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📖 CanWIN Public Docs

Welcome to the Canadian Watershed Information Network (CanWIN) public documentation.
Here you will find information about our platforms, data resources, and best practices to help you manage, share, and access data hosted by CanWIN.

🌊 Who We Are

The Canadian Watershed Information Network (CanWIN) is a Canadian spatial data infrastructure (SDI) system hosted at the University of Manitoba and managed by the Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS). We support research, education, and evidence‑based decision‑making throughout Canada, with particular focus on the unique challenges of Arctic and freshwater ecosystems.

By creating an interoperable infrastructure, CanWIN makes environmental data discoverable and accessible across Canada’s freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments. This enables scientists, policymakers, and Indigenous communities to analyze complex environmental issues across broad spatial and temporal scales.

🎯 Mandate

CanWIN’s mandate is to accelerate access to environmental data across Canada by ensuring it is shared in ways that are ethical, transparent, and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

🌟 Why CanWIN Matters

Despite significant investment in research infrastructure, Canada’s environmental data often remains fragmented, siloed, and difficult to access. This limits the ability of researchers, policymakers, and communities to respond effectively to climate and water challenges. CanWIN addresses this gap by providing a decentralized, open‑access platform that breaks down barriers to discovery and use. By harmonizing datasets across disciplines, cultures, and political boundaries, CanWIN enables unified data access and knowledge sharing.

In addition to the FAIR principles, CanWIN supports the CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics) and OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty.

Key outcomes of this approach include:

  • Breaking down silos → Integrate diverse datasets spatially or by theme
  • Boosting visibility & transparency → Make research accessible to wider audiences across Canada
  • Turning data into insight → Translate complex results into usable knowledge for decision‑makers
  • Strengthening collaboration → Connect scientists, agencies, Indigenous communities, and policymakers nationwide

📚 Data Curation at CanWIN

“Data curation is the art of maintaining the value of data.” – TechRepublic

Curation at CanWIN transforms raw datasets into forms that are understandable, interoperable, and reusable.
It takes place at all stages of the data life cycle:

Data Life Cycle

  • Collecting data
  • Organizing data
  • Cleaning data
  • Enhancing/enriching data
  • Standardizing data
  • Storing/preserving data for future use