Post on 18-Jun-2018
Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors
REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
March 7th and 8th, 2013 – Whistler Whistler Conference Centre
2
Table of Contents
2013 BOARD OF MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................3 PRESIDENTS SINCE INCORPORATION .....................................................................................................................4 SECRETARIES SINCE INCORPORATION ....................................................................................................................4 SURVEYORS GENERAL ...........................................................................................................................................5 LIFE MEMBERS ......................................................................................................................................................5 LIFEETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.........................................................................................................................6 G.M. THOMSON AWARD .......................................................................................................................................6 G.S. ANDREWS AWARD .........................................................................................................................................6 G.K. BURNETT AWARD ..........................................................................................................................................7 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION ..............................................................................................................................8 CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION .............................................................................................................................8 MEMBERS PRESENT AT ONE OR MORE SESSIONS ..................................................................................................8 LAND SURVEYORS IN TRAINING ............................................................................................................................10 SURVEY STUDENTS ................................................................................................................................................10 ASSOCIATION GUESTS ...........................................................................................................................................10 SECRETARY'S REPORT ............................................................................................................................................15 OBITUARIES ..........................................................................................................................................................15 CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER'S REPORT ...........................................................................................................19 LAND TITLE AND SURVEY AUTHORITY REPORT ......................................................................................................22 AWARDS LUNCHEON .............................................................................................................................................28 NOTICE OF MOTION #1 .........................................................................................................................................49 NOTICE OF MOTION #2 .........................................................................................................................................51 NOTICE OF MOTION #3 .........................................................................................................................................51 NOTICE OF MOTION #4 .........................................................................................................................................51 NOTICE OF MOTION #5 .........................................................................................................................................52 NOTICE OF MOTION #6 .........................................................................................................................................54 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS .......................................................................................................................................65
3
2013 BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
Mike Thomson (Surveyor General), Ron Johns (Member), David Harris (Member), Nigel Hemingway (Past President), Brian
Brown (Member), Chuck Salmon (Secretary/Registrar), Chad Rintoul (Chief Administrative Officer), Bronwyn Denton (Member)
Steve Buzikievich (Vice President), Ian Lloyd (President), Michael Burian (Government Appointee)
4
PRESIDENTS SINCE INCORPORATION
1906 E.B. Hermon 1907 E.B. Hermon 1908 J.H. McGregor 1909 W.S. Drewry 1910 W.S. Drewry 1911 E.A. Cleveland 1912 E.A. Cleveland 1913 F.C. Green 1914 F.C. Green 1915 W.S. Drewry 1916 W.S. Drewry 1917 N.F. Townsend 1918 N.F. Townsend 1919 O.B.N. Wilkie 1920 O.B.N. Wilkie 1921 J. Elliott 1922 J. Elliott 1923 S.S. McDiarmid 1924 W. G. McElhanney 1925 W.H. Powell 1926 P.W. Gregory 1927 T.S. Gore 1928 D.B. Morkill 1929 D.J. McGugan 1930 J. Davidson 1931 J.T. Underhill 1932 F.C. Swannell 1933 G.S. Boulton 1934 R.D. McCaw 1935 G.F. Fountain 1936 O.B.N. Wilkie 1937 H.McL. Elliott 1938 A.S.G. Musgrave 1939 G.K. Burnett 1940 F.C. Underhill 1941 W.G. McElhanney 1942 A.J. Campbell
1943 J. Davidson 1944 G.F. Fountain 1945 R.W. Haggen 1946 D.J. McGugan 1947 P.W. Gregory 1948 F. Butterfield B.C. Affleck 1949 J.W. Hermon 1950 C. Jones 1951 G.K. Burnett 1952 F.C. Underhill 1953 W.R. Young 1954 A.J. Butterfield 1955 H. Roberts 1956 A. Hunter 1957 C.D. Underhill 1958 A.H. Ralfs 1959 G. McRae 1960 W.N. Papove 1961 J.R. Hughes 1962 D.H. Burnett 1963 R.E. Chapman 1966 A.T. Holmes 1964 W A. Taylor 1965 D.J. Roy 1967 A.W. Wolfe‐Milner 1968 D.G. Whyte G.S. Andrews (Honourary Past President) 1969 A.A.W. Burhoe 1970 E R. McMinn 1971 W.G. Robinson 1972 B. White 1973 M.D. Browne 1974 D.A. Duffy 1975 J.E. Anderson 1976 V.C. Goudal
1977 J.W.P. Matthews 1978 E.E. Little 1979 G.M. Thomson 1980 K.M. Bridge 1981 R.J. Peck 1982 J.M. Parnell 1983 A.W. McWilliam 1984 W.E. Frith 1985 P.J. Brennan 1986 R.C. Power 1987 C. Wagenaar 1988 W.R. Chapman 1989 R.W. Allen 1990 P. Ringwood 1991 R.N. Shortt 1992 J.W. Sharpe 1993 G.F. Kilbride 1994 N.E. Peters 1995 R.D. Wright 1996 R.T. Hargraves 1997 J.M. Magwood 1998 G.S. Browne 1999 R.O. Blackall 2000 B.A. Taylor 2001 G.A. Hol 2002 D.L. Dodge 2003 H.J. Troelsen 2004 D.C. Bazett 2005 J.R. Beddoes 2006 R.T. Redfern 2007 J.C. Johnson 2008 J.N. Bennett 2009 J.F. Armstrong 2010 R.J. Wey 2011 P.M. Mueller 2012 N.J. Hemingway 2013 I.M. Lloyd
SECRETARIES SINCE INCORPORATION 1905 ‐ 1912 S.A. Roberts 1947 ‐ 1963 H.S. Beckton 1913 ‐ 1919 W.S. Gore 1964 ‐ 1968 J.R. Hughes 1920 ‐ 1926 T.S. Gore 1969 E.R. McMinn 1927 ‐ 1937 A.S.G. Musgrave 1970 W.G. Robinson 1938 ‐ 1939 J.R. C. Hewett 1971 ‐ 1984 A.A.W. Burhoe 1940 ‐ 1941 A.S.G. Musgrave 1984 ‐ 2002 G.M. Thomson 1942 ‐ 1946 F. Butterfield 2002 ‐ C.H.N. Salmon
5
SURVEYORS GENERAL (EX‐OFFICIO TO THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT)
1898 ‐ 1905 W.S. Gore 1976 ‐ 1978 W.A. Taylor 1905 ‐ 1912 E.B. McKay 1978 ‐ 1981 R.W. Thorpe 1912 ‐ 1917 G.H. Dawson 1981 ‐ 1985 G.T. Mullin 1917 ‐ 1930 J.E. Umbach 1985 ‐ 1995 D.A. Duffy 1930 ‐ 1946 F.C. Green 1995 ‐ 1996 P. Ringwood 1946 ‐ 1950 N.C. Stewart 1996 ‐ 2002 C.H.N. Salmon 1950 ‐ 1951 F.O. Morris 2002 ‐ 2007 R.T. Hargraves 1951 ‐ 1968 G.S. Andrews 2007 ‐ M.G. Thomson 1968 ‐ 1975 A.H. Ralfs
LIFE MEMBERS
Period (Inclusive) 1955 ‐ 1960 F.A. Devereux (L.S.) 1955 ‐ 1963 F.C. Green (PLS 45) 1955 ‐ 1969 F.C. Swannell (PLS 75) 1955 ‐ 1966 J. Elliott. (BCLS 7) 1956 ‐ 1967 F. Nash (BCLS 22) 1956 ‐ 1967 A.J. Campbell (101) 1957 ‐ 1965 C. Moore (PLS 33) 1957 ‐ 1965 W.G. McElhanney (38) 1959 ‐ 1965 H.H. Roberts (32) 1960 ‐ 1964 D.J. McGugan (136) 1961 ‐ 1987 G.K. Burnett (79) 1962 ‐ 1968 V. Schjelderup (82) 1962 ‐ 1965 N.C. Stewart (120) 1964 ‐ 1982 F.C. Underhill (143) 1964 ‐ 1976 J.T. Underhill (146) 1964 ‐ 1978 D. Cran (193) 1966 ‐ 1977 G.M. Christie (175) 1966 ‐ 1967 A.S. Musgrave (212) 1967 ‐ 1969 B.C. Affleck (77) 1967 ‐ 1970 H.M. Elliott (176) 1967 ‐ 1970 E.C.W. Lamarque (185) 1967 ‐ 1970 J.W. Hermon (213) 1968 ‐ 1972 A.O. Noakes (39) 1968 ‐ 1973 G.C. Tassie (154) 1968 ‐ 1978 G.F. Fountain (245) 1969 ‐ 1974 A. Hunter (244) 1975 ‐ 1976 H.S. Beckton (223) 1975 ‐ 1975 A.J. Butterfield (243) 1977 ‐ 1983 W.R. Young (262) 1978 ‐ 1996 J.R.C. Hewett (253) 1978 ‐ 1996 A.T. Holmes (256) 1978 ‐ 2000 W.N. Papove (266) 1981 ‐ 2007 R.E. Chapman (270) 1984 ‐ 2013 A.A.W. Burhoe (279) 1984 ‐ 2004 G. McRae (271)
1985 H.B. Cotton (290) 1985 ‐ 1987 F.H. Nash (281) 1988 C.D. Underhill (293) 1989 ‐ 1994 G.G.H. Wagner (314) 1989 ‐ 1994 G.J. Smith (311) 1990 ‐ 2001 E.E. Little (320) 1992 A.W. McWilliam (302) 1992 ‐ 2005 D.G. Whyte (318) 1993 ‐ 2005 J.W.P. Matthews (356) 1994 W.G. Robinson (328) 1994 ‐ 2005 R.J. Peck (379) 1996 V.C. Goudal (382) 1996 K.K. Wong (334) 1997 M.D. Browne (405) 1998 J.E. Hermon (332) 1998 ‐ 2006 J.M. Parnell (394) 1998 ‐ 2012 C. Wagenaar (416) 2000 D.A. Duffy (385) 2000 D.E. Watson (364) 2001 J.W. Sharpe (395) 2001 D. Meredith (368) 2002 ‐ 2012 G.M. Thomson (425) 2004 G.B. Miller (383) 2005 J.L. Motherwell (315) 2006 R.N. Shortt (454) 2007 R.C.J. Power (478) 2008 R.D. Wright (467) 2009 G.F. Kilbride (490) 2010 T.E. Koepke (456) 2012 R.W. Allen (487) 2012 W.R. Chapman (270) 2012 C.H.N. Salmon (535) 2013 ‐ 2013 D.J. Roy (295) 2013 H.J. Troelsen (551)
6
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD This award is presented to a member who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment in providing valuable service to the public and the profession.
2005 Alex Cheveldave 2005 Patrick Brennan 2005 Arthur Bridge 2005 Ronald Thorpe 2005 Arthur Ralfs 2005 William Tunbridge 2005 David Burnett 2006 Desmond (Dem) Carrier 2005 Douglas Roy 2011 Noel Peters 2005 Frederick Tunbridge 2012 Alex Bunbury 2005 Gerald Andrews 2013 Dave Morton 2005 Gerald Mullin 2013 Ralph Turner 2005 Kenneth Bridge
G.M. THOMSON AWARD (formerly the Meritorious Service Award and the Distinguished Service Award)
This award is presented to a member who has provided especially outstanding service through a very long time commitment of valuable volunteer service to the Association, or a significant contribution to the field of land surveying or Geomatics.
1982 Ernest McMinn 2004 Bill Chapman 1983 William Robinson 2005 Chuck Salmon 1985 Adam Burhoe 2009 Richard Hargraves 1986 Gerald Andrews 2011 Bert Hol 1990 Kenneth Mawle 2011 Brent Taylor 1995 Donald Duffy 2013 O’Brian Blackall 1999 Richard Wright 2002 Gordon Thomson 2003 Robert Allen
G.S. ANDREWS AWARD This award is presented to a member who has provided outstanding service to the Association over a significant period of time.
