Directory of Federal Real Property Open Dataset 
Data Dictionary

XML Element Structure Overview
Property Element
Custodian Element
Parcels Element
Parcel Element
ParkingSpaces Element
Location Element
Structures Element
Structure Element
UseTypes Element
UseType Element
Tenants Element
Tenant Element
Photos Element
FederalContaminatedSites Element
Site Element

XML Element Structure Overview

The Open Data dataset for the Directory of Federal Real Property (DFRP) is contained in a single extensible Markup Language (XML) file.  
The root element of the document is DirectoryOfFederalRealProperty, and all data is contained with it. There is a hierarchy to the records in the file, as shown in this tree:
-	Directory of Federal Real Property
o	Property
•	Custodian
•	Parcels
•	Parcel
o	ParkingSpaces
o	Location
o	Structures
•	Structure
•	Custodian
•	Location
•	UseTypes
o	UseType
•	Tenants
o	Tenant
•	Photos

•	FederalContaminatedSites
•	Photos

Property Element

Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
lastModifiedDate | Attribute | No | This attribute contains the date and time that a property record was last modified in the DFRP.
createdDate | Attribute | No | This attribute contains the date and time when a property was first added to the DFRP.  Note that this does not represent the date that the property first entered the federal inventory; this value is not tracked in the DFRP.
Property_Number | Element | No | This element is a 5-digit string that uniquely identifies a DFRP federal real property record.  This is the primary key to a property.

Property_Name

Element

Yes

This element contains a name describing the property.  

There may be multiple instances of this element if the name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Address

Element

Yes

This element is a string that describes the address of the property.  This may be a street address or a description (lot and concession) of the property location.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the address is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Primary_Use

Element

No

This element identifies the primary use group of a property. 

This element’s code attribute contains the 2-digit code associated with the primary use group.  This code is unique to the DFRP.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the use group is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Interest_Type

Element

No

This element identifies the type of interest that the Government of Canada has in a property. Examples of interest types are Crown-Owned or Lease/License.
This element’s code attribute contains the 2-digit code associated with the interest type.  This code is unique to the DFRP.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the interest type is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Restriction_on_Interest

Element

No

This element identifies if there is a restriction on the interest that the Government of Canada has on a property. An example of a restriction on interest is a reversionary clause.

This element’s code attribute contains the 2-digit code associated with the types of restrictions on interest type.  This code is unique to the DFRP.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the restriction name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Custodian | Element | No | This element defines the federal government organization responsible for the property.  Refer to the “Custodian Element” section for further details.
Parcels | Element | No | This element defines portions of the land area that are divided along Census Subdivision and Federal Electoral District boundaries.  Refer to the “Parcels Element” section for further details.

MiniMap

Element

Yes

This element is a URL to a static thumbnail map of the location of the property.

This element only applies to properties located in Canada.

Photos | Element | Yes | This element contains the URLs to the photos of this property that are available.  Refer to the “Photos Element” section for further details.
FederalContaminatedSites | Element | Yes | This element contains a list of federal contaminated sites located on this property as reported in the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory. Refer to the “FederalContaminatedSites Element” section for further details.

Custodian Element

A custodian is a federal government organization (Department, Agency or Crown Corporation) whose minister has administration of federal real property in support of the mandated programs of that organization.  Each property and structure element in this dataset has an associated custodian.

Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description

code

Attribute

No

This attribute is a 3-digit alphanumeric code for the custodian organization of a property or structure.

This code comes from the Population Affiliation System at the Treasury Board Secretariat.

isDepartment

Attribute

Yes

This attribute indicates if the custodian organization is a Department in the Government of Canada.  

If the attribute exists, it will always have a value of “true”.  If it does not exist, this custodian is not a Department.  It may be an Agency or a Crown Corporation.

isAgency

Attribute

Yes

This attribute indicates if the custodian organization is an Agency in the Government of Canada.  

If the attribute exists, it will always have a value of “true”.  If it does not exist, this custodian is not an Agency.  It may be a Department or a Crown Corporation.

isCrownCorporation

Attribute

Yes

This attribute indicates if the custodian organization is a Crown Corporation in the Government of Canada.  

