title: Visualising the distribution of individuals of advanced age in Canada: linking census data to maps.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to link publically available aggregate census data to maps to visually convey information about the geographic distribution of those of advanced age in Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  we obtained aggregate statistics derived from the most recent 2011 Canadian census data. We calculated the Percentage of People 90 Years of Age or Older and the Longevity Index in each of the 292 census divisions. The data and the Canadian census division map were merged to create thematic maps using Google Fusion Tables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  overall, there were 217,930 women and men who were 90 years of age or older in Canada in 2011. The regions with the highest proportion of elderly residents are in the south, rather than in the north of Canada. Southern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba emerged as high longevity areas based on both indices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  publically available data and free online tools can be used to create maps that visually display the geographic distribution of the oldest population across Canada. This approach provides an efficient way to observe patterns, identify adjacencies and perceive information that may not have been anticipated. This approach can be replicated in other jurisdictions using publically available data.
authors.affiliation: Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romanski
authors.affiliation: Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.affiliation: Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Paula A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rochon
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D019352:Censuses; D003710:Demography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008377:Maps as Topic
keywords: census; geographic distribution; longevity; map; older people