2004 Greg Browne 2011 Dave Bazett 2004 O’Brian Blackall 2011 Joe Johnson 2005 Bert Hol 2011 Hans Troelsen 2005 Brent Taylor 2012 John Armstrong 2006 Patrick Ringwood 2012 Richard Redfern 2008 Doug Dodge 2012 Mike Taylor 2009 Stan Nickel
7
G.K. BURNETT AWARD This award is presented to a member who has provided distinguished service to the profession or the survey community in a previous or recent year. 1990 Noel Peters 2006 Harry Hickman 1991 John Whittaker 2007 Peter Mueller 1992 Jon Magwood 2008 Linden Fritsch 1993 Dick Mak 2008 Mark McGladrey 1994 James Sutherland 2010 Minda Riley 1995 Alessandro Di Nozzi 2011 Bryan Bates 1997 Barry Cotton 2011 Dave Hardwicke 1998 Michael Taylor 2012 Nigel Hemingway 1999 John Armstrong 2013 Brian Brown 2001 John Theed 2013 Don Watson 2003 Brent Taylor 2004 Jack Larson 2005 Richard Wey 2005 David Morton
8
CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION 1999 William Chapman 2006 Bryan Bates 1999 Keith Errington 2006 O’Brian Blackall 2000 Robert Allen 2006 Gord Cameron 2000 James Sharpe 2006 Richard Wright 2000 Patrick Ringwood 2006 Bert Hol 2001 Paddy Brennan 2006 Michael McIlvaney 2001 Gordon Kilbride 2009 Bob Griffith 2001 Michael Thomson 2010 Steve Howard 2002 Richard Wright 2010 Akbar Karsan 2002 Rick Hargraves 2010 Ken Kyler 2002 Roger Galibois 2010 Kelly Stofer 2002 Jamie Enders 2011 Robert Allen 2002 Gord Cameron 2011 Mark Cahill 2003 David Liddle 2011 Bronwyn Denton 2003 Bryan Bates 2011 Harald Riessner 2003 O’Brian Blackall 2012 Monty Brisson 2003 Linden Fritsch 2012 Doug Holme 2003 Chuck Salmon 2012 Patrick Korabek 2004 Bill Papove 2012 Dave Liddle 2004 Ralph Turner 2012 Sandy Ross 2004 Don Watson 2012 Jim Sutherland 2004 Ken Kyler 2013 Ian Lloyd 2005 John Theed 2005 Patrick Ringwood
CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION
1985 Wayne Grant 2004 Edith Turner 1987 Frank Clapp 2005 Godfrey Archbold 1997 Frank Edgell 2005 Ken Jacques 2002 David Morton 2005 Michelle Bazett 2003 Floss Thomson 2008 Sandy King 2003 Shirley Fritsch 2013 Wayne Fromm 2003 Sharron Dodge 2013 Maureen Johnston 2004 Anne Troelsen 2013 Jay Sherwood
MEMBERS PRESENT AT ONE OR MORE SESSIONS 108th General Meeting
March 2013
Adair, Jeff ............................................................ Calgary, AB Allen, Robert ........................................................ Sechelt, BC Arduini, Adam ...................................... North Vancouver, BC Baerg, George ................................................. Chilliwack, BC Bartlett, Paul ......................................................... Surrey, BC Basky, Todd ......................................................... Terrace, BC Bates, Bryan ................................................ Fort St. John, BC Beddoes, Jeff ....................................................... Victoria, BC
Bennett, Neil ........................................ North Vancouver, BC Bircher, Roland ....................................................... Delta, BC Blackall, O’Brian ........................................... Charlie Lake, BC Brash, Adam ........................................................ Calgary, BC Brisson, Monty ................................................... Mission, BC Broten, Rebecca ................................................Smithers, BC Browne, Greg ............................................... Salmon Arm, BC Bunbury, Paul .................................................... Whistler, BC
9
Burnham, Pat ..................................................... Burnaby, BC Burton, Trevor ................................................... Whistler, BC Buzikievich, Steve ............................................ Penticton, BC Cahill, Mark .............................................. West Kelowna, BC Cairns, Lucas ............................................... Fort St. John, BC Chapman, Bill. ....................................... West Vancouver, BC Cindric, Richard .................................................. Quesnel, BC Connatty, Darrin .............................................Cranbrook, BC Cotnam, Tyson ................................................. Squamish, BC Denton, Bronwyn ............................................... Kelowna, BC Dion, François ...................................................... Calgary, BC Farquharson, Bruce........................................ Edmonton, AB Ferguson, Colin .................................................. Kelowna, BC Ferguson, Tom ................................................... Kelowna, BC Flinta, Mark ...................................................... Parksville, BC Fox, Tyler ............................................................ Kelowna, BC Franko, John ..................................... Garibaldi Highlands. BC Gamble, Gord .................................................... Nanaimo, BC Goodier, Peter ..................................................... Nelson, BC Grover, Colin ....................................................... Victoria, BC Hagen, Spencer ............................................. Abbotsford, BC Hango, Jerome ..................................................Castlegar, BC Hardwicke, David ................................................ Terrace, BC Heath, Alex........................................... North Vancouver, BC Hemingway, Nigel .................................. 100 Mile House, BC Henry, Cameron ................................................. Kelowna, BC Hoefsloot, Art .............................................. Grand Forks, BC Holme, Gary .................................................... Coquitlam, BC Houghton, BJ ........................................................ Kitimat, BC Hourston, Ryan ................................................... Victoria, BC Johns, Ron ........................................................... Victoria, BC Johnson, Joe ................................................. Salmon Arm, BC Jones, Bruce ........................................................ Calgary, AB Jones, Martin ................................................... Squamish, BC Karsan, Akbar ........................................................ Regina, SK Kidson, Michael ...................................... 100 Mile House, BC Korabek, Pat ......................................... North Vancouver, BC Krakora, Jiri .................................................... Vancouver, BC Lea, Robert ..................................................... Vancouver, BC Liddle, David ................................................. Abbotsford, BC Litke, Jordan ........................................................ Victoria, BC Lloyd, Ian ......................................................... Richmond, BC Luo, Michael ................................................... Richmond, BC Machon, Dan........................................ North Vancouver, BC Mandeville, Ross .............................................. Penticton, BC Mayenburg, Brent ............................................... Victoria, BC McGladrey, Mark ........................................ Yellow Point, BC McIntosh, Bill ............................................... Vanderhoof, BC
Mikkelson, Tyler ....................................... Prince George, BC Minard, Parker ............................................. Fort St. John, BC Moore, Marissa ............................................... Kamloops, BC Motherwell, John ............................................... Victoria, BC Mullin, Jerry ................................................. Fort St. John, BC Nixon, Rich ................................................... Fort St. John, BC Onderwater, John ................................................. Surrey, BC Pallmann, Devon ................................................ Mission, BC Parkin, Dave ......................................... North Vancouver, BC Parry, Roger ........................................................ Victoria, BC Penonzek, Larry .................................................. Gibsons, BC Peterson, Tim ................................................Abbotsford, BC Rankine, Graham ................................. North Vancouver, BC Redfern, Richard ..................................................... Delta, BC Rhodes, Scott ................................................... Kamloops, BC Riecken, Rob ....................................................... Victoria, BC Riessner, Harald ........................................... Fort St. John, BC Riley, Minda C. .................................................... Victoria, BC Ringwood, Patrick ............................................... Victoria, BC Robertson, Ian ............................................... Vancouver, BC Robertson, Jeff ............................................ Fort St. John, BC Ross, Sandy .................................................. Fort St. John, BC Rutherford, Dave ............................................ Coquitlam, BC Salmon, Chuck .................................................... Victoria, BC Schlossberger, Cristin ......................................... Victoria, BC Singer, Walter .................................................. Kamloops, BC Squires, John ........................................................ Langley, BC Swaile, Dave ....................................................... Victoria, BC Symonds, Dave ................................................... Duncan, BC Taylor, Brent ....................................................... Duncan, BC Taylor, Mike ........................................................ Duncan, BC Thompson, Jeff ............................................ Fort St. John, BC Thomson, Mike ................................... New Westminster, BC Thomson, Peter ........................................ Galiano Island, BC Todd, Scott .......................................................... Langley, BC Troelsen, Hans ................................................ Richmond, BC Tryon, Tom .......................................................... Bowser, BC Walker, Jason ................................................ Vancouver, BC Wang, Albert ...................................................... Burnaby, BC Ward, Peter .......................................................... Nelson, BC Wards, Sandy ................................................. Vancouver, BC Whale, Jason ................................................ Fort St. John, BC Williams, George .......................................... Fredericton, NB Winkel, Garrett ............................................... Cranbrook, BC Wittstock, Peter .................................................. Victoria, BC Yastremski, Mike ......................................... Fort St. John, BC
10
LAND SURVEYORS IN TRAINING
Bird, Nicole................................................... Salmon Arm, BC Bryenton, Chris .............................................. Vancouver, BC Cavers, Brad ................................................ Fort St. John, BC Laseur, Mitch ..................................................... Kelowna, BC Lys, Emanuel ............................................... Fort St. John, BC
Moody, Andrew ........................................... Fort St. John, BC Pearse, Scott ....................................................... Victoria, BC Peet, Tracey .............................................. Prince George, BC
SURVEY STUDENTS
Dumitru, Florin ................................................ Chilliwack, BC
ASSOCIATION GUESTS
Ivan & Val Royan ........................................................................................... Association of Canada Lands Surveyors Dave & Fay Harris .......................................................................................... Professional Surveyors Canada Connie Petersen ............................................................................................ Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association Bill & Joanne Soroski .................................................................................... Saskatchewan Land Surveyors’ Association André & Linda Van De Walle ......................................................................... Association of Manitoba Land Surveyors David & LeeAnne Brubacher ......................................................................... Association of Ontario Land Surveyors Howard McLaren & Bernice Ryan ................................................................. Association of New Brunswick Land Surveyors Becky Ritchie & Arthur Backman................................................................... Association of Nova Scotia Land Surveyors
11
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA LAND SURVEYORS 108th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
~ DAY 1 THURSDAY ‐ MARCH 7, 2013 ~ WHISTLER, B.C. N.J. HEMINGWAY, BCLS (President) NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It's my honour to call to order the 108th Annual General Meeting of the Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors and to welcome all of you members and guests to this meeting. Chuck, do we have a quorum? CHUCK SALMON: We do. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: We have a quorum. This meeting will be conducted under Robert's Rules of Order as interpreted by the Chair where there is no conflict with our act or bylaws. The bylaws presently provide for Robert's Rules of Order, newly revised, 10th addition, and my parliamentarian will be Patrick Ringwood who happened to swear me in many years ago. Any members may call for a point of order during the proceedings and the Chair and/or parliamentarian will respond in due course. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Please remember at all times the three principals of conduct for the meeting. One, decorum. We can debate the issues passionately, focussing on the issues and not the personalities. You can be tough on the issues but respect the other people in the room. Collaboration, we must work together and stay away from the adversarial mindsets where it's you against me. Concentrating on you and me against the problem. Three, listen and maintain an open mind. We all have strongly held beliefs and opinions to share. Part of the building of consensus and finding the best solution is to really listen to the other person's point of view and discuss it. The registration package for practising land surveyors includes a blue voting card. During any vote on any particular item, voting cards must be shown and only voting cards will be counted. Where there is a need to count the ballots, our two Board members, Brian Brown and Bronwyn Denton, will be responsible for doing the count. The bell will be rung by a member of the Board as a signal that the meeting has been called to order. Please return to the meeting room as the doors to the meetings will be closed at the start. If the doors are closed, we are back in session. Rich Redfern will serve as our Sergeant‐of‐Legs this year. Rich will conduct himself with decorum throughout these proceedings. I'm not sure where he is. Rich, could you stand up and identify yourself? There he is. So you've probably heard this before but here are the rules. The ringing of a cell phone is an interruption of the proceedings, and for the duration of this Annual General Meeting members will be fined $50 if their cellular telephone rings, $100 if they answer it and $50 if they make a phone call while we are in session. So if you need to have your cellular telephone on, please ensure it's on the silent mode and kindly leave the room before you answer it. A joke will cost you a minimum of five dollars unless it's a really good joke and then it's free. The Sergeant‐at‐Legs has the sole discretion as to what's a good joke and how much the fine will be, and his decision is irrevocable. I'm sure that Rich will find many ways to lighten your wallet. Should you wish to increase the size of your fine, please do not ask Rich to fine you more money. Simply add the additional amount when paying your fine. And remember, proceeds from any fine will go to the B.C. Land Surveyors Foundation to be used for scholarships or bursaries. At this time, I would like to remind all members to sign the register. If you have not done so already, you will find the sheets at the back of the room. Speakers who would like to address the meeting are requested to do so at the microphone, and before you begin speaking, please state your name and where you are from as the meeting is being recorded verbatim. Diane Rochfort will be our recorder again this year for the 41st consecutive year. Thank you, Diane. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: As you know, we have a number of social events planned for the week. I hope that you can all attend as many as possible. But we did have a large registration and I do know that some are sold out. So if you haven't got tickets to any of the social events, see Vicki, Denise or Loraine and they do have a waiting list. With luck they'll be able to get you some tickets.
12
When you come to the functions, please bring your tickets as they will be collected. If you have any additional questions, like I said, talk to Vicki or Loraine. They will be in the registration area during all of the business sessions. There will be a sign‐up sheet posted for the President's Dinner at the registration desk. Please sign up, pick your tables and decide who you're going to sit with. This year we have also moved away from having a single person acting as an official photographer. So for the AGM, the official photographers will be Bill Chapman, Johnny Franko, Mark Cahill and Doerte Pavlik. So you will see all four of them moving around taking pictures at different events and then the Association office will be collecting the pictures from all of them. I would really like to thank them in advance for the voluntary service that they are providing to the Association. If there is anyone here with ballots, I ask that you bring them forward to the ballot box at this time. This will be the last call for ballots. It's getting full. Any others? I now declare the ballot box closed. I'm going to call on our scrutineers: Adam Arduini, Roland Bircher, Lucas Cairns, and Spencer Hagan to count the ballots. I also ask Robert Allen and Vicki Pettigrew to supervise these scrutineers and we would really like it if it's possible to get the results back to the secretary by 11:00 a.m. We'd appreciate it. It's now my pleasure to introduce the delegates to our annual meeting. So as I travelled across the country, we always started at the west coast, so guess what, Becky. Representing the Association of Nova Scotia Land Surveyors, President Becky Ritchie; representing the Association of New Brunswick Land Surveyors, President Howard McLaren; representing the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors, Past President David Brubacher. David, I think, got in very, very late last night, and he stepped in at the last moment to attend our meeting. The President of Ontario actually ended up in hospital about two weeks before his AGM and he's still in hospital. So David agreed to come and represent Ontario on his behalf. It was my understanding that he was getting in after midnight last night. Representing the Association of Manitoba Land Surveyors, President André Van De Walle; representing the Saskatchewan Land Surveyors Association, President Bill Soroski; representing the Association of Canada Land Surveyors, President Ivan Royan; representing Professional Surveyors Canada, our elected Board member, Dave Harris. Representing Alberta Land Surveyors Association, President Connie Peterson. Now, you may think I screwed up there by leaving Connie till the end but that was done deliberately. It would appear that Connie has some unfinished business here in B.C. On August 11th, 1980, Connie entered into articles under Han Troelsen, BCLS #551. In the tradition of the day, paid the sum of one dollar to Hans in order to seal that arrangement. Unfortunately, after about eight months of working as Hans' articled student, Connie chose to move to Alberta for personal reasons. In discharging Connie, Hans stated: She has shown excellent work habits and has displayed those characteristics necessary to attain professional capability in all facets of her work. For personal reasons she has decided to relocate and seek employment elsewhere and therefore has requested and is now honourably discharged from the aforesaid articles. It is my understanding that in discharging Connie on April 7, 1981, Hans didn't pay her back the dollar. That represents a significant problem, because that dollar would have been paper, and in today's inflation, that dollar may very well have been worth significantly more. So, as a result, and in order to clear this bad debt, Hans has agreed to make a twenty dollar donation to the BC Land Surveyors Foundation in Connie's name. Just one further point about that. It may very well be that Connie was our first female articled student in B.C. In the correspondence from the Association office, the typed reference to "Mister" was crossed out, and no Ms. or Mrs. was replacing it. It just said Connie Peterson. It had appeared that, back then, there was no practical comprehension that a woman would ever become a land surveyor. B.C.'s loss was definitely Alberta's gain. It's great to have you back in B.C. again, Connie. I'd now like to recognize the life members of the Association who are in attendance here today. Your long‐term contribution to the Association is greatly appreciated. I'll call your names one at a time to stand and be recognized. I would ask that you hold your applause until they are standing. Chuck Salmon, life member #67, Bill Chapman, life member #66, Robert Allen, life member #65, John Motherwell, life
member #59, Don Watson, life member #54 CHUCK SALMON: He's not here. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: No? That's it, thank you very much. Thank you all for attending the meeting and I hope you'll participate in the deliberations and continue to share your wisdom as life members with all of us. Another group of members that I'd like to recognize and most of whom continue to volunteer a lot of time to the profession is the Past Presidents of the Association. We appreciate you being with us today and the support and time that you have and will continue to contribute to this Association. When I call your name please stand to be recognized. And I again would ask that you hold your applause until the end.
Richard Wey, President in 2010, John Armstrong, President in 2009, Neil Bennett, President in 2008, Joe Johnson, President in 2007, Rich Redfern, President in 2006, Jeff Beddoes, President in 2005, Dave Bazett, President in 2004, Hans Troelsen, President 2003, Doug Dodge, President in 2002, Brent Taylor, President in 2000, O'Brien Blackall, President 1999, Greg
13
Browne, President in 1998, Pat Ringwood, President in 1990, Robert Allen, President in 1989, Bill Chapman, President in 1988
And our newest Past President: Peter Mueller, President in 2011 I'd like to take this opportunity to call on any land surveyors who have brought a land surveyor in training or a survey student with them and introduce them at this time. JOHN ONDERWATER: My land surveyor in training John Squires. IAN ROBERTSON: I'd like to introduce Chris Bryenton as our land surveyor in training. IVAN ROYAN: I'd like to introduce Mark Mason. He's my land surveyor in training. DARREN KENT: I'd like to introduce Tracey Peet, LST, Prince George. JOHN THEED: I'd like to introduce Seamus Pope, land surveyor in training. SANDY ROSS: On behalf of Kerry Lawson, I'd like to introduce Kate Cairns. BRIAN SANSOM: I'd like to introduce Nicole Bird, land surveyor in training from Salmon Arm as well. GEORGE BAERG: I'd like to introduce Florin Dumitru, survey student. MARTIN JONES: Jeremy Childs from Squamish. DAN MACHON: My articling student Zuzana Fulkova. RICHARD REDFERN: On behalf of Dave Gosling, I'd like to introduce Katie Hannah and Andrew Moody, articled students. And on behalf of Jim Sutherland, I'd like to introduce Brad Cavers, his article student. BRONWYN DENTON: I'd like to introduce my articled pupil, Mitch Laseur. ROB TUPPER: Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, this is Brian Ngan. His father, he's articling to his father Louis Ngan, is in China, so he asked to be introduced. I just met him this morning. Great job. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Up here at the head table, Ian would like to say a few words. IAN LLOYD: From BCIT we have four students that are guests of the CPD Committee and also representing BCIT. Perhaps you could stand up. We have Hugo Chisholm, Justin Petras, Krizia Marban, and Martin Helfer. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. I'm glad you could all come. It now gives me great pleasure to introduce a gentleman who is new to the Association, but someone we hope to get to know very well over the next couple of years. After considerable liaison with the government by Chuck Salmon and Robert Allen, the government has appointed Michael Burian to our Board of Management. Please join me in welcoming Michael Burian to our 108th Annual General Meeting. MICHEAL BURIAN: Thanks very much. It's my pleasure to be here, my name is Michael Burian. I am the new lay member of the Board and that means that I am not a land surveyor, so I have the distinction of being the least proficient person in the room today. I have been appointed ‐‐ technically I have been appointed by the government but I am not a government representative. I am really a representative from the general public. It's my role here just to add some outside perspective and assist the Board in any way that I can in their deliberations about the important public related policy issues that the Association deals with every day. You know, I'm starting pretty much from scratch with respect to knowledge of land surveying, so I would ask for your input. Not so much from the technical matters, but really your input as to the issues that you see facing the Association and its role in dealing with the public and dealing with the B.C. economy in general. So I welcome your input, your comments. Feel free to talk to me during the AGM. I will be here and I will be a part of the Board for the next couple of years and my contact information is available through the Association. I would value your input and it is my role to try to act as the outsider. So help me fill that role, please. It's really an honour to be here. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: So we're now at the point where I give my address. So once again, welcome everyone. I personally want to thank you for coming to our 108th Annual General Meeting in Whistler. We've been here before but it was 24 years ago in 1989 when our life member, Bill Chapman, was President. The convention hotel was the same building but it wasn't a Hilton back then. If I understand the stories correctly, things were trucked up from Vancouver to make the AGM work and there were also some stories about handcuffs and beds, but I didn't get all the details on those. Whistler has really changed in that time, and I sure hope that you have the time to enjoy the Village and the winter sports activities that are available. Just remember though, that today and tomorrow, you're supposed to be here, booked with us. I have taken a while to put these remarks together. Some of it was actually done last Christmas. I do want to start this year as I ended last year's AGM with both feet firmly planted in my mouth. Surely I could bring something about balls into this talk without drawing the attention from the Sergeant‐at‐Legs. His vigilance is probably not likely to change, but I thought I would give it a shot and decided to gamble with this part, even if it was going to cost me. I started preparing for this by reviewing the addresses given by previous presidents that I have worked with. There has been some disappointment when I realized that I couldn't ask any of the Past Presidents such as Peter, Joe, Neil, John or Richard to help me write this. I just didn't have the balls to ask them. They were really good Presidents and I really enjoyed working with them.