If the attribute exists, it will always have a value of “true”.  If it does not exist, this custodian is not a Crown Corporation.  It may be a Department or an Agency.

portfolioLastCertifiedDate

Attribute

Yes

This attribute indicates the date when the custodian last certified the completeness and accuracy of their portfolio in the DFRP.

This attribute will not exist if the custodian has never signed a Completeness and Accuracy attestation.  For example, this might occur if an organization has recently become a custodian of federal property.

Name

Element

No

This element contains the name of the custodian organization. 

There may be multiple instances of this element if the custodian name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Official_Contact_Name

Element

Yes

This element contains the name of the official contact for the custodian.  The official contact is an individual who can provide further information about the property record.

Not all custodians have a named individual as their official contact.  If the custodian has named the organization’s Public Enquiries as their primary contact, this element will not exist.

Official_Contact_Telephone | Element | Yes | This element contains the phone number of the official contact for the custodian.
Official_Contact_Email | Element | Yes | This element contains the e-mail address of the official contact for the custodian.

Official_Contact_WebForm

Element

Yes

This element contains a URL to a web-based form that can be used for contacting the custodian organization.

This element will not be present if the custodian has identified an individual as their official contact.

Parcels Element

A property may be divided into parcels.  A parcel is a portion of a property that falls into a single Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) area, which is a combination of Census Subdivision and Federal Electoral District.   If the land area of a property crosses either of these boundaries, it becomes parcelled.  
Every property contains a parcel number “00”, which represents the property as a whole.  Parcels “01”, “02”, etc.  only exist if the property is parcelled.  A property that falls within a single SGC will only contain the “00” parcel.
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
Parcel | Element | No | A single parcel of land or the parcel that represents the entire land area.  Refer to the “Parcel Element” section for further details.

Parcel Element

Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
number | Attribute | No | This attribute is a 2-digit string containing the number of the parcel.  Parcel 00 represents the entire property and is always present. Parcels 01, 02, etc. represent the individual parcels, if present.

Land_Area

Element

No

This element indicates the size of the land area occupied by the parcel.  

The unitOfMeasure attribute indicates the unit of measure used to calculate the land area (“ha” for hectares or “ac” for acres).

Building_Count | Element | No | This element indicates the number of structures located on a parcel of land.

Floor_Area

Element

No

This element indicates the total floor area of buildings located on a parcel of land.

The unitOfMeasure attribute indicates the unit of measure used to calculate the floor area (“sqm” for square meters or “sqft” for square feet).

ParkingSpaces

Element

Yes

This element identifies how many parking spaces are included on a parcel of land, both on surface parking lots and inside buildings. 
Refer to the “Parking Spaces Element” section for further details.

Location | Element | No | This element defines the location of a parcel of land.  Refer to the “Location Element” section for further details.
Structures | Element | Yes | This element defines the structures that are located on a parcel of land.  Refer to the “Structures Element” section for further details.

ParkingSpaces Element

This element identifies the number of parking spaces included on a parcel of land, both on surface parking lots and inside buildings.   
This element is only populated by some custodians.  
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
Exterior | Element | Yes | This element contains the number of parking spaces on a parcel of land located outside a building (surface parking lots).

Interior

Element

Yes

This element contains the number of parking spaces on a parcel of land located inside buildings (parking garages).  

The includedInFloorArea attribute (values “true” or “’false”) indicates whether or not the space taken up by these parking spaces is included in the total Floor Area of the parcel as shown in the FloorArea element.

Location Element

The Location element defines the geographic location of a parcel or of a structure.   
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description

type

Attribute

No

This attribute indicates whether the location of a parcel or structure is in Canada or in a foreign country.

Valid values are “canadian" and “foreign”.

sgc

Attribute

Yes

The Standard Geographic Classification (SGC) code is a code from the Canadian Census that identifies the Census Subdivision in which the parcel is located. This code only exists for parcels located in Canada.  

More information about the Standard Geographic (SGC) Classification Code can be obtained from Statistics Canada.

fed

Attribute

Yes

This attribute identifies the Federal Electoral District in which this parcel is located.  This is also commonly known as the Federal Riding.  
This code only exists for parcels located in Canada.  

