A Work in Progress:
The Kamloops-South Thompson Community Atlas is an ongoing project. New map layers are added as resources are available. As a result, some sub-atlases will contain a lot of information; others will be only a “shell” ready to accept additional map layers when resources and information are available. The partnership always welcomes new partners and resources to improve the functionality and value of the atlas.
A significant partner in the Kamloops-South Thompson Community Atlas is the Small Cities CURA (Community-University Research Alliance). This five-year program fosters academic and community research partnerships to explore the Quality of Life in Small Cities. It is anticipated that various themes and mapping information generated from CURA research will be included within the atlas. Interest has also been expressed in creating a Health and Wellness sub-atlas by incorporating recreation and food security layers once they are developed for other sub-atlases.
Over time, the functionality of the atlas will be enhanced through the acquisition or development of additional web tools. Online data update of local layers, exporting from the atlas to Google Earth, and exporting files from the atlas to users’ desktops (to be used in their own Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software), are further enhancements that the coordination team hopes to include as resources become available through the partnership.