14
I am going to start with the Board that's sitting up here before you. It's been a year with several tough decisions and each one of them has been there voicing their opinions and helping us to decide on our direction unanimously. I'm really going to miss Peter. You have no idea the passion and the knowledge he brought to the table about this Association at every meeting we had. Minda and Steve have both had a very productive time on the Board and their work on several committees has been exemplary. I had some concerns with the new Board model and the way we elect our Board when it was first adopted several years ago, and I will admit that this year was the hardest ballot form I have filled out in all the time I've been doing it. Democracy is wonderful, but two of those three people will not be on our Board next year so all three should receive our thanks now. Ian, Bronwyn, and Brian have all provided great insight and I can honestly say that it has been a pleasure working with them. We have all been very fortunate to have them serve on the Board for 2012. Of course, then we have Chuck and Mike. Both of them provide stability, a grasp of the survey issues and an understanding of all matters pertaining to this Association, the survey industry, what is important, and what must be done to meet the public needs. As I've travelled across the country, I realize that many other provinces envy this luxury that we have on our Board here in B.C. After all the years we've been working on it, I never thought that I would be the President that got to introduce our first provincially appointed Board member, Mr. Michael Burian. This is a real change from our past. There is no one I have talked to who does not rave about the benefits of having a non‐member on the Board. I really do hope that you will get a chance to say hi to Michael over the next couple of days and welcome him to our Association. At the risk of scaring him off, I'm expecting great ideas and guidance from him. This is a change that we have been waiting a long time for, just so he knows. The year since the last AGM started with some significant changes in the administration end of our Association. It took several months to work through the interview process and I'm very happy to have Chad Rintoul on your team. He has exceeded what I thought was a very aggressive performance schedule established by the Board and his progressive manner of running the Association business is already showing positive results, so if you haven't met Chad yet, please introduce yourself and let him know who you are. He wants to meet you. Work has started on the Professional Competency Plan in the early summer and you will hear more about that later in the agenda. The Practice Advisory Panel, a contingent of the Board and the three managers have had several meetings, and there will be a plan that ensures our responsibility to the public is met, there is no question about that, and even in these early stages I am seeing how this will be accomplished. What I have really found beneficial is the chance to work so closely with the panel. In my term on the Board so far, there has always been a separation between the panel, the Practice Advisory Department, and us. While no one believes or will let the Professional Competency Plan remove the separation from practice and plan reviews, the chance to look at everything else together cooperatively has been a wonderful opportunity to improve what we do and implement change. In the next stages we will be asking various committee chairs to join us in discussions on the shape of your Competency Plan. We have also started on a mentoring program. A work group has been formed and the preliminary material I have seen so far is very good. Think about the mentors you had. Are you the surveyor you are today because of them? It may have been good or it could have been a bad experience but, either way, we really need them. As this program develops, think about what you may be able to provide to the people who have chosen the same career you did and how you may be able to assist in guiding them to be the quality of surveyor that you are. These are the types of programs that everyone can help with, and often there is not a lot of time commitment required by you. Isn't that nice for a change? In my first year on the Board I wrote an article for the Link, which said that prior to being on the Board, I didn't see any need for inter‐provincial consultation. After serving the last year as your President I see the need for national cooperation now more than ever. Many of the issues that we face here in B.C. are also being faced across the country. Things that are happening across Canada right now have the potential to affect every one of us and our businesses. Changes elsewhere are going to affect us. The work and dissemination of information comes, in a large part, from the President’s Forums held across the country and the meetings with all of the national executive directors. But there is an avenue that can serve you, the members, as our provincial Boards can't. Professional Surveyors Canada is a National organization that can potentially benefit you and this Association. It is made up of volunteers who have the pulse of the geomatics industry and all problems associated with it. I encourage you to renew your membership, or if you are not a member, consider joining. The work they do is good for each of us individually and for us as an Association. Often this work cannot be measured in immediate returns, but given time and support, they will succeed. For those members working in the rural areas, I hope you're happy with the changes in the Rural Development Approval Process the Association has assisted with. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, as announced in Parksville at last year's AGM, have moved forward with many changes to their subdivision approval process. There have been positive changes to the application process, the time in which they are processing applications, their work with referral agencies and their communications with us, the professionals. Even their role in the process and the economic development of our province has been assessed and amended, which allowed for an increase in acceptable road grades for new subdivisions. Further changes coming down the pipe should see an
15
appeal process for Provincial Approving Officers decisions. Right now the only appeal is through the courts, but they are looking at ways to make that change. I have been asked many times this year how my life on the Board has been and what it is like to be a sole proprietor in a very small practice on the Board. There is no question that it has been good. I have learned an incredible amount and have gotten to know some very inspiring and dedicated people. I would be remiss if I didn't thank the people who have helped me over the years, because without their support, I just couldn't have done it. So I have to start with Brent Taylor, who you all know. He's been there for me from the very beginning and in fact it was his advice that made me agree to let my name stand when Joe Johnson asked me. For that, I will always be grateful. He and his wife, Kim, have assisted me with my business when I was busy with Board duties and have stepped up, often without me even having to ask. John Theed has also been there for me continuously over the last several years offering to fill in and help in any way he could. I was so glad when John and his wife Roz, bought a resort at Loon Lake about an hour away from 100 Mile, so they were really nice and close and able to be there. Jordan Litke got his commission last year. He also came up to do some projects for me that required a B.C. land surveyor when I wasn't going to be available. I really don't want it to leave this room, but Jordan also helped me learn how to GPS and understand the technology better. I guess he has a mentor for an old fart needing to grow with the technology available today. We all know how busy Mike Thomson is, but he has always had the time to answer my questions, give advice and generally help me in any way he can. Thank you, Mike. Chuck is also a resource that I have counted on throughout my term and probably way too much, if you ask Susanne. Many of our email discussions and telephone calls were done on weekends. Chuck is a complete knowledge base who believes in what we do with all his heart. I have learned so much from this man that he also has to receive my sincere gratitude. Vicki, Denise and Loraine are incredible. Any time I've asked for information or anything, they've been right there supplying it. It comes quickly. They really do care about every one of us in this Association. But the biggest reason I was able to serve my time on the Board was the support, the loyalty and the hand‐holding that Doerte has given me. She's been there through my whole term and has put up with the highs and the lows of Board life, occasionally has put up with my stomping and ranting around the office and, more than anyone else, has my deepest thanks for allowing me this wonderful opportunity to grow in my career and in my life. So back to the balls. Without any reference to any particular individual, I think I said last year that there were a couple rolling down the field. I am standing here today to tell you that they are still rolling but are now going downhill and they are picking up speed. You will continue to see significant changes in this Association and all of them will be good. We are going to be the best self‐regulating profession we can be. Everyone will know that our responsibility to the public is met and every member will be proud to be a B.C. land surveyor. For those that have been counting, maybe like Richard, I have used the word balls four times today but I have used the word change 15 times. Change is a constant. It's going to keep happening and like every Board member in the last 108 years, I am very proud to be a part of it on your behalf. Thank you. I will now call on the secretary for the secretary's report. SECRETARY’S REPORT CHUCK SALMON: Thank you, Nigel. Ladies and Gentlemen, you can remain seated while I read out the obituaries of those members who have passed away since our last Annual General Meeting, and then we will stand for a moment of reflection in their memory. OBITUARIES Gordon McKay Thomson, BCLS #425, life member #57. Gordon McKay Thomson was born January 27, 1937 in Victoria, B.C., grew up in New Westminster and passed away peacefully with his family by his side at Langley Memorial Hospital on March 11, 2012. Gord articled to Peter Aplin, BCLS #375 in 1960 before receiving his commission in 1963. Gord worked for many years in the Lower Mainland and occasionally throughout B.C. before joining the then Corporation of Land Surveyors of the Province of B.C. as a full‐time secretary in 1984. While in private practice Gordie articled Richard Redfern, BCLS #525, President of the Association in 2006, and currently Sergeant‐at‐Legs; David Martens, BCLS #579; Victor Ryback‐Hardy, BCLS #580 and Mike Thomson, BCLS #634, and Surveyor General of B.C. Gordon served on the Board of Management from 1974 until 1980, serving as President in 1979 and hosting the 75th Annual General Meeting at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. Gordon retired from the Corporation of Land Surveyors of the Province of B.C. in 2002 and in the same year, received the Meritorious Service Award. In 2003, Gord was elected to life membership in the Association as Life Member #57. Gordon leaves behind his wife, Floss, who truly served as an ambassador for this Association, his son Mike, BCLS #634 and Surveyor General, and daughter, Barb, along with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. I know that many of you will have your own special memories of Gordon as he mentored so many of us through his career and particularly in his 18 years as secretary.
16
Montague (Monty) Edward Exton, BCLS #439. Monty was born December 20, 1939 in Victoria, and died in a plane crash on the banks of the Fraser River on June 30, 2012. Monty articled to R.B. Brown, BCLS #365, from 1959 to 1963 prior to being commissioned in 1965. Monty was in general private practice in Williams Lake until his retirement in 2002. Monty articled Patrick Ringwood, BCLS #491, President of the Association in 1980 and serving as Parliamentarian; Doug Dodge, BLCS #545, and President of the Association in 2002; Michael Kidston, BCLS #587; Harry Hickman, BCLS #624; and Rick Cindric, BCLS #625. Monty leaves behind his wife. Sherry, his daughters Trudie, Patty and Sherri and his grandchildren. Cornelius (Case) Wagenaar, BCLS #416, life member #52. Case was born September 28, 1928, in Amsterdam, Netherlands (Holland), and died in Richmond, B.C. on November 5, 2012. Case articled to D.E. (Don) Watson, BCLS #365, and life member #54, from 1958 to 1961, prior to being commissioned in Vancouver, B.C. in 1962. Case was in general private practice in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast until his retirement in 1998. Case was the inspirational leader and first editor of the Link from 1977 to 1984. Case articled Jan de Baat, BCLS #515; and Robin LeGarff, BCLS #530. Case served on the Board of Management from 1983 to 1988 serving as President in 1987 and was elected to life membership in 1998 as life member #52. Case leaves behind his wife, Margaret, son, Rob, and daughter, Margie. Adam Arnott Webster Burhoe, BCLS #279, life member #34. Adam was born July 2, 1914 in Vancouver and died in Delta, B.C. on February 9, 2013. Adam articled to G.F. Fountain, BCLS #245, and life member #25 from 1945 to 1949 prior to being commissioned in Vancouver, B.C. in 1949. Adam began work with the City of Vancouver in 1929 and retired in 1979 after 50 years of distinguished service to the city. Adam served on the Board of Management from 1965 to 1970, serving as President in 1969 and served as Association secretary from 1971 to 1984. Adam was elected to life membership in 1984 as life member #34, and he received the Distinguished Service Award in 1985 for his exceptionally outstanding service to the profession. Adam articled Noel Edward Peters, BCLS #494, President of the Association in 1994 and 2011 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Adam leaves behind his wife Marguerite, son Greg, daughter Janet and two grandchildren. I would now ask that you rise and join me for a moment of silence in reflection of the memory of those members who have passed away since our last meeting. Thank you. Please be seated. This past year has seen the passing of two former secretaries for this Association. As many of you know, the secretary is also the registrar, and as the registrar, assists future land surveyors from the time they first join as an articled student to the time that they complete their professional examinations. I know that as I look back on those early years, I recall the help and guidance provided by Adam Burhoe and I am certain that those members who wandered the paths from 1984 to 2002, recall the assistance they received from Gord Thomson. With that in mind, I did a bit of research. Adam and Gord in some ways supported those land surveyors with commission numbers from 477 to 791. That's 314 land surveyors. Twenty‐four of those went on to be Presidents of the Association, five became life members and three Surveyors General, including the current one. These two gentlemen created a modern day foundation for this Association for which we should be very grateful. I know that they both helped me in my career in leading by example. Now at the conclusion of 2012, there were 382 practising land surveyors of which 23 were life members. There were 32 non‐practising land surveyors, 93 members listed as retired, 71 land surveyors in training and 23 land surveyor associates. The latter two numbers change almost daily and it is encouraging to see the number of perspective land surveyors in the wings. We also have 81 survey students registered who are rostered and working towards entry into articles. So I'd like to share a couple of demographic charts with you because you can say those numbers and they don't really mean anything until you actually see what they do mean. So I'm not sure how well you can see those, but the top row indicates how the membership has evolved from ‐‐ I think it's 1993 on there, I can't see it from here. We generally progress downwards to 2008, sort of flat‐lined there between 2003 and 2008. The introduction of the Career Awareness Program began at that time and you can see how the numbers have increased from that period on when, at that time in the mid 2000's, we were projecting that our membership would be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 275‐285, something like that. If you look at the bottom row set of numbers, you can see that the blue line that sort of peaks and goes up the top, that's the retired number and shows how the demographics are changing, that we are getting a lot of members on the retired roster. That's the one
17
that is increasing the most and the other two are just the nonpractising and ‐‐ sorry, life members and nonpractising, the one down below there. So if you take a look at this number, this is the student numbers that we had. So the green line which is really pale ‐ sorry, I should have made it darker ‐ those are the land surveyors in training. So if you look at where we were in 2003 with an extremely low number, we were quite low, and suddenly by 2008 we had shot up to a significantly larger number. It's tapered off a little bit because a number of those have passed. But it continues ‐‐ even though a larger number have passed, we still continue to get a good number of students in there. So you can see how things have progressed, coming along here. So what does our demographics look like by age? So the blue line represents where we were in 2008 with, as you can see, a lot of members in the 55 to 60 range. The demographics were peaking out and you can see that down at the lower age levels between 25 and 35, 40, the numbers weren't very good down there. But see how things have changed in 2013 with the red line. With the increase in our new commissions, the numbers are increasing and instead of it being a peak up and down, we actually have a bit of a bulge happening in that lower demographic. And that's just the same number but those show the percentages. So here's an interesting graph. This is the number of land surveyors by years on the practising roster. So if you look at it, in 2008 we had 41 land surveyors who had been practising for 0‐5 years, and in 2013 we have 95 land surveyors that have 0‐5 years on the practising roster. That's the increase that is extremely dramatic. The number in the middle where you see the bulge in 2008, that's lessening. So the numbers with more years on the practising roster have decreased. So I just wanted to share those with you. It adds a little bit of colour to those boring numbers that I read out. So I normally make note of the number of candidates writing exams. However, that has been carefully documented in the Board of Examiners Report. However, I will state that we have an excellent student stream of candidates and the number of candidates writing in two weeks’ time is very good. We have a large number writing this year again. I'm going to ask now for the following new land surveyors to stand when I call your name and remain standing until all of you have been introduced. I will ask the members to hold your applause until I've done that.