More information about the Federal Electoral District (FED)  code can be obtained from Statistic Canada.

inUrbanArea

Attribute

Yes

This attribute indicates that the parcel is located in an Urban area (now called a Population Centre by Statistics Canada).  This attribute only applies to parcels located in Canada.

An Urban area is defined as an “area with a population of at least 1,000 and no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre.”

inRuralArea

Attribute

Yes

This attribute indicates that the parcel is located in a Rural area.  This attribute only applies to parcels located in Canada.

A Rural area is defined as “Census subdivisions that are not Urban and have a populated density greater or equal to 1 person per square kilometre.”

inIsolatedArea

Attribute

Yes

This attribute indicates that the parcel is located in an Isolated area.  This attribute only applies to properties located in Canada.

An Isolated area is defined as “All Census subdivisions that are not consider as Urban or Rural. These are census subdivisions with a populated density less than 1 person per square kilometre.”

Province

Element

Yes

This element contains the name of the Province or Territory in which a parcel is located. This element only applies to parcels located in Canada. 

There may be multiple instances of this element if the name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Metro_Area_Name

Element

Yes

This element contains the name of the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in which a parcel exists.  

A Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) is defined by Statistics Canada as an “Area consisting of one or more neighbouring municipalities situated around a core. A census metropolitan area must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more live in the core.” 

This element only applies to some parcels located in Canada.  It does not apply to foreign parcels.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Municipality

Element

Yes

This element contains the name of the Census Subdivision in which the parcel is located.  

A Census Subdivision is defined by Statistics Canada as:  “the general term for municipalities (as determined by provincial/territorial legislation) or areas treated as municipal equivalents for statistical purposes (e.g., Indian reserves, Indian settlements and unorganized territories).”

This element only applies to parcels located in Canada.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Place_Name

Element

Yes

This element contains a name by which the location is commonly known, other than the Municipality name.  This element is often used for neighbourhoods. It only applies to parcels in Canada.

This element is only available in a single language, as provided by the data submitter.

Federal_Electoral_District

Element

Yes

This element contains the name of the Federal Electoral District (FED) in which this parcel is located.  

A Federal Electoral District (FED) is defined by Statistics Canada as an “Area represented by a Member of the House of Commons.” 

This element only applies to parcels located in Canada.

Latitude

Element

Yes

This element contains the latitude of the centroid of the parcel, in decimal degrees.
 
This element only applies to parcels in Canada.

Longitude

Element

Yes

This element contains the longitude of the centroid of the parcel, in decimal degrees.  

This element only applies to parcels in Canada.

Positional_Accuracy

Element

Yes

This element contains an estimate of the accuracy of the coordinates of the parcel, as reported by the custodian organization.

The unitOfMeasure attribute specifies the unit of measure used to report the positional accuracy (“m” for metres or “ft” for feet).

This element only applies to parcels in Canada.

Country_Name

Element

No

This element contains the name of the country in which the parcel is located.

The code attribute specifies the two-digit ISO code for this country as defined in the ISO 3166 standard.  

There may be multiple instances of this element if the name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

City_Name

Element

Yes

This element contains the name of the city or region in which a parcel is located, if located outside of Canada.  In the United States, this is often reported as the City and State name.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

This element only applies to parcels in foreign countries.

Structures Element

This element contains information regarding structures located on a parcel of land. A structure can be a building or another type of asset such as bridges, tunnels, dams, canals, piers and wharves.
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
Structure | Element | No | A single structure located on a parcel of land.  Refer to the “Structure Element” section for further details.

Structure Element

This element contains information about a single structure.
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description

occupancy

Attribute

No

This attribute defines whether the Government of Canada occupies the entire structure or only a portion of the structure.

Values for this attribute are “complete” or “partial”.  

Examples of partial occupancy are when the Government leases a floor of a building or a unit in an apartment complex.

createdDate | Attribute | No | This attribute contains the date and time when the structure was first added to the DFRP.  Note that this does not represent the date that the property first entered the federal inventory; this value is not tracked in the DFRP.
lastModifiedDate | Attribute | No | This attribute contains the date and time that the structure record was last modified in the database.
Structure_Number | Element | No | This element is a 6-digit string that uniquely identifies a DFRP federal real structure record.  This is the primary key to a structure.
Custodian | Element | No | This element defines the federal government organization responsible for the structure.  Refer to the “Custodian Element” section for further details.

