "Other people would be waiting for maps too, so basically you'd have to take a number. And it cost money to get a map."

With cityExplorer, a user can bring up any property location in the city. Beside the lot graphic, information on it lines the right side of the screen. A person can see the number, size and value of the lot and house.

"This is a good tool for a property owner who may want to make changes to the property," MacLaurin said.

She added that there is a theme-oriented section to the system. These include visitor and facility themes, among others.

"The visitor theme shows hotels, motels, and important facilities such as the RCMP and hospital building," MacLaurin said.

The entire project is estimated to have cost the city $100,000. This does not include the salaries of employees who worked on the project.

Coates said that the map is a work in progress and more additions, such as vehicle locations which will allow someone to pin-point a city bus's location in real time, may be added to the overall system in the next three years.