BCLS #910, Brent William Mayenburg; BCLS #911, Timothy Abraham Peterson; BCLS #912, Roland Beat Bircher; BCLS #913, Scott Matthew Todd; BCLS #914, Mark Alexander Flinta; BCLS #915, Spencer Boyd Hagen; BCLS #916, Douglas Lucas Cairns; BCLS #917, Peter John Wittstock; BCLS #918, Ross Alexander Mandeville; BCLS #919, Evgeny Petushkov; BCLS #920, Adam Leslie Arduini; BCLS #921, Alexander Elliott Heath; BCLS #922, Jeffrey Douglas Thompson
Thank you. I am certain that all members will make these new land surveyors feel welcome. The Complaint Inquiry Committee report includes information about complaints dealt with in the 2012 calendar year. These numbers do not include the informal complaints which the secretary deals with and resolves outside the formal process, and does not include situations regarding unprofessional practice which has been on the increase in the past while. There were four minor concerns that did not proceed to the Complaint Inquiry Committee and six items requiring follow‐up for possible breach of section 59 of the Land Surveyors Act. The individuals involved addressed all of the concerns that were raised. This year I stepped in and helped the Board by taking on the role of acting Chief Administrative Officer from late March to early September. This full‐time work involved resolving a number of outstanding organizational matters, as well as moving forward with some very helpful documents such as the Master‐Student Handbook. Denise Brethour has increased her role in assisting with the secretary‐registrar's duties providing very valuable assistance, particularly with the students in exams. She really enjoys working with the students and the duties related with that part of the job. So if anyone has any questions, they can forward them to Denise. I continue to work closely with Loraine on the Electronic Checklist Registry financials and the treasurer's duties and preparing the necessary reports as needed by the Board. Vicki has provided extremely valuable assistance in handling the many Association duties and assisting with the coordination of Board activities. Vicki is very organized and a great resource. It has been a pleasure working with Chad Rintoul, our Chief Administrative Officer since early September. He has openly accepted his new role and is providing excellent leadership for the office and the Association in general. As of April 1st, I will be going back to three‐quarter time and effective July 1st, that will be further reduced to half‐time. Chad will be assuming some of the roles that I've been doing the past many years, particularly those roles involving external relations. I'm looking forward to continuing this work with Chad. This past year I've also been working closely with Gord Gamble on a number of initiatives leading into the development of professional competency plan as well as identifying future direction for the Association. This has been very beneficial and Gord continues to provide leadership in that program. I'd ask you in joining me in thanking Vicki, Loraine and Denise for their dedication to the Association for meeting the difficult challenges and extreme tight deadlines. I would also ask you to join in thanking Chad and Gord for their leadership in the Association through part of this year. The members should be very pleased with the dedicated staff that provide services throughout the office. Thank you.
18
In closing, I'd like to thank the Board for their continued support for me as the secretary, for their guidance and providing me the opportunity to serve the Association. They are great to work with as well as being good friends. I also would like to thank the membership for their dedicated support through their volunteer activities. Without your support, this organization would not accomplish the major goals that it continues to achieve. Thank you all. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks for your report, Chuck, but moving right along I'm going to get you right back up here for a motion to adopt the minutes of the 107th Annual General Meeting. CHUCK SALMON: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, a copy of the minutes of the 107th Annual General Meeting was made available to the members on the Association's website. Notification of this went out by email to those with email addresses and a hard copy went by mail to those without email access. The printed copy is the version with the green cover. I move that the 107th Annual General Meeting minutes be adopted as circulated. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Can I have a seconder for the Motion? PETER MUELLER: I'll second that motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Any discussion? All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. I'll now call Chuck back up here for the treasurer's report. CHUCK SALMON: The 2012 Financial Reports were circulated to the membership last week. I'd move that the 2012 Financial Statements of the Association of the British Columbia Land Surveyors prepared by the accounting firm of Hale Hughesman be adopted as circulated. IAN LLOYD: I'll second that. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Any discussion? I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? Again the motion is carried. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I'd like to now take a moment to recognize our sponsors. Over the past few years, sponsorship has increased to provide a significant amount of funding for the Annual General Meeting and the entertainment component. Following are the sponsors in alphabetical order based on their level of contribution. Platinum, $2000 or more: Focus Corporation, Lower Mainland Regional Group, Matson, Peck and Topliss,
McElhanney, Society of Notaries Public of BC, Underhill & Underhill
Gold, $1000 or more: Allnorth Land Surveyors, Can‐Am Geomatics BC, Cox Taylor, Barristers & Solicitors, Midwest Surveys Land Surveying Ltd., Spatial Technologies, Vector Geomatics Land Surveying Ltd.
Silver, $500 or more: Applied Science Technologist and Technicians of BC, Bennett Land Surveying Ltd., David Dediluke, Ferguson Land Surveying & Geomatics Ltd., Northern Regional Group, Okanagan‐Mainline Regional Group, Vancouver Island Regional Group, Walter Singer, BCLS
Bronze $100 or more: Kootenay Regional Group, Lea & Associates Land Surveying Ltd. Linda and Richard Wright, BCLS, Milner Land Surveying Ltd., O'Brian & Shelley Blackall, R.J. Johns Land Surveying Ltd.
Thank you very much. Denise has now brought in all of our exhibitors. They are in the room right behind us and they are doing very well. Because we've shortened our AGM, we don't have time to give all of them a chance to speak here on the floor of the meeting, so what we're going to do this year is I am going to introduce the company and name the people that are here. They'll give you a wave so that you can see who they are, and I really encourage you to go out there and talk to them at their booths, look at the stuff they have. They are a big part of our AGM. So, I will start now. I do apologize if I say any of your names wrong. Brandt Positioning Technology ‐ Brad Hart, Ben Hoogendorne, Joe Chisholm, Mike Kiselycia and and Conan Graham Butler Survey Supplies ‐ Salim Hamad, Gordon Butler, Jay Lonsdale and Neil Van Cans Cancadd Imaging Solutions ‐ Jamie Meyer and Chris Neenan DW Technologies ‐ Dick Woo and Stefan Wei
19
Harrington Industries ‐ Brad Hansen and Dave Grant Imaginet Technologies ‐ Michael Blanchard and Malcolm Fernandez Jardine Lloyd Thompson ‐ John Ashton, Fionna Tse and Laurence Bicknell Jones Brown ‐ Don Taylor and Bill Steele Mountain View Systems Ltd. ‐ Cletus Young, Brad Warrington and Ben Blanchet OCE Canada ‐ Bert Knaapen Spatial Technologies ‐ Keith Belsham, Parker Adams, Richard Andrews, Brett Findlater, James Lockerby and Dave
Lockerby I'd also like to point out that MicroSurvey Canada was supposed to also be here with a booth, but just before the AGM started, Ed Henderson hurt his back and was unable to attend, so that's why they're not here. So thanks a lot, guys, and I hope all the members come and see you. We are now going to move on to Chad Rintoul's CAO report. CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S REPORT CHAD RINTOUL: Thank you, Nigel. It's a real honour to be here and to have this opportunity and I greatly appreciate the chance to have met so many of you and look forward to trying to make the acquaintance of more of you as the week goes on. Last week my wife asked me, "Do you think you'll be nervous speaking in front of all those people?" I said, "Well, I don't think so." I hadn't really thought about it and I really don't want to dwell on it. Then she proceeded to offer me some unsolicited advice that perhaps if I just looked out and imagined that no one was wearing any clothing, it might relax me and make things a little easier. HANS TROELSON: Well, we're thinking about you. CHAD RINTOUL: Thank you, Hans. I'm going to stop doing it myself because it's not working. Since being hired, I've had the opportunity to join on the travelling Board trip and to participate in "Getting it Right BC", at various regional group meetings, and I've been extremely impressed with the commitment and the level of passion that the membership has for this profession. There's been a very high level over the years of volunteerism, and the contributions that volunteers to the Association have made have added to the effectiveness of not just the Association, but to the general knowledge of the profession and the rapport that the profession has with our stakeholders. I'd like to thank the Board of Management for the opportunity they've given me to lead the Association. The ABCLS Board is hard working, they're keenly interested in the well‐being of the Association and I've particularly enjoyed working with President Nigel Hemingway who has made my job much easier with his approachable rapport, and with Chuck Salmon who’s been instrumental in providing with some orientation to my duties and to the profession. I've also had the opportunity to work with Joe Johnson and members of the Practice Advisory Panel, and I'd like to thank them for their involvement along with the Board of Management with respect to early discussions on the formulation of a Professional Competency Program. More discussion and some specifics on the outline of that program will follow in the AGM. At home in Sidney, Richard Wey and his team ‐ and I know Brent is here ‐ were very accessible for me early on, giving me a bit of perspective and, frankly, a healthy respect for the work that land surveyors do and so I thank Richard Wey for opening up his office and allowing me to come in. The LTSA have been incredibly open, incredibly transparent with their plans and processes as it relates to our profession, to land surveying. I'd like to thank Mike and, of course, Godfrey Archbold, who couldn't be here, but the Surveyor General Division as a whole for how accessible and how open you've been with respect to major initiatives, such as the Integrated Customer Portal, the Identity Information Management project and, of course, ParcelMap BC. We're very pleased to have Brent Taylor working as a resource to ParcelMap BC, and I know Brent's got a presentation later on that topic. Personally, in terms of highlights, the Career Awareness Committee and the BCIT Meet the Students Night was certainly a fantastic opportunity to profile the profession in a very casual environment and I think a very healthy setting. The interaction between a tremendous number of land surveyors and over 100 students at BCIT provided a great opportunity, an informal opportunity, for land surveyors to mix with students.
20
The External Relations Committee, we've liaised personally with the Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations as well as the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and there is upcoming engagements scheduled with Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (MARR). I also have worked closely with the BCLS Foundation, Richard Wey is Chair, where I serve as clerk of the Foundation, and I have attended and represented along with Bill Chapman, the BCIT Student Awards. Within the Association office, in the weeks ahead we're looking to make some improvements to our electronic record keeping systems to ensure that practices align with Board policy and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Management will also be reviewing email communication with members in order to try and streamline the amount and the content of communication to members from the Association. In recent weeks, the office has been very much focused on this AGM and I'd like to thank the regional groups and many survey firms, sole proprietors and our business partners who have helped and sponsored with the AGM. Finally, thanks to the ABCLS staff, Gord Gamble and Debbie, along with Tom and George for the work they carry out in the Practice Advisory Department. I've enjoyed working with Gord and we have a close rapport, and I look forward to working with him and furthering the development of a Professional Competency Program. Denise is our student and member services coordinator, Loraine Wake is our full time financial administrator, and Vicki Pettigrew is our Board and committee administrative coordinator. From day one, those three ladies made me feel very welcome, and have helped me and supported me in my role, and I personally greatly appreciate it. I truly believe that they work hard to represent our Association and they work hard to serve you as the members. Like Nigel and Chuck before me, I would encourage you, when you cross paths with them on the floor of the convention centre, to please express your appreciation. It would go a long way. So thank you for your attention and I'll turn matters back over to Nigel. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Well, the good news is it's now coffee break. So I'm going to adjourn the meeting for a half an hour. We'd like you back here in the room at 10:45 and we'll move on. Thanks a lot, enjoy your break. (Adjourned at 10:12 am) (Reconvened at 10:47 am) NIGEL HEMINGWAY: So welcome back. I hope you are all refreshed and had a good break. We're going to go back and continue with the agenda. I'm going to start off by apologizing to one of our exhibitors that have been here forever. Cansel came into the room earlier but due to a computer glitch, weren't on my list. So I do apologize to you guys and please welcome Rudy Enns, Jason Battersby, Jason Halttunen, David Bleay ‐ they seem to have more names than people ‐ Michael Galbraith, David Davidson, Jim Curtis, Brian Rolph and Steve Carter. So, thanks a lot and I do apologize you had to come twice. Now I’d like to have the secretary come to the microphone and present a couple of motions. CHUCK SALMON: Could somebody in the back corner just close the door for us, please? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, moving right along here. This is the time of the session when we quite often bring forward motions to elect members to life membership and at this point I would like to recognize Douglas John Roy, BCLS #295. Doug Roy was born in Dauphin, Manitoba, and educated at the University of Manitoba, receiving his Bachelor of Science Civil in 1944. Doug began his career in land surveying with the Topographic Division of the New Brunswick government in 1946, moving to the B.C. Government Topographic Division in 1948. Doug articled from 1948 to 1959 to N.C. Stewart, BCLS #120, and Surveyor General, receiving his commission as BCLS #295 in 1950 and his DLS in 1951. He continued with the Topographic Division until 1952 when he left to join McElhanney. He left McElhanney and began working for himself in 1957, working in the Vancouver area. Doug later teamed up with Case Wagenaar and moved to Robert's Creek in 1975. Doug articled Peter Aplin, BCLS #375; Vern Goudal, BCLS #382; Kjeld Kjar, BCLS #433; Peter Gordon, BCLS #560 and Art Hoefsloot, BCLS #609. Doug served on numerous committees through his career as a land surveyor and on the Board of Management serving as President in 1965. Many land surveyors quite likely vividly recall listening to Doug as he debated issues on the floor of the Annual General Meetings. Doug was definitely recognized as one the profession's statesmen and ambassadors. In the mid 1950's while working for McElhanney, he surveyed the 250 foot‐wide B.C. Hydro transmission line through the Sunshine Coast before it was constructed. Recollections are that he had 300 men working for him. That was a remarkable job given the complexities of dealing with many old subdivision surveys and the like from the 1910 to 1915 era. None of them were done with any sort of accuracy that we might expect today and only wood posts were set for these surveys. The right of way went through many five‐acre blocks where some of the posts were out up to ten feet. Doug's entire survey has withstood the test of time as most of his monuments are still in place and no records of any discrepancies in his work appear to exist.
21
In addition to being a very active land surveyor, Doug was licensed as a professional engineer through the civil discipline on November 30, 1954 and was granted life membership with practice rights on November 15, 1991. Doug undertook a number of projects in support of his community of Robert's 'Crik'. He contracted to the Sunshine Coast Regional District in the mid 1970's to devise and implement the house numbering system for the Sunshine Coast. That numbering system is still in use today. It was no easy feat given the odd shape of the Sunshine Coast and the coastline. He also volunteered his time as a BCLS and P. Eng. to help the Robert's Creek Community Association in upgrading their Community Hall. As a result of his volunteering and support in the community, Doug was well known and liked which was evidenced by the community recognizing his accomplishments when he and Helen moved from Robert's Crik to Sechelt in 2006 as he was no longer able to drive. Doug and Helen moved to downtown Sechelt where all their services were within walking distance or within motorized scooter distance. Helen had one of her legs amputated below the knee about five years ago and now Doug has had the same operation with one of his legs. It is clear from looking at the accomplishments of Doug Roy that he has demonstrated significant and worthy accomplishments for the Association in the profession of land surveying and in the support of his community. It is clear to the bylaw 5(i) Board Review Panel that had Doug Roy extended his career for one more year he would likely have had his name put forward for life membership in or about 1984. When he retired from active practice, however, he went non‐practising at that time with 34 years on the practising roster. The change last year to the bylaw has allowed Doug Roy to now be eligible for life membership. For his lifelong commitment to the profession of land surveying in B.C., on behalf of the Board of Management I move that Douglas John Roy be nominated for life membership in the Association of B.C. Land Surveyors. Mr. Chairman I know that at this time you usually ask for a seconder for the motion. However, I would ask Mike Thomson ‐‐ no, sorry, Peter, wasn't it ‐ Peter to come to a microphone to second this motion. PETER MUELLER: It's my distinct honour to second this motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Any comments or discussion about this? Okay, I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. I'll ask Chuck to come back. CHUCK SALMON: Thank you. The second motion is for Hans Jorgen Troelsen, BCLS #551. Hans Troelsen was born and raised in the prairies before moving west to B.C. He joined the firm of Matson Peck and Topliss, B.C. Land Surveyors, in 1967 where land surveying got into his blood. Early in his career, Hans loved to play the part of the bushman, as he was nowhere to be seen without his fiery red beard. Rumour has it he had never shaved that beard since he was able to grow it until some 30‐plus years later. After graduating from the surveying and mapping diploma program at BCIT in 1972. he immediately began articles with Bob Peck BCLS #379 and life member #46 (deceased). Hans completed his professional exams in 1977 receiving his commission, #551, that same year. Hans has been volunteering his time to the Association since receiving his commission. During the 1980's he served on a number of committees, including the preparation of technical computation paper for the professional exams and serving as Chairman of the Annual Entertainment Committee for the 1988 Annual General Meeting for President Case Wagenaar. Hans articled David Harris, BCLS #719. and Sukh Dhaliwal, BCLS #756, and has worked closely with a number of students in the firm who articled to other members in the firm. Hans is a lifelong learner and has always been an unselfish mentor to all land surveyors in training and survey students that have worked at Matson, Peck and Topliss. Hans was elected to the Board of Management in 1999 serving as President in 2003. During his term on the Board, Hans was instrumental in working with educational institutions ‐ both U. of C. and BCIT ‐ to the relationships with students, provide advice and direction from the land surveying community and to encourage the accreditation of BCIT programs. During his term on the Board, a meeting did not go by without the terms "politics of education", "that's a great segue into", or "let me make this analogy", coming up at least once and probably more often than that. Just recently Hans coined a new phrase: "the politics of acknowledgement". Hans has never found himself short of words, spoken or in his emails, even if his words left the rest of us totally confused as to what he might have just said or written. His rationale and goal is to challenge people to think outside the box so we stretch to achieve more than expected. As do many Past Presidents of the Association, Hans continues to be active on many committees. He continues to serve the Association and profession on the Program Advisory Committee at BCIT, providing direction and guidance to the program leaders in the direction for the program to support the land surveying community. Hans also served on the Complaint Inquiry Committee for three years serving as Chair as 2008. Participation in this committee can be very challenging and Hans provided excellent thought and discussion during his tenure on the committee and was very good at getting to the root of a complaint and succinctly defining the appropriate course of action.