Structure_Name

Element

No

This element contains a name describing the structure.  

There may be multiple instances of this element if the name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Address

Element

Yes

This element is a string that describes the address of the structure.  This may be a street address or a description (lot and concession) of the structure location.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the address is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Latitude

Element

Yes

This element contains the latitude of the centroid of the structure, in decimal degrees. 
 
This element only applies to parcels in Canada.

Longitude

Element

Yes

This element contains the longitude of the centroid of the structure, in decimal degrees.
  
This element only applies to parcels in Canada.

Interest_Type

Element

No

This element identifies the type of interest that the Government of Canada has in this structure. Examples of interest types are Crown-Owned or Lease/License.

This element’s code attribute contains the 2-digit code associated with the interest type.  This code is unique to the DFRP.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the interest type is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Condition

Element

Yes

This element identifies the condition of the structure, classified as Unknown, Good, Fair, Poor, Critical.

The code attribute contains the 1-digit code that represents the condition classification.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the address is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Floor_Area

Element

No

This element contains the floor area of the structure (complete occupancy), or the portion of the floor area occupied in the structure (partial occupancy).

The unitOfMeasure attribute indicates the unit of measure used to calculate the floor area (“sqm” for square meters or “sqft” for square feet).

MiniMap

Element

Yes

This element is a URL to a static thumbnail map of the location of the structure.
This element only applies to structures located in Canada.

UseTypes | Element | No | This element defines the use types of a structure. Examples of use types include: “Office” or “Warehouse”. Refer to the “UseTypes Element” section for further details.
Tenants | Element | Yes | This element identifies the tenants, other than the custodian organization, who occupy space in a structure. Refer to the “Tenants Element” section for further details.
Photos | Element | Yes | This element contains the URLs to the available photos of a structure.  Refer to the “Photos Element” section for further details.

UseTypes Element

This element contains information on the types of use for a structure.  A structure must contain at least one use type, but may contain multiple use types.
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
UseType | Element | No | This element represents a single use type for a structure.  Refer to the “UseType Element” section for further details.

UseType Element

This element contains a use type record for a structure.  Examples of use types include “Office” or “Warehouse”.
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
code | Attribute | No | This attribute is a 2-digit alphanumeric code that represents a use type.

Use_Name

Element

No

This element is the name of the use type.

There may be multiple instances of this element if the custodian name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Tenants Element

This element contains information regarding tenants, other than the custodian organization, who occupy space in a structure.
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
Tenant | Element | No | This element identifies a single tenant located in a structure.  Refer to the “Tenant Element” section for further details.

Tenant Element

This element contains a single tenant record for a structure.
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description

code

Attribute

No

This attribute is a 3-digit alphanumeric code for the tenant organization of a property or structure.

This code comes from the Population Affiliation System at the Treasury Board Secretariat, with the exception of the following special codes: 
990 = Third Party
995 = Vacant

Name

Element

No

This element contains the name of the tenant organization. 

There may be multiple instances of this element if the custodian name is available in more than one language.  Each element will have the language identified with an xml:lang attribute.

Floor_Area

Element

No

This element identifies the total floor area in a structure that is occupied by this tenant.

The unitOfMeasure attribute indicates the unit of measure used to calculate the floor area (“sqm” for square meters or “sqft” for square feet).

Photos Element

This element contains the URLs to all photos available for a Property or Structure record. 
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description

Photo

Element

No

This element is the URL to the photo image.

The “primary” attribute indicates if this photo is the photo used in the property or structure summary pages in the DFRP.  Valid values are “true” and “false”.  Only one photo per property or structure can be the primary photo.

FederalContaminatedSites Element

This element contains a list of federal contaminated sites located on a property as reported in the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory. 
Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
Site | Element | No | This element represents a single federal contaminated site. Refer to the “Site Element” section for further details.

Site Element

This element represents a single federal contaminated site from the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory.

Data Element Name | XML Element or Attribute | Optional Field | Description
FederalSiteIdentifier | Attribute | No | This attribute is an 8-digit alpha numeric identifier that represents a federal contaminated site from the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory.