Tree-data sources, dates and methodology

Snapshot status

Last successful published refresh: 2026-10-25T01:59:33.462Z. New snapshots are published after source records change and validation succeeds. An unchanged source check does not change the publication date.

41,439 work orders; 165,325 related custom-field rows; 80,051 inventory records; 609 census areas.

Import and count rules

Imports read live schemas, source IDs and counts, retrieve every relevant page and verify source versions before publishing the complete snapshot. Tree-work selection uses the source AST_TREE asset type. Work and custom fields are joined by WORK_ORDER_ID with one parent and an array of child rows. Missing batches, source changes, duplicate stable IDs and unexpected count drops fail the refresh and retain the previous valid files.

Record counts, reported quantities and individual-tree counts are different. Status and resolution are retained; NOWORK never counts as performed work. Generic UNITS is not assumed to mean trees. Inventory IDs use GLOBALID; categories and diameter bands are decoded from source domains. Missing prices and durations remain unknown; administrative timestamps do not measure crew hours. No tree asset is assigned to a work order by proximity.

Locations and geometry

The work-order parent service declares WKID 102100 / EPSG:3857. X/Y values are transformed to longitude/latitude, checked against HRM regional bounds and preserved alongside raw coordinates. An older metadata PDF calls the attributes decimal degrees, which conflicts with the service and its values. Locations are approximate issue locations, not surveyed tree positions. Invalid points remain in the list without a pin.

Inventory and area geometry are requested from ArcGIS in EPSG:4326. Census boundaries are generalized for map loading (about five metres of tolerance); displayed areas and percentages remain the source attributes, not measurements of the simplified shapes. Inventory is loaded by coarse spatial grid cell for performance; grid cells are not legal property or neighbourhood boundaries.

Historical canopy

The Tree Equity by DA source supplies canopy percentage and priority index within 2021 census areas. Its canopy inputs cover rural 2017–2018 and urban 2019–2022. The priority index is 0–1, with higher values indicating more inequity. Land area is km² and canopy area is m²; comparisons account for that conversion. Published canopy percentages are retained, with discrepancy flags where source values differ.

Community canopy polygons may represent groups of trees and omit some growth/deciduous coverage. These sources do not support a live canopy-loss counter or automatic private-tree permissions.

Community canopy shapes and downloads

The official HRM canopy archive contains grouped historical records for 203 GSA communities. Our separate snapshot was prepared 2026-10-25 (UTC), using the archive dated 2024-11-26. This preparation date is not a new canopy observation.

The archive stores NAD83 CSRS 2010 / MTM zone 5 Nova Scotia coordinates in metres, despite the PDF's WGS84 description. We use its stored projection to transform the outlines to longitude/latitude. Source footprint areas use the original projected geometry and remain separate from the displayed overview. They are not land areas or canopy-cover percentages.

For the overview, patches smaller than 1,000 m² are omitted, holes smaller than 1,000 m² are filled, and remaining edges are simplified at eight metres. Coordinates are rounded and local display geometry is repaired; clipping may split polygon parts. Do not use this generalized layer for parcel decisions, individual-tree counts or area measurements. Rural inputs are 2017–2018 and urban inputs 2019–2022.

All source records are accounted for in the catalog, including communities with no patches above the overview threshold. Each selected GeoJSON section is at most 600,000 bytes before compression. Community indexes identify its source records, section bounds, checksums and file sizes. A failed, truncated, changed or incomplete source import leaves the last complete snapshot intact.

Explore community maps and downloads · Download the catalog · Official methodology PDF

Pricing and contributions

Advertised starts, published ranges, reported quotes, reported completed jobs, invoice-supported jobs and historical research are separate evidence types. Source date, scope, currency, tax and verification gaps remain visible. Project submissions require review; exact residential locations, personal contact details and documents are not published as part of a summary.

Attribution and corrections

Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. The licence permits commercial reuse subject to attribution, excludes personal/third-party rights and does not imply municipal endorsement. Data is provided without a warranty.

Report source or website corrections to [email protected]. For urgent municipal tree concerns, contact HRM through its official channels.