22
Following his term on the Board, Hans was nominated to and serves as a Trustee on the B.C. Land Surveyors Foundation. His involvement on the Foundation has been very beneficial both intellectually and financially. Hans is one of the greatest supporters of the Foundation and recently assisted in the development of the B.C. Land Surveyors Foundation, G.M. Thomson Citizenship Award. Hans is currently a member of the External Relations Committee providing expert advice and guidance on a number of current issues. He is actively involved in Air Space and Vertical Datum and Strata Property Act working groups and serves as Chair of the LTSA Liaison Committee. Hans has also found time in his adult life to serve a number of organizations in the community such as: Board of Directors and Level 3 Coach of the Richmond Girls Soccer Association, Board of Directors and President of the Metro Vancouver Softball Umpires Association and is a Level 5 International and National Softball Official, to name a few. In 2011, Hans Troelsen was awarded the G.S. Andrews Award for his continued outstanding service to the Association. For his lifelong commitment to the profession of land surveying in B.C. and across the country, on behalf of the Board of Management I move that Hans Jorgen Troelsen be nominated for life membership in the Association of B.C. Land Surveyors. I would ask Dave Harris to come to a microphone and second the motion. DAVE HARRIS: I just wanted to say a couple of things first. Hans recruited me straight out the University of Calgary a long time ago and since then he's been my boss, my mentor, and for the last twenty years, he's been my partner. I can say without hesitation that I've met very few people that take the responsibility of being a land surveyor more than Hans does. Not only the responsibility of a land surveyor as a public servant, but the responsibility of a land surveyor protecting our cadastre. I can also say that rarely ‐‐ and any day I'm in the office, Hans is on the phone convincing some little old lady that they don't actually need the survey that their phoning to ask for. Almost every day he's on the phone with uninformed or uneducated lawyers and developers and city clerks, and he's explaining to them ‐ usually with one of his analogies ‐ what they do need to get their project done. Almost every day as well he's on the phone with another teleconference for one of the many committees he serves on as part of his commitment since he's been a President of this Association ten years ago. I can also say without hesitation there's nobody else I'd rather have as a friend than Hans and so it's with great honour that I second the motion for him to be a life member. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Dave. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Actually, Hans, I was really hoping that you would honour us with a few words. HANS TROELSEN: Well, I truly hadn't considered the possibility of your consideration of my thoughts and words over the years being worthy of being enjoined in such an august body as those life members that are here and who have graced this organization in the past. When you were talking about my apparent undertakings, I kind of had an out of body experience and I thought you were talking about somebody else. You know, I've never met a microphone that I don't like. However, I can only say that those things that I've done have been entirely in the company of others. And without those others, which include most of the people in this room, include hundreds if not thousands of employees, clients and firms, people that I have met and have had a considerable joy in interacting with them in the philosophical discussion of this wonderful mystery that we call land surveying. It's been an incredible joy and quite frankly I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you and for them. So I don't think this is as much about me as it is about all of you, the Association that we have the good great fortune to represent. And I think as much as the organization in the past might have ‐‐ when I first started with hand crank calculators and trig tables ‐‐ might have been considered substantially parochial. I'm extraordinarily proud to be part of a forward thinking, rapidly advancing, keeping up with world organization and I thank you very much for the honour, but it's as much an honour of you as it is of me. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks, Hans. I'd now like to call on Mike Thomson for his Land Title and Survey Authority Report. LAND TITLE AND SURVEY AUTHORITY REPORT MIKE THOMSON: Thank you, Nigel. Hans, congratulations. I've been sitting up here this morning looking around the room at the various tables and with all due respect to Mr. Robertson and our friend from Saskatchewan, I think now that you're a life member maybe Mr. Blackall, Mr. Johnson, RICHARD REDFERN, and Mr. Dodge will allow you to join them at the senate table. If I can take a minute, ladies and gentlemen, Larry Blaschuk, the Registrar of the New Westminster and Kamloops Land Title offices has joined us. Larry, can I ask you to stand for a minute and welcome you to the meeting. I'm not going to look back at these guys to see if they're going to let me off the Board for a little bit, but I'm actually going to step off the Board and tell a bit of a brief story, simply, probably for those of you in the room with commission numbers at about 700 and higher, in case you didn't get what was going on earlier today. When the picture of Adam Burhoe was up there and Chuck described the fact that he started work at the City of Vancouver in 1929 and worked till 1979, you may have done the math and realized that that was fifty years. But what you probably didn't figure out is
23
how that came about. So the story I've always known is that when Adam was 15, his father passed away and, of course, in 1929 that meant the oldest son was sent out to work to support the mother and the siblings. What I've learned at Hans' ‐‐ sorry, Hans, I've referred to you three times when I'm talking about Adam. What I learned at Adam's service was it was actually his stepfather that passed away when he was 15. His birth father passed away when he was two. But, nonetheless, he was sent out to work, started at the City of Vancouver in 1929. When you think about the Depression it's the only time in history that major public service, public sector organizations had layoffs and they had massive layoffs at the City of Vancouver as they had throughout North America in that period of time. But they did not lay off by seniority. They laid off by the number of siblings or dependents that you had. Because he had a mother and two sisters to support, he kept his job through all that time in the Depression. When it got to 1979, it was still mandatory retirement age and they forced him into retirement because Noel Peters was not at that time deemed ready to take over as City Surveyor. So they brought Adam back on a three‐year consulting contract. Adam, being the person he was, found a way to double dip, started collecting his pension at 65, three‐year consulting contract, and collected his pension for another 33 years. So when you think about it, he was really an employee for the City of Vancouver for 83 years. Fifty years of service and 33 of pension. So for the new land surveyors in the room, when you really look around and you look at how certain people contribute to the growth of the profession, the growth of the province, and the growth of the City of Vancouver, Adam truly was a very special individual. So, with that, let me get back to why I came up here. So a quick update on the Land Title and Survey Authority. Is this going to take me forward? Excellent. As Geoff taught me yesterday, and I didn't do anything about it because I don't own glasses, I actually can't read that screen from here. So we'll try and go forward, a very brief update. So just a reminder that the Land Title and Survey Authority is a publicly accountable statutory corporation which operates and administers British Columbia land, title and survey systems. We are a creature of government. but we are completely independent from government with a 60‐year operating agreement. We have some challenges internally and it's really around the fact that the foundations are prescriptive legislation. They've been in place since the 1860's. Is it time for that foundation to change? Is it time for a look at that legislation from a very basic premise, and if that's going to occur, whose going to lead that change? The Land Title and Survey Authority primarily earns its income from the provision of services and accompanying regulated service fees, but we need to ensure that, at all times, we have more revenue over expenditures because we have a need to reinvest back into the system. And we try to reinvest on a basis of about 15 percent of our annual revenues. There are three primary business functions: Land titles, as you are aware; the land survey function and the Crown grant function which we operate on direction of the province. Currently, we are a staff of approximately 131 full‐time positions. That is down from well over 180 when the LTSA was created in January of 2005. In the last fiscal year we processed about a million land title applications and precisely 10,685 survey plans, 3.5 million online business transactions, title searches, document retrievals, those type of things; 2,100 Crown grants, 251 statutory applications and 126 Crown grants that were issued ‐‐ I apologize, 2,100 Crown land survey plans. Now that we've completed our business modernization, we are in a very good position to move forward with our two new strategic initiatives, our Integrated Customer Portal and our ParcelMap BC project. I will talk about each briefly. With ParcelMap BC, as we work our way through the design process, we always bring ourselves back to the primary goal and test the decisions we make against the primary goal, which is to create and develop an operational model for a single, complete trusted and sustainable visual representation of the lands within a given parcel and its relationship to adjacent parcels. We are at the point, and have been at the point for well over 30 years, that the need to maintain a parcel fabric is a necessity of land information management. Stakeholder and customer demand is increasing and there is a need for an efficient means of accessing land title and survey information in a geographical manner. We all know how to find our way home at night, primarily based on our address. Many of us are property owners in here. Is there anybody that can stand up and actually tell me what their bid number is? It's not how we operate, folks. We operate on a geographical basis and that's where we need to be. With the Surveyor General having the responsibility for the quality of the land survey structure of the province and the LTSA is the official repository of survey plan and land title information, we are well positioned and have made a decision to take on the project. We are moving forward with existing information from disparate sources being consolidated, which includes things like local government parcel fabrics, data that belongs to the provincial government and we'll build a single, complete, trusted and sustainable parcel fabric. We've been working with a group of stakeholders, the province, the Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors, the Integrated Cadastral Information Society, and B.C. Assessment as we've moved through the development process. We will have ‐‐ we will bring the responsibility for the ongoing operations inside the LTSA umbrella.
24
Our solution definition work is now complete. We spent about $950,000 over the last eight months to ensure that we have a well‐defined project. It's really about measuring twice, cutting once, before we move forward. We've worked with the Land Surveyor Advisory Task Force throughout the solution definition including, it says, five, six meetings including last week. We've produced a series of documents that support the project and our efforts to secure a service provider to complete the initial build of the parcel fabric and, as importantly, the technology platform. We issued an RFQ two weeks ago yesterday, a request for qualifications. The bidders meeting was held at 10:00 A.M. this morning. We are well underway with that. We hope to have a contract or contractors on board by the end of the calendar year. Kelly Stofer, who should join us tomorrow, has been leading the project internally for the LTSA and has done an absolutely wonderful job. And I would like to thank the Land Surveyors Advisory Task Force, Rob Tupper, the current Chair, Ron Johns, Brent Taylor, Chuck Salmon, Rory O'Connell, Dan Machon and Ivan Ngan for their guidance. It has been invaluable. Yesterday's presentation, that was done in the afternoon as part of CPD, focused an awful lot on land title information, Surveyor General information, but the reference was constant to BC OnLine. But as Jeff mentioned yesterday, the contract with BC OnLine expires on April 30, 2014, and the LTSA has made the decision to move off of that platform. It is not a modern platform, it is an old platform. The government does not have plans for how they're going to renew that platform, and we could not take the risk that we will not be open for business on May 1, 2014. So we are developing our own new Integrated Customer Portal as a replacement for BC OnLine. Realistically, that's only one‐third of what the new portal will do, but it will be how most of the people in the room will see the new portal. It will be a single electronic point of access for the delivery of LTSA electronic services. It will modernize and consolidate various access points, and we will be in full operation by April 30, 2014. However, before the end of the calendar year, most of you in the room will start to hear from the LTSA about migrating to the new system. The current BC OnLine or account holders, there are about 9,000 different account holders that use the LTSA systems that are available through BC OnLine. Clearly, we cannot move forward with a big bang and try to transition everybody at midnight, April 30th to be open on May 1st, so we will start moving our primary stakeholders earlier. Some interesting things as we got into this project. Nine thousand account holders; however, approximately 50 percent of them do less than five searches a year. So how do you put effort into those people in the same way that the top ten users of BC OnLine actually perform 42 percent of the searches. So start to think about that dichotomy. Scarily, we have a terrible business model. Seven of the top ten users are fee exempt. So only three of the top ten users are fee payers and nobody in this room is in the top twenty, although Peter Mueller's employer is actually in the top twenty so it's a challenging situation for us but we will meet it and we will be up and running. Some organizational changes for you to tell you how the LTSA has changed since we were created. A little bit more stability since the completion of our business modernization project in our management of senior staff, but here are some stats for you, just to look at. Going back to March of 2009 when we started our business modernization, and December of 2012, the average age of our employees dropped over twelve‐and‐a‐half years from 58.6 years to 46.1 years. Our average length of service dropped about three years, but remember there's an additional five years for most people there. In March 2009 there were 49 percent of our staff were eligible for retirement within five years. That's now down to 29‐and‐a‐half percent and 62 percent of our staff have been hired since the LTSA commenced operation in January 2005. It is a relatively new staff. The make‐up of our staff was heavily weighted towards baby boomers, is currently fairly well split between baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Y staff. So quite a significant internal change. Some additional organizational pieces, Bert Hol and Mike Waberski continue to sit on the LTSA Board as nominees on behalf of the ABCLS. Geoff Plant, who's a nominee of the Law Society of B.C., former Attorney General of the province of British Columbia, continues to Chair the LTSA Board of Directors and does a wonderful job. Chuck Salmon is the ABCLS appointee to the Stakeholders Advisory Committee. Our professional staff internally has remained consistent: Cristin Schlossberger, Dave Swaile, Kelly Stofer and Jeff Beddoes, all operating as Deputy Surveyor Generals, and those four individuals I know deliver stellar service ensuring the daily operations of the Surveyor General Division and I'm indebted to have them on our staff. The LTSA is always challenged as we look forward. We have recently completed our renovation on the Kamloops Land Title Office at a cost of slightly less than $1 million, which I think demonstrates our commitment to the Kamloops market and to the areas outside of the Lower Mainland and Victoria. A very quick review of our Electronic Filing System, as I think we are almost done talking about it, but we remember 2004, its introduction: Electronic Survey Plans to Crown land registry in 2006, Land Title Office in 2008, and as of November 1st, 2012, virtually all documents and plans were required to be submitted electronically. Land Surveyors have done a fabulous job in leading the uptake of that initiative. There are some exemptions that remain. Jeff and crew talked about those yesterday in the seminar, so I won't dwell on those.
25
The Authorized Subscriber Register is in design at the moment. Larry, I believe that the report's completed now and is ready to go forward, so we'll get that rolled out. Just some further numbers. Electronic filing of documents into the LTO as we look over the last four years, the 2009/10 fiscal year was 50.2 percent, rose to 55.8, rose again to 66.6. We finished the year in March at 84 percent, but you can look at the monthly figures for this fiscal year where we're 87 percent, running to 91.5 percent as of the end of January. Once we have SR on board we will be at 95 percent or more. If I look at it, Electronic Survey Plan update, going backwards in this last fiscal year there were 5,983 plans or 56 percent of the plans, an increase from 39 percent the year before, 25 percent the year before. By January of this year, there are over 8,000 Electronic Survey Plans or 83 percent of all plans filed to the Land Title Office with one month's high of 93 percent in January, 2013. So we are pretty much there. If you start to look at the breakdowns ‐ and I'll go to the breakdown at the bottom of the slide ‐ in January, 88 percent of subdivision plans were coming in electronically; 96 percent of strata plans and 95 percent of other plans. So we're probably at the last time we will talk about electronic plan uptake. We do note that, in this fiscal year, 100 percent of all eligible Crown land survey plans have been submitted electronically. We still do see the odd mylar coming through the office. They primarily come from the oil and gas sector, but they're coming as a result of the OGC being slow to process those plans. With our business modernization complete, Jeff mentioned to me yesterday that it was a $20 million expenditure. Jeff I would be remiss to not indicate that it was actually $19,989,730. So we actually came in under 20 million. We've moved from a customer‐centric service organization, or we've moved to a customer‐centric service organization leveraging current state technologies to support enhanced products and services, self‐serve capabilities, enhanced title security and survey excellence. At the end of the day, to be fair, what we've really done is moved off an old technology platform to a new technology platform that really now gives us the opportunity to make the type of improvements that we would really like to make. The highlight I think is the introduction of assisted and automated registration. The automated examination process became operational on July 18, 2012, and is currently successfully examining and registering approximately 65 percent of all the Form A transfer, Form B mortgages and Form C charge releases that are submitted to the LTO. It is the first example anywhere in the world where documents are being registered automatically into the land title system and it is working well. Current business levels, the LTSA has seen a measurable drop in business activity in the current fiscal year when compared to previous years. December 2012 was the lowest level of land title activity since the creation of the LTSA in January 2010. While we're down approximately 10 percent in a year‐over‐year basis, we're down about 40 percent from the 2007 peak volumes. There has been a revenue decrease. It has resulted in a cost containment budget for the next fiscal year. My CFO is not shy to send me emails, I've only received two from him today asking about some expenditures that are very minor. So we are focusing on cost containment. The third quarter of this fiscal year was the only time we've had a loss in the history of the LTSA. We expect one for the fourth quarter. One of our challenges will be trying to measure what is the effect of the HST/PST transfer on new construction and transfers that have occurred and we'll look forward from April 1st to see what that means. A couple of recent announcements: The LTSA has announced a small fee increase. The operating agreement allows us to increase fees by an equivalent of a consumer price index annually. This year, because it's a cumulative increase back to the last time it was set at zero. There was room for a three percent increase, but that is only over the portion of the fee that we keep. It's not over the government portion which represents 60 to 65 percent of the fee. So it's an actual increase of about 1.2 percent of the total fees that will be paid by clients. Some brief ongoing issues: The LTSA is hosting a Land Title Conference in Vancouver October 2nd and 4th. It will be a co‐located meeting of the Canadian Conference of Land Title Officials, the International Register of Title Conference, expecting delegates from Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the other major TORRENS organizations in the world. The LTSA will also host a meeting of the Canadian Council on Geomatics Cadastral Subcommittee at the same time. I apologize, I may have to deny that the next bullet is here. Nobel Laureate Hernando DeSoto, who is the author of The Mystery of Capital which I know many of you have read, is the planned feature speaker for the conference and at least one session will be open to the LTSA. It is on Mr. DeSoto's calendar and we had an agreement with Mr. DeSoto. There is a small blip right now but I'm hopeful by the end of the week it will be resolved. We will be back into collective bargaining with our unionized staff by the end of the calendar year. Contract expires in October. First Nations issues are probably the one thing that keeps me awake a little bit at night. I'm very worried about the buffet that is available to First Nations that want to participate in tenure issues. And I'm very worried that within a number of years, we will not have a land title registry and a Crown land registry in this province, but we may well have 200 different registries, if we're not careful. Nonetheless, Jeff Beddoes and Cristin and Dave continue to be very busy in this area working with the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, the Surveyor General of Canada Lands, and a number of First Nations on treaty settlements.
