Reliefmap

Access to creating own relief site
Landing page
Interative Map

About ReliefMap.ca

Inspiration The inspiration for ReliefMap.ca came from the need to provide a centralized platform for accessing critical resources during times of emergency. Natural disasters, pandemics, and unexpected crises often leave people scrambling to find essential services like food, shelter, and medical aid. We wanted to create a tool that not only helps individuals locate these services quickly but also enables communities to contribute to resource mapping by adding new relief sites.

What We Learned Throughout this project, we learned the importance of real-time data integration and the challenges of working with geospatial data in an efficient manner. We also gained hands-on experience with front-end and back-end development, working with tools like React, Leaflet.js, and Firebase for database management.

How We Built It We built the platform using Next.js for the front end, leveraging React Leaflet for dynamic map rendering. We utilized Overpass API to fetch real-time data on nearby shelters and food banks, while also integrating CSV files for static datasets of hospitals across Canada. The back-end utilizes Firebase to handle user-submitted relief sites, ensuring scalability and data persistence.

Challenges Faced One of the biggest challenges was integrating different data sources while maintaining speed and accuracy. Handling geolocation permissions and ensuring data security were additional hurdles. We also faced issues with UI responsiveness and error handling, especially when dealing with missing or duplicate data entries. Despite these challenges, we successfully developed a robust platform to support Canadians during crises.