14 DAY TRIAL // Google's Map Maker program was designed to make it possible for users around the world to create maps for their home towns and countries. Accurate data is hard to come by and Google has relied on the users on the ground to provide the most recent updates and to paint a map for their cities.
These contributions eventually ended up on Google Maps for the benefit of millions of people and Google of course.
Google created Map Maker for the places where the least data was available, or where it made little economical sense to pay for it, depending on how cynical you want to be about it, but has recently started making it available in more developed countries as well, including the US.
Now, it's launching it a bit further up North, in Canada, enabling users there to contribute the latest changes to map data or their own, little known details, such as hike trails and so on.
"Today we’re opening the map of Canada in Google Map Maker for users to add their expert local knowledge directly to Google Maps," James Kelly, Product Manager for Google Map Maker, announced.
"Users know their neighborhood or hometown best, and with Google Map Maker they can ensure the places they care about are richly represented on the map," he said.
It's relatively easy to get started using Google Maps, there's a video tutorial for the first steps and there's ample documentation in Map Makerpedia.
Any change made via Map Maker has to be approved before going live on Google Maps, but Google has been working towards making it easier and faster for users to get their contributions in front of everyone.
"Citizen cartographers using Google Map Maker in more than 180 other regions of the world help keep maps of their areas accurate and up to date. We are delighted to welcome Canada to the Map Maker family," Kelly added.