26
Finally, British Columbia land surveyors certainly continue to provide fundamental support to the economic and social fabric of the province through your diligence in preparing quality surveys. You should be proud of the work you do. Please, I encourage you to stand up, pat yourself on the back, be exceptionally proud of the work you do and tell other people about it. We are certainly proud of our association with this group of professionals, and as we embark on the new Integrated Customer Portal and the roll‐out of ParcelMap BC we are indeed working in an interesting time. I encourage you to continue to show leadership. Thank you very much. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Mike. I'll now call on the secretary to present the results of our Board election. CHUCK SALMON: The new Board members on the 2013/2014 Board of Management: the incoming Vice President will be Steve Buzikievich, and the two new Board members at large will be Dave Harris and Ron Johns. Mr. Chairman, I would like to move that the ballots be destroyed. Can I have a seconder? PETER MUELLER: I'll second the motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? This one's carried as well. CHUCK SALMON: I forgot to mention before I made the motion that there were 230 ballots cast and one spoiled ballot. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I'll now call on the two new Board members in alphabetical order to say a few words. Dave, have you got a moment? DAVE HARRIS: Thank you very much. I guess that proves that perseverance counts for something. Looking forward to participating on the Board and putting in two years of hard work. Thank you very much. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Dave. Ron Johns? RON JOHNS: Thank you. It is an honour to be elected by my peers. I thank you for your vote of confidence. I will endeavor to work hard on your behalf on the Board and if anyone has any concerns or questions, I'd love to hear from you. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Ron. I'll now call on incoming Vice President Steve Buzikievich to say a few words. STEVE BUZIKIEVICH: First of all, I'll say thank you members, for your confidence in me. You probably got more confidence in me than I do in myself, but I'll do my best. I've taken this as a learning experience over the last couple years. I realize the commitment I'm making, and I have big shoes to fill of all the people that have had this position before me and in the future. I'll try my best and thank you once again. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Incoming President, Ian Lloyd. IAN LLOYD: Thanks, Nigel. I'd like to thank Peter for the outstanding candidates he assembled for the membership to select from, and particularly thank Minda for her efforts on the Board. We're certainly going to miss her. It was interesting times this year when we had to choose for a Vice President and for me personally, that ballot sat on my desk for a long time. I had a tough time this year. So I would just like to thank all the candidates for letting their names stand, whether they were successful or not, and I look forward to working with the new Board to provide governance for our Association in the upcoming year. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: BrIan Brown? BRIAN BROWN: The last year has been a very interesting year for me. I've been trying the best that I can for the Association and I will continue to do so. If any of you get asked to stand for the Board, I would encourage you to do so. It's quite an experience. CHUCK SALMON: Ladies and gentlemen, Bronwyn Denton got called away for an important telephone call on Association business, but she will report back in after the lunch break. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I'll now call on the retiring Board members in alphabetical order to say a few words. Peter Mueller? PETER MUELLER: When you're on the Board and you reach this position, while you're on the Board you always wonder what it's going to be like when you have to say this address. But, I have to say that in 2007 when I got elected to the Board, it was after a few attempts like Dave has gone through, but I didn't waiver. I felt that this was something that I could contribute and I really thank the members for putting me in this position to serve you. I will miss the activity and the hubbub but after six years, I think that I've left a mark that I think we can progress with. I thank you for your ongoing support in my efforts and it's been an opportunity of a lifetime and I've enjoyed it thoroughly. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Minda Riley? MINDA RILEY: Thank you, Nigel. First of all, I'd like to congratulate Steve. It's been a pleasure working with him and the rest of the Board members over the last two years. I've learned so very much while on the Board. I'd also like to thank the membership for your support during my term on the Board. It's been a great honour and privilege to have served you and the Association and I look forward to continuing to contribute to the Association in any way I can. I encourage members to find ways to contribute. It's a collective work of all the members that make the Association the wonderful and progressive organization that it is. Thank you very much. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks, Minda. Peter, did you have anything further to say about the nominations?
27
PETER MUELLER: Yes. If you would allow me, Mr. Chairman, I had the opportunity this year to be on the Nominating Committee and, along with some guidance from the Past President's club, I had an opportunity. I was extremely encouraged to find that there was a lot of interest in serving our Association. Most of the deliberations that the candidates have when they choose to run is involving personal commitments, but there is a strong indication that people do want to serve so I think we are in good stead moving forward. I would really like to thank Minda for her commitment to our Board and to our Association. She's done a tremendous job. I'd also like to congratulate Steve on being elected. This was an extremely difficult decision this year for our members because we have two outstanding candidates here and we're losing one. I'd also like to thank Jerry Mullin for stepping forward, letting his name stand, David Storback and Robin Kenyon. Thank you very much for running. I think it's a great honour to let your name stand and I think that it really indicates that we have a progressive Association, so thank you for your commitment to the Association and I'm sure that Nigel will look forward to speaking to you all again next year. Thanks. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks, Peter. Just prior to lunch, we will be holding a Board meeting. It's downstairs. It will be the last Board meeting for Peter and Minda, and I'd just like to express the Board's thanks to both of these individuals for the time they've served and all of their excellent participation at the Board table. Thanks, Peter and Minda. I'd like to ask all of our members to join me in a vote of thanks for the scrutineers, Robert Allen and Vicki Pettigrew for overseeing the election process on our behalf. Lunch today will be actually just right behind that wall over in that corner. You go all the way around past the fireplace. I think that lunch starts at 12:00 and it's scheduled to go to 2:15. Any of you that have partners that are doing the ziplining, I'm getting messages that the zipliners have to be out very close to two o'clock. So, I'm going to adjourn the meeting and I'm going to apologize to Richard. I was told I didn't have time so we'll get you up first thing tomorrow morning and we're adjourned now. I'll see you back at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I hope you enjoy the lunch and the seminar this afternoon. Thank you. (Adjourned at 11:37 am)
28
AWARDS LUNCHEON March 7, 2013 NIGEL HEMINGWAY: We're going to start while you are having your dessert so that we can get the partners who are ziplining out. So it's now my pleasure to acknowledge and recognize the most honoured senior members of the Association, our life members. Again, I would request that you hold your applause until after they are all standing ‐ Life Member #67, Chuck Salmon, Life Member #66, Bill Chapman, Life Member #65, Robert Allen, Life Member #59, John Motherwell and Life Member #68, Hans Troelsen. I'm now going to call on Chuck Salmon our Secretary to join me at the podium to begin the presentation by introducing members deserving 25 year pins. CHUCK SALMON: Thank you, Nigel. I scrutinized the list of all those people that signed up so that I could shortlist the names and I know that certainly some of the individuals are here and we'll do a call for any others. But I'll start with BCLS #611, Eric Peterson, would you please come forward, Eric, BCLS #686, John Bresnick, BCLS #687, Chris Cryderman and one of our local land surveyors BCLS #688, Paul Bunbury, BCLS #690, Robin Kenyon, BCLS #693, Roger Galibois. I back‐stepped because I didn't see his name on the list but I understand Jim Christie is in the room ‐ so BCLS #692 Jim Christie, BCLS #695, Warren Barnard. Now, according to my list, that's all the ones that are here. So if there is a member who has a number less than 695 and has not received their twenty‐five year pin please let me know. Don't see any movement, we'll move on. Each year we recognize a few outstanding members for their contributions to the Association. The Association depends on volunteers from the membership and these outstanding people have given selflessly of their time and have been dedicated to the best interest of land surveyors, both today and in the future. We also recognize non‐members for their contribution that has benefitted our membership. So this year we have a couple of Certificates of Appreciation to hand out except the recipients are not here so I'll just read through briefly. I'll introduce them and read through the awards. The first one is a member actually from the Kamloops Land Title Office, Wayne Fromm. Wayne Fromm has provided ongoing support and information to land surveyors throughout his career with the Kamloops Land Title Office. Wayne's knowledge of the land title system is exceptional. His invaluable advice and direction to land surveyors, notaries and solicitors has made a direct and significant impact on the timely and efficient registration of plans and documents in the Kamloops Land Title Office. He has always made himself open and available to the land surveying community. His dedication to the profession speaks volumes to his character and he epitomizes excellence in service. For his outstanding service to land surveyors, the public and the legal community in their dealings with the Kamloops Land Title Office, the Board of Management is pleased to present the Certificate of Appreciation to Wayne Fromm. The Land Title and Survey Authority will be having, I understand, an awards ceremony and hopefully we'll be able to present this certificate to Wayne at that time. I'll be working with the LTSA on that. Congratulations to Wayne Fromm. The second recipient is also from the Land Title and Survey Authority Land Title Office and that's Maureen Johnston. Maureen has really gone the distance for land surveyors throughout her career at the LTO and the LTSA. She is always available to help out and give advice. There has been a lot of change with respect to how land surveyors, land title agents, lawyers and notaries interact with the LTO and the past twenty years. Maureen has always been a constant source of information and help. The door to Maureen's office is always open to discuss challenging survey solutions and how unusual or unique plans should be prepared. She has always provided land surveyors with sample plans and has offered advice as how to best interpret various sections of the Land Title and Strata Property Act and the associated regulations. For her outstanding service to land surveyors, the public and the legal community in their dealings with the Victoria Land Title Office, the Board of Management is pleased to present the Certificate of Appreciation to Maureen Johnston. Congratulations. The third Certificate of Appreciation goes to Jay Sherwood. Jay Sherwood has written three books on Frank Swanell, compiled another book called Bannock and Beans about the Bedaux expedition in northeastern British Columbia and wrote Furrows in the Sky about Gerry Andrews. He has recently sent his manuscript of his next book about surveyors Hart and Milligen to his publisher, and he is considering writing a book about Lamarque, another B.C. land surveyor. Bannock and Beans had numerous mentions of B.C. Land Surveyors and Jay has done a lot to promote land surveyors, not only by his writings but also through his travels and talks throughout the province. Jay was instrumental in helping the Historical and Biographical Committee organize the Mount Gerry Andrews Mountaintop Ceremony in July 2012. A year prior to the ceremony, Jay had also scouted out the area and had also found photographs in Gerry's collection that Gerry had taken of the Flathead Valley from nearby mountains. He was able to virtually step in Gerry's footsteps to take some of his own photos in order to compare those from 1930.
29
For his outstanding work in promoting the land surveying profession through his publications and travels, the Board of Management is pleased to present the Certificate of Appreciation to Jay Sherwood. Thank you. The Certificate of Recognition ‐ This is provided to a member who has provided a contribution to a committee or has provided valuable service to the Association and the recipient of the Certificate of Recognition is Ian Lloyd. Ian Lloyd, would you please come forward. Ian Lloyd was a member of the Board of Examiners from 2005‐2012. In a time when the total number of candidates for professional accreditation increased exponentially, managing the exam preparation and evaluation in a professional and timely manner ensured we were admitting the best to be land surveyors. In 2009 Ian stepped in as Chair of the Board of Examiners to further bring the standard of exams and the consistent approach to evaluation to a new level. He was great in bringing new Board of Examiners members in and instructing them in the fine points of exam preparation and marking, and was always available to provide advice on questions. When chairing teleconferences and face to face meetings, he ensured we were on task and productive. He also makes sure that when chairing after‐meetings in the local watering hole, it was not all serious and stern. For his significant contribution to the Board of Examiners, the Board of Management is pleased to present the Certificate of Recognition to Ian Lloyd, BCLS #716. Congratulations, Ian. I'd now like to move on to the G.K. Burnett Award and this is provided to a member who has provided distinguished service to the profession or the surveying community in previous or recent years. Most of you that were at the Icebreaker last night saw that we presented an award to Don Watson. I know a number of you were not able to hear what was going on. For some reason, the sound was not great. But Don received the G.K. Burnett Award last night at the Icebreaker for his role in starting what's called the OIP group. That's a group of retired land surveyors and they call themselves the OIP's because they are "old important people". Don has done a significant amount of work to bring a number of retired land surveyors together to work to promote land surveying and continue even though many of them are extremely elderly. Don also encourages some of the practising members to join in with the OIP group. I've been to a couple of their lunches and it's a great group and they provide a lot and they bring a lot of experience to the table when they sit down and have a good chat. Don Watson was recognized last night for the G.K. Burnett Award. We have an additional award to present and I would like to ask Brian Brown to come to the stage, please. In 2005 Brian Brown became the first ABCLS Sergeant‐at‐Arms. He maintained order and promoted conviviality at each AGM after that, until his hiatus from his role in early 2012, subsequent to his election to the Board of Management. Brian presided over AGM proceedings with a keen eye for protocol, ensuring disruptive members were held accountable for their various infractions by assessing fines for behaviour deemed either too inappropriate or not appropriate enough. These fines were then allocated to the ABCLS Foundation where the funds have been used to promote the Foundation's long term goals which are to create and maintain a library that houses historical and current reference material related to the surveying industry in B.C., and to financially assist students who wish to pursue careers in surveying by providing scholarships and bursaries. At the eight AGM's since 2005, Brian has assessed fines totalling over $15,000, and in the spirit of good humour and hospitality surrounding the Sergeant‐at‐Arms, Brian has never shied away from setting an appropriate example by levying fines against himself. And Brian was always very quick to let you know he was really not fining you, he was just actually helping you to make a contribution to the B.C. Land Surveyors Foundation. For his distinguished service to our profession in recent years, the Board of Management is pleased to present the G.K. Burnett award to Brian Brown, BCLS #623. BRIAN BROWN: Thank you very much. That was a huge shock. CHUCK SALMON: It's interesting because when it's Board members that get an award, the Board sort of works around them in making approvals. So now we have a treat in store here. I would like to ask Floss Thomson to join us on the stage, please. As you know, a few years back we renamed what was the Meritorious Service Award which was previously the Distinguished Service Award, we renamed it the G.M. Thomson Award. And since renaming the award which was in 2010, we've not had a recipient. But this year we have a recipient for this award and, being the first one, we asked Floss if she would join us to make the presentation. So it's great that she travelled up here for it. Would you like to say a few words, or not? You don't have to. I didn't say anything about that. FLOSS THOMSON: No. I think it was the 7th of March in 2011 when the Board called to tell Gord that they had renamed the award, and I can tell you he was just ‐‐ he just said, "Wow". And it was at a time that he was taking a very unfriendly chemo drug and he was feeling pretty miserable, but that certainly made his day. He just always loved land surveying and I know last year and the year before were the first meetings he's missed since 1964, so it's very special and thank you so much for having me come today. I really appreciate it and it's just wonderful to see all the good friends again.
30
CHUCK SALMON: Thank you, Floss. I'd now like to invite the recipient of the G.M. Thomson Award to come up here and while he's coming up, I will read through the information here. So would O'Brian Blackall please come forward? Richard O'Brian Blackall graduated from Prince George Secondary School and went on to receive his Diploma in Survey Technology from BCIT. O'Brian began his survey career as a chainman with Bill Crook, BCLS #403, and articled with Bill from 1970 to 1975 in Williams Lake. During this period, O'Brian worked for Gary Dawson, BCLS #432, before joining McElhanney Associates in 1973. O'Brian was commissioned 1977. Immediately following his commission, O'Brian moved to Fort St. John and opened a branch office as the Branch Manager for McElhanney Associates. O'Brian received his commission as a Canada land surveyor in 1982. O'Brian was promoted to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for McElhanney Associates Land Surveyor in 1987 and later went on to become the President of the land surveying division of McElhanney Associates from which he retired in 2008. O'Brian continues to sit on the McElhanney Board of Directors and the Management Advisory Group. O'Brian was elected to the ABCLS Board of Management in 1995, serving as President in 1999. O'Brian served on many committees with the Association as well as being a participant in and serving on the executive of the Northern Group B.C. Land Surveyors. O'Brian served on the first Practice Advisory Panel in 2003, assisting with the setting up of practice review and plan review programs, establishing policies and procedures in addition to assisting with the hiring of the first two Practice Advisory Managers. O'Brian volunteered to continue for an additional year when his term was up to ensure that the second Practice Advisory Manager was hired and brought in to operate the program. Throughout his career in Fort St. John, O'Brian was instrumental in promoting the land surveying profession and recruiting land surveyor candidates to work in B.C.'s northeast in the oil patch. As a Board member, he continually promoted the profession wherever his travels took him. He took a keen interest in the educational institutions and promoted the development of scholarships and bursaries for geomatics students as well as serving on the Geomatics Engineering Liaison Committee with the University of Calgary for a number of years. O'Brian has provided valuable service to the Association, serving on the Complaint Inquiry Committee from 2008 to 2010. Through this period, a number of difficult complaints were dealt with and O'Brian gave of his time selflessly. O'Brian has served as a lay person on the Council of the Association of Professional Engineers and GeoScientists of B.C. for two terms; has served on the Board of Directors of the B.C. Transmission Corporation until it was amalgamated with B.C. Hydro, completed the Chartered Director Program from the Directors College, is an active member and volunteer of the Fort St. John Alliance Church, and continues to actively promote the land surveying profession wherever he goes. O'Brian currently serves on the Environmental Appeal Board, Forest Appeals Commission and the Oil and Gas Appeal Tribunal. No matter what capacity O'Brian serves the greater community, he promotes the land surveying profession in a positive manner. O'Brian was recognized by the Association with the G.S. Andrews Award in 2004 for his especially outstanding service and for his significant contribution to the promotion of land surveying. The Board of Management is pleased to present the G.M. Thomson Award to O`Brian Blackall, BCLS #564. We have two Lifetime Achievement Awards to present, and unfortunately both recipients weren't able to be here so I'll go through these. The first one is Dave Morton. Dave Morton graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1962. He articled to Tony McLaughlin, BCLS #336, in November of that year, receiving his commission BCLS #455 in 1968. Dave worked for Legal Surveys Division of the Department of Lands, Forests, and Water Resources and continued working for Legal Surveys Division once commissioned. His first survey as a commissioned land surveyor was a legal survey of Highway 33 from North of Westbridge to a location approximately two miles South of Beaverdell. Legal surveys in those divisions undertook a number of legal surveys of highways in order to expand the surveys into reposting and restoring of the fabric. Dave survived that very first year as a land surveyor, despite the fact that his party chief was Chuck Salmon. In the fall of 1969, Dave was sent to Fort Nelson and he undertook a number of very large agricultural lot surveys south of town, about 15 miles south of town. This project continued into 1970 in that area. Dave has done a number projects throughout the reposting. He did a large reposting project in the Mud River area just west of Prince George and a lot of that. Dave retired from the government in 1997, and in 1998 took over as editor of the Link. Once retired, Dave became a valuable asset to the Association as his computer skills and direction helped migrate the Link from a photocopy style of magazine to a glossy edition that is pleasing to the eye and which contains excellent content for land surveyors' reading pleasure. For 14 years Dave has provided valuable insight and direction to the magazine. While many other members fade off into the sunset when they retire, Dave Morton chose to continue his valuable contributions, and for his dedication to the land surveying profession and the cadastral fabric and for his service to the Association, the Board of Management is pleased to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dave Morton. Thank you.
31
The second Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Ralph Turner. Ralph started land surveying with Matson, Peck and Topliss in 1967. Ralph graduated from Steveston High School and later attended UBC to study forestry. Ralph first came to MPT via a summer job at the end of the UBC school year, but after trying surveying for a few months, he found that he like surveying better than forestry and stayed. In the late '60's, MPT was growing beyond the boundaries of Richmond and their surveying and engineering departments were working on several large land development projects on the Gulf Islands. As a result, they were looking for good people with a keen desire and interest in hard work in the woods. Ralph was well familiar with working on and around the water and, with his UBC forestry studies, had a natural and understanding affection for the woods. Ralph spent the better part of those first five years working more on the Gulf Islands than anywhere else slogging and hacking through the bush all day, either soaked to the skin by the winter rains or bitten to pieces by the mosquitoes in the summer. Ralph and others from the crew would study for their BCLS exams in their rooms at night in those crummy construction camps and seedy old hotels or inns where they lived for two weeks at a time. Separate from the survey work, their least favourite activity was digging percolation test holes and lugging five‐gallon pails of water along the bush trails in order to test soil porosity. That was followed by a close second negative, in hacking with machetes through miles of almost impenetrable ten‐foot high west coast salal bushes in order to set out the survey control lines. Following in third place was smashing their fingers while drilling holes for survey pins, plugs and monuments with hand chisels in that awful Gulf Islands conglomerate rock. The benefits were that they all learned how to start a good fire for lunch using old hemlock back infused with sap. That stuff was called "nooky wood" by an old grizzled Australian "jack of all trades" named Bluey Rimmer, who taught them how to survive in the woods with nothing much more than an axe, some matches and a tarp. Ralph articled to Kjeld Kjar in 1968, got his commission, BCLS #496 in 1973, and in about 1975, he joined MPT as a partner. Ralph articled Peter Mueller, BCLS #603, Randy Arnold, BCLS #636, Eugene Wong, BCLS #718, and Joe Coelho, BCLS #750. From the beginning Ralph was always committed to doing a job or a project well, no matter how much time and effort it took. He took great pride in the quality he attested to, and worked hard to instill that quality in his article students by patiently reminding them to always do their independent field checks because one day it will be their signatures on the plan. As a partner he would happily give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. That was just the way he always was and is to this day. Loyal, determined, hard working, and willing to get down in the trenches and do the dirty work that needed to be done. For his dedication to the land surveying profession and the cadastral fabric, and for his service to the Association, the Board of Management is pleased to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ralph Turner, BCLS #496. Thank you. This morning at the meeting, the membership elected two members to life membership. The first was Douglas John Roy BCLS #295. Doug's unable to be here, but I'll just read a few bits and pieces from the piece that he did. Doug began his career in land surveying with the Topographic Division of the New Brunswick government in 1946, moving to the B.C. Government Topographic Division in 1948. Doug articled from 1948 to 1959 to N.C. Stewart, BCLS #120, and Surveyor General, receiving his commission as BCLS #295 in 1950 and his DLS in 1951. He continued with the Topographic Division until 1952 when he left to join McElhanney. He left McElhanney and began working for himself in 1957, working in the Vancouver area. Doug later teamed up with Case Wagenaar and moved to Robert's Creek in 1975. Doug articled Peter Aplin, BCLS #375, Vern Goudal, BCLS #382, Kjeld Kjar, BCLS #433, Peter Gordon, BCLS #560 and Art Hoefsloot, BCLS #609. In the mid 1950's, while working for McElhanney, he surveyed the 250‐foot wide B.C. Hydro transmission line through the Sunshine Coast before it was constructed. Recollections are that he had 300 men working for him. That was a remarkable job and it was working through many old subdivisions dating back to the 1910‐1915 era. Doug's work to this day stands the test of time as most of his monuments are still in place and no records of any discrepancies in his work appear to exist. In addition to being a very active land surveyor, Doug was licensed as a professional engineer through the Civil Discipline on November 30, 1954 and was granted life membership with practice rights on November 15, 1991. For his extremely distinguished service with the Association and for his work within the profession, Doug Roy was elected to life membership in the Association of B.C. Land Surveyors this morning. Thank you. So now I'd ask Hans Troelsen to come forward and Kate Porter, if she's here, to come with you. Hans Troelsen was born and raised in the prairies before moving west to B.C. He joined the firm of Matson Peck and Topliss in 1967 where land surveying got into his blood. Early in his career, Hans loved to play the part of the bushman, as he was nowhere to be seen without his fiery red beard. Rumour has it he had never shaved that beard since he was able to grow it until some 30‐plus years later. After graduating from the Surveying and Mapping Diploma Program at BCIT, he articled with Bob Peck BCLS, #379, and life member #46 (deceased). Hans completed his professional exams in 1977 receiving his commission that same year.
32
Hans has been volunteering his time to the Association since receiving his commission. During the 1980's he served on a number of committees including the preparation of technical computation papers for the professional exams and servicing as Chairman of the Annual Entertainment Committee for 1988. Hans articled David Harris, BCLS #719, and Sukh Dhaliwal, BCLS #756, and has worked closely with a number of students in the firm Matson, Peck, & Topliss articled to other members in the firm. Hans is a lifelong learner and has always been an unselfish mentor to all land surveyors‐in‐training and survey students that have worked at Matson, Peck and Topliss. Hans was elected to the Board of Management in 1999 serving as President in 2003. During his term on the Board, Hans was instrumental in working with educational institutions ‐ both University of Calgary and BCIT ‐ to improve the relationships with students, provide advice and direction from the land surveying community, and to encourage the accreditation of BCIT programs. During his term on the Board a meeting did not go by without the terms "politics of education", "that's a great segue into", or "let me make this analogy" coming up at least once ‐‐ well, more than once. Just recently Hans coined a new phrase, "the politics of acknowledgement". Well, Hans, you're being acknowledged. Like so many Past Presidents, Hans continues to be active roles in the Association. He continues to serve the Association and profession on the Program Advisory Committee at BCIT, providing direction and guidance to the program and the leaders in the direction for the program to support the land surveying community. Hans also served on the Complaint Inquiry Committee. Following his term on the Board, Hans was nominated to and serves as a Trustee on the B.C. Land Surveyors Foundation. His involvement on the Foundation has been very beneficial, both intellectually and financially. Hans is one of the greatest supporters of the Foundation and recently assisted in the development of the B.C. Land Surveyors Foundation, G.M. Thomson Citizenship Award. Hans is currently a member of the External Relations Committee. He is on the Air Space and Vertical Datum and Strata Property Act working groups, and serves as Chair of the LTSA Liaison Committee. For his especially distinguished service to the Association, at the meeting this morning the membership elected Hans Troelsen to life membership to the Association. Now is the time we've been waiting for with all those new land surveyors. So I would like to read your name and I'd ask that each land surveyor and their partners, spouse, accompanying person, come forward and I'm going to have each of you, after you've been presented with your commission, to stand kind of across the front here, but stand off to the side because we're going to do a total thing afterwards. So first one is BCLS #910, Brent William Mayenburg. Brent articled to Richard Wey, BCLS #559 and works in Sidney. I would ask Brent and his partner, Sarah Duggan, to please come forward and ask Richard to stand and be recognized for his role in articling Brent. BCLS #911, Timothy Abraham Peterson. Tim articled to his father, Eric Peterson, BCLS #611, and works in Abbotsford. I would ask Tim and his wife, Christine, to please come forward and ask Eric to please stand and be recognized for his role in articling Tim. Actually, I think I was supposed to have ‐‐ Doerte, I think I was supposed to have you come up here and present these gifts to the ladies or the partners. BCLS #912, Roland Beat Bircher. Roland articled to Ray Janzen, BCLS #512, and works in Surrey. I would ask Roland and his wife, Fiona, to please come forward and ask Ray to stand and be recognized for his role in articling Roland. Ray, it doesn't look like he's here. BCLS #913, Scott Matthew Todd. Scott articled to Larry Achtemichuk, BCLS #612, and Grant Butler BCLS #656. He also concluded his preparation as a student working with Darryl Mitchell, BCLS #689, and works in Abbotsford. I'd ask Scott and his wife, Elisabeth, to come forward and I'll ask Larry, Grant and Darryl, if they're here, to stand and be recognized. BCLS #914, Mark Alexander Flinta. Mark articled to Mike Sims, BCLS #633, and works in Qualicum Beach. I would ask Mark and his wife, Diane, to please come forward. I don't think Mike is here to stand and be recognized. BCLS #915, Spencer Boyd Hagen. Spencer articled to Stan Nickel, BCLS #665, and works in Abbotsford. I would ask Spencer and his wife, Candace, to please come forward. I don't believe Stan is here, but if he is, to stand and be recognized. BCLS #916, Douglas Lucas Cairns. Luke articled to Scott Pengelly, BCLS #779, and works in Fort St. John, B.C. I would ask Lucas and his wife, Alanna, to please come forward and ask Scott to stand and be recognized for his role in articling Lucas. BCLS #917, Peter John Wittstock. Peter articled to Mike Manson, BCLS #664, and works in Victoria. I would ask Peter and his wife, Teresa, to please come forward. I don't believe Mike's here either. BCLS #918, Ross Alexander Mandeville. Ross articled to Steve Buzikievich, BCLS #600, and works in Penticton. I would ask Ross and his wife, Carly, to please come forward and ask Steve to please stand and be recognized for his role in articling Ross.
33
BCLS 919, Evgeny Petushkov. Evgeny articled to Warren Barnard, BCLS #695, Rob Yates BCLS #807, and Bill Chapman BCLS #526, and life member #66, and works in Vancouver, B.C. I would ask Evgeny and his girlfriend, Jennifer Mundy, to please come forward and ask Warren, Rob and Bill to please stand to be recognized for their roles in preparing Evgeny. BCLS #920, Adam Leslie Arduini. Adam articled to Adam Winter, BCLS #549, and works in North Vancouver. I would ask Adam and his wife, Andrea, to come forward. I know Alan is Down Under somewhere so I'll maybe ask Dan to stand. He worked with Adam for quite some time. BCLS #921, Alexander Elliot Heath. Alex articled to Neil Bennett, BCLS #527, and works in North Vancouver. I would ask Alex and his fiancé, Janie Lillquist, to please come forward and ask Neil to stand and be recognized for his role in articling Alex. I'm going to get this one right this time. BCLS #922, Jeffrey Douglas Thompson. Jeff articled to Shannon Aldridge, BCLS #802, and Bryan Bates, BCLS #776, and works in Fort St. John. I would ask Jeff and his wife, Alicia ‐ not here ‐ to please come forward and Shannon and Bryan, if you're here, to please stand and be recognized for your roles in preparing Jeff. Now, if I could have all the new land surveyors and their partners to please turn and face the stage. I know it's unusual to turn your back on the crowd, but maybe just step back a little bit so you're there. Come all together there a little bit and you'll get the President's message. It's right here for you as well. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I know there's going to be great disappointment here but anyone that is on the ziplining, if you don't get going now, you're going to miss it. So, and if you want I can repeat this tomorrow. So I'll let them get going. You guys get to have fun. Thank you. Welcome everyone. It's great to see you all here for our Annual Awards lunch. One of the greatest pleasures for the Presidents during their term is to have the opportunity to address you new land surveyors. I'm not sure when this tradition started, but now it's my turn and you're going to put up with me. I take great pride in fulfilling this role because before you is the future of our Association, an Association which has had a unique role in society since 1905, and whose members perform a service that effects every resident of this province. We are commissioned as B.C. Land Surveyors under an Act of legislation and during our careers, we will all operate under various Acts within the Province. Some of you will choose to spend your careers working as land surveyors just within those Acts, and others will benefit and offer society avenues of expertise that you are going to gain from this career. The choice is yours, but no matter which path your future takes you, always remember that you have a duty to the public, the Association and your fellow land surveyors to perform every task that you undertake to the best of your capability following the principles that you have learned over the last several years. It's not possible today to determine where your career will take you as a B.C. land surveyor. You may end up working in many different locales throughout B.C. doing various types of surveys. You may concentrate your career on one location specializing in a certain type of legal survey, and you could be part of a large multi‐discipline firm or, like me, a sole practitioner. What I can promise you, though, is that all of you will enjoy this chosen career, no matter how or where you decide to practice. You'll constantly experience personal satisfaction from what you do well, and your long‐term permanent effect on the cadastre. I honestly hope that each of you gets to experience the special moments that arise from finding evidence of that 100‐year‐old survey, re‐establishing properties fairly and equitably when problems exist, or actually filing that complicated plan successfully. These are the types of things which have made this career so special for me. I remember when I got my commission. There was quite a few of us that year and I have to be honest, there was a real "Thank God, it's over," feeling at the end of the lunch. Boy, were we wrong. As many of you told us during your interviews, a requirement of a good professional is a person who continues his or her education. I had to learn that after getting my commission, so you guys are already well ahead of me. I encourage you to follow through on what almost all of you told us during your interviews, and learn from your peers and by attending the many CPD events offered annually. Stay current with technology, know all legislative and rule changes, attend Regional Group and Annual Meetings of the Association, and talk to your fellow land surveyors. We are a friendly group who has a lot of cumulated knowledge to offer you, so just ask any one of us your questions. At this point, I'd like you to turn around and face the people in the audience. Take a few seconds to look around the room while I finish up with the plagiarized part of this speech. I've heard this part of the talk given to new members at more than one Association meeting across this country, and believe that the observations are relevant to each of you. First, about half of the faces you see are fellow land surveyors from B.C. and across the country. These people are your mentors and your peers. As you continue along the path you have chosen, make sure that you contribute and give back to them by actively participating in the Association and being the best land surveyor you can be. Secondly, I want you to recognize your family, your friends, your classmates, your articling surveyors, your workmates, and your study partners. They have all contributed greatly in helping you to receive your ABCLS commission here today. Don't ever forget what these people have given to you.
34
Thirdly, as you look around the room, you will see past and present Board members and you'll see our Association staff. Remember that Board and staff are here to assist you in this career. Call one of them if you have a question, call one of them if you wish to express an opinion. It is your future participation that will make this Association strong. Finally, as you look at the people attending this lunch, I would like you to see a society. The faces in this room represent the society that you will serve and the one that has been empowered to you to be a British Columbia Land Surveyor. As you perform your duties throughout your career, remember your role is not just to crunch numbers and apply mathematical solutions. Your role is to use the appropriate tools to gather and assess evidence with the end result being the reconstruction of a boundary in the best location of the original location that the nature of the case permits. That is your unique responsibility to society. Congratulations on being a newly commissioned B.C. land surveyor. A wonderful and rewarding career awaits each and every one of you. Thank you very much. So what we'd like to do, you can start working your way back to the seats, but we would like all of the new members to sort of muster out by the fireplace out there, and our photographers that have been helping us out through the day will join you out there and we're going to try to get a group photo of all of you together. For the rest of you, thank you very much for your attendance today. I hope you enjoyed the lunch and for the members, don't forget the meeting starts at 9:00. I don't know what time skiing starts, but the meeting starts at 9:00 tomorrow. Thank you very much. (Adjourned at 2:15 pm)
35
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA LAND SURVEYORS
108th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
~ DAY 2 FRIDAY MARCH 8, 2013 ~ WHISTLER, B.C.
BUSINESS SESSION
(9:00 AM) NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Good morning. I'm now going to call the meeting back to order and welcome back. I hope you enjoyed the evening last night. So yesterday when we were introducing all the Board members, Bronwyn Denton unfortunately wasn't here because she had to attend a conference call on behalf of the Board, so I would like to give Bronwyn an opportunity to say a couple of words at this point. BRONWYN DENTON: Thanks, Nigel. Sorry about yesterday, everyone. I just had to go downstairs and I really wasn't taking a nap. I was really on a conference call. I just wanted to thank Nigel for his leadership this year and thanks to Minda and to Peter for everything that they have contributed and I'm sorry that we only got to spend a year together on the Board, but it's been an interesting one for sure. I look forward to the year ahead. Congratulations to Ian and we certainly wish him the best of luck in his role as President. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks, Bronwyn. I'd also like to re‐introduce the representative from Ontario because he wasn't here yesterday. He got in extremely late the night before, so representing the Association of Ontario, Past‐President Dave Brubacher. So one of my favourite times of all AGM's is having the next person talk, so, Rich, you're up. RICHARD REDFERN: Yes, thank you, President Nigel. It's nice to be here, see all these smiling faces, hopefully going to raise a little bit of money for the Foundation. It is a funny to be funny at 9:00 in the morning, so please bear with me. On a more serious note, we did receive some negative feedback over the last year about the amount of the fines. Funnily enough, some people thought they were too much. So we are going to reduce the standard fine this year to $25. But, as the Board knows, the money has to come from somewhere, so we'll start with a $25 for all Board members with the exception of Chad and Michael as they're new to this adventure. I'm sure they wouldn't have done something so scurrilous. Of course, we better get anybody who complained about the amount of the fines previously. I don't know who they are, but I'm sure Chuck can assess them. Neil Bennett. Neil unfortunately had to leave, but he had the good fortune of winning a fishing derby out at Langara this past year, and won another free week this year. As a thanks, he's going to donate $500 to the Foundation and challenges everyone else to make appropriate donations as well, so thanks for that, Neil. Mike Thomson, are you here somewhere? MIKE THOMSON: Yes. RICHARD REDFERN: Oh, cheers, Mike. You consider yourself to be a man of your word. And I always have, Mike. You know, one of the greatest things about the Surveyor General is the honesty and integrity that you bring to that job. But a little concern did come up recently at the Lower Mainland Group meeting; I'm sure you remember. You gave a rather nice talk about the LTSA and their accomplishments, which we always look forward to, of course. But, I'm not sure if you're aware that in the first 45 seconds of your talk, you mentioned specifically three times that you intended to be brief. Now, personally I see a little bit of a disconnect there, so $25. Ian Lloyd, do you consider being prompt a good quality for a leader? IAN LLOYD: Oh, yes. RICHARD REDFERN: Excellent, good to hear. And do you respect and appreciate the contributions of the Board? IAN LLOYD: Oh, yes. RICHARD REDFERN: And of the Practice Advisory Panel? Would you care to explain why you were late for a meeting with the Practice Advisory Panel and the Board? IAN LLOYD: Right, I think I have personally (inaudible ‐ not using microphone).
36
RICHARD REDFERN: No, I know what you were doing and you weren't doing that, so $25. Brian Brown. You know nowadays when you buy a phone they offer you free instructions on how to work it. That same meeting on January 31st while we were sitting together at a table discussing strategy, your phone rang, surprisingly. You seemed to have a little trouble turning it off as well, which is fine, I understand that you did pay a fine for that. But I understand that the same thing happened again at the Board meeting this week; is that correct? BRIAN BROWN: Yes, it is. RICHARD REDFERN: Have you already paid a fine for that? BRIAN BROWN: No, no, I haven't been ‐‐ RICHARD REDFERN: Okay, good. And just as one final point, then, with the cell phone thing. I understand that you think that the way to turn the phone off is to rip the battery out of the back. RICHARD REDFERN: $25. Some of you may not know where the history of the Sergeant‐at‐Legs came from. Obviously you know Brian is our one and only Sergeant‐at‐Arms and we didn't want to encroach on that. So at last year's AGM, several land surveyors got together for a strategy session and I'm not sure if I remember them all. I know Jeff Robertson was there and Rob Tupper was there and Rob Macdonald was there. Luckily Rob Macdonald had just purchased a bottle of scotch from the silent auction. And luckily, Jeff Robertson had also brought a bottle of scotch with him, so we were able to strategize and came up with the name Sergeant‐at‐Legs. Unfortunately, there was a price to pay for our endeavors, and the next morning Rob Macdonald found himself at the airport with no jacket and no wallet. He did manage to talk himself onto the plane, so just a $25 fine. Rob Tupper, I believe, had a close encounter with a ditch on the way home, so $25 to Rob. Are you there, Rob? Thanks for your input by the way, it was most important. Dave Hardwicke, Mark Cahill, $25 deposit on any Comedy Club stuff that might be put forward. Disappointingly, we haven't heard from you yet. You know, if the jokes are good you might get some of that back, so it's all good. Joe just likes to donate to the Foundation, but he does enough of that anyway. Hans, you can't eat a turkey in one bite. They just never end, do they? You know what? Because Hans was obviously recognized as a life member yesterday, so I'm not going to fine him at all, but otherwise you would have severely got fined for that. Michael Burian and Chad Rintoul, welcome to the Association of BC Land Surveyors. We appreciate your input. One of the real privileges of being associated with this group is being able to donate to the Foundation and, you know, provide a wonderful future for young land surveyors. So I don't want you guys to have to wait any longer. Welcome to our group, $25. Jeffrey Douglas Thompson, are you in the room? Unfortunately, the influence that Chuck has in the Association, from now on, you are going to have to change your name to Jeffrey Douglas. Chuck, I think you can pay the fine if you don't mind. Rob Tupper again, sorry, Rob. I'm going to give you a $25 credit for standing up and introducing the articled student of a land surveyor who wasn't here. That's so nice of you, but I think you forgot to introduce your own. So that will be a $50 fine, netting you $25. And if you would like to stand up and introduce your articled student, that would be great. ROB TUPPER: What, right now? RICHARD REDFERN: No, next year would be fine. ROB TUPPER: Next year, he will be one of us. This is Brad Cooper from Vernon. RICHARD REDFERN: I think maybe with the possible exception of Nigel, who I have saved till the end, that will be about it. Could you repeat after me, "Buzikievich". NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Buzikievich. RICHARD REDFERN: That's pretty good. Twenty‐five dollars. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. RICHARD REDFERN: Nigel, sorry, I wasn't quite done with you. How many times did you mention the word "balls" during your... NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Four. RICHARD REDFERN: Yes. See, that's the thing, is that what you said was, "I've said the word 'balls' four times, but that makes a fifth, doesn't it? NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Actually, I was very careful. I counted the fifth one. RICHARD REDFERN: Oh, I disagree. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I won't argue. RICHARD REDFERN: And you also said "fart". NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Yes, I did. RICHARD REDFERN: Yes. Well, I think $25 again for that discretion ‐‐ or indiscretion, I guess it is. Let me just check. No, I think that it's about it for now. Everybody is pretty good about their cell phones and stuff, so I'm going to need maybe a little bit more intel on
37
things that are going on. So if you see a member who you think would be ‐‐ who would love the chance to donate to our cause, then please come and tell me about it. And lastly, today is International Women's Day so on behalf of two special women in my life, my wife, Kathy, and my granddaughter, Marie, I'm going to donate $100 for each of them to the Foundation and I encourage any of you who feel the same about the women in your lives to do the same. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Richard. Chuck, I think you have a couple of announcements. CHUCK SALMON: Thanks, Nigel. Just quickly, there are some forms on the table over there for some members who have not yet signed in. Remember, you only have to sign in once throughout the event. So if you have not done so, please make sure you sign the register using the forms on the table. The front desk will be closing after lunch, so if you have not yet got your copy of Jay Sherwood's book Furrows in the Sky about Gerry Andrews or one of John Motherwell's books, or some of the paraphernalia out there and you want to get some, please see the staff at the registration desk during lunch today or during coffee. The sign‐up sheet for tables for dinner is also there. Please ensure that if you do have a ticket for dinner tonight, that you have signed your name on that sheet so that they know where you are. Apparently they are going to try and arrange things a little bit tighter up there. Finally, twenty‐five year pins. I don't believe I've missed anybody. I think I got them all yesterday, but I just like to say if anyone in the room has a commission below 695 and has not yet received their pin, please let me know. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: It was actually kind of special yesterday at the Awards Lunch when we were giving out the twenty‐five year pins, because a lot of those people like Roger Galibois, Robin Kenyan, Paul Bunbury, they were getting their commissions in Whistler at an Awards Lunch 24 years ago. So I thought that was kind of neat and a nice touch. So at this point we are going to move on to a report from the Practice Advisory Department and the panel so, Gord and Joe, would you guys please come up. GORD GAMBLE: Thank you, Nigel. Well, 2012 proved to be another busy year for the Practice Advisory Department. We completed 274 plan reviews this year, and these were comprised of 247 Land Title Act plans, 23 strata plans and four well‐site plans. We also completed 65 practice reviews. Now, this year we made our first attempt at compiling statistics not since the program started, but since 2006 when we were keeping pretty complete records. I've compiled that on the chart over here that you can see. What those are basically are several categories for which we keep checklists or spreadsheets so that we have the statistics and what they are, are basically deficiencies, percentage of deficiencies that we have noticed in the various categories. So on the left, we have LTSA plans, strata plans, well‐site plans. I can't see the next one. Anyway, and then a category called field notes and field inspections. So those are just comparisons year to year. We thought it might be useful just to see this in graphic format, just so we can see what the trends look like. Obviously we made some nice progress initially. Interestingly, this year we've had a little bump up in deficiencies in pretty well all categories. Some of this can be attributed to, I think, some of the GSI rules that weren't properly understood and perhaps arguably maybe not properly communicated. I'll say a little bit more about that later. In the topo and building location certificate category and the field notes and field inspection, really the main culprits there is poor field notes. It's pretty easy in this era of digital data acquisition to forget the fact of the importance of detailed documentation of field activities, field notes, sketches and evidence notes. So just reminding people to be careful about that. Now, this year there was a surprising number of conditional plan reviews. We had 35 conditional plan reviews. This is unprecedented compared to previous years where we've generally had ten or less. I would say that my general observation here would be that while we're seeing a general decline in the number of deficiencies this year, we saw a jump in more significant deficiencies, so more serious deficiencies. There were three primary reasons for the conditional plan reviews and those were: first of all, 19 of the reviews were due to technical errors in plans, so missing bearings, missing or incorrect distances. Statutory declarations were filed in all of these cases and these errors were corrected. But it does point to a bit of a problem in terms of quality control when you are doing your final plan checks. I'm not sure why this year we found this spike particularly but it does point to that issue. And also, the general negative idea of having to file a statutory declaration, you see a lot of them coming in Land Titles and it's probably not a great advertisement for our profession. So just a reminder to tighten up those quality control procedures. In nine instances in these conditional reviews, it was a case of posting plans not being filed within the 60‐day required time limit. And again, just a reminder that that is a Land Title Act requirement. You should definitely need to be filing these things. It's important that those posts you've placed in the ground are made a public record so other people that are out there surveying understand where they came from. I hear some excuses like, "Well, I was holding onto the plan till I got paid." That's not acceptable.
38
Six of the conditional reviews were due to boundary resolution issues and these were all discussed with practitioners. In some cases, it was simply a matter that we, the Practice Advisory Department, couldn't understand the boundary resolution based on the information provided on the face of the plan. In some cases, the practitioner, after we discussed things, got a little bit of a different view of another possibility for boundary resolution, but no changes were actually made. One instance resulted in a new plan being filed and we've got a couple of ongoing situations that we're trying to resolve yet. Generally, I would remind people to put sufficient information on the face of your plan. It would be nice if your plan could stand alone and be understood and the boundary resolution understood, and don't be shy about putting notes on your plan as to what you've done and why. Some people have viewed these things as extraneous to the plan, but our view is it's very important to have those, that information and those notes on the plan. One particularly noteworthy item that we came across this year, when doing plan reviews, was the number of posting plans that we discovered were actually filed but did not show up in miscellaneous notes. Of course, that's a little bit serious in the sense that if those plans don't make it into the miscellaneous notes, they're going to be lost essentially. So we worked with the Land Title Survey Authority this year. We, with their help, discovered approximately 250 undocumented, if you will, undocumented posting plans. So they worked with us and were very helpful in getting those 250 plans into miscellaneous notes. But going forward, I would just encourage people to follow up on your posting plans and not just to confirm that they've been registered, but also to confirm that they've been entered into miscellaneous notes. If you find that they're not getting into miscellaneous notes, for whatever reason, please let me know and I will follow up with Land Titles. In terms of practice reviews, we entered the second year of round two of practice reviews this year and the results give every indication of heightened awareness among members, critical practice issues and professional responsibilities. We do a subjective marking of practice reviews and this year the average score was 78 percent. There is some detail in the full document of the annual report as to how we do that subjective review. Forty‐five of the 65 scored above the average, and 20 fell below. Only four practitioners scored less than 50 percent. So we're going to try and add that statistical data as well into a graphical format and include that in the annual report in the future. In general, we can confirm that the quality of surveys being done by the majority of land surveyors is very high and it should be a source of pride for the membership. All these spreadsheets that we use from which these statistics were compiled, are posted to the website, or will be. They are not yet, but we will be posting those, so anybody who wants more detail and to look at these things in more detail, it's for you to go and see them there. Now, PAD fulfills two primary roles within the Association. The first, of course, is our primary duty to deliver relevant and effective plan and practice review programs. But the second is, which we collectively call Professional Practice Services, is to support the Association through involvement in several committees and some related duties that flow from that. In 2012 we continued supporting the CPD Committee, Survey Rules Committee, ECR and the Professional Reference Manual Committee. In addition, I started serving, as of this January, on the LTSA Liaison Committee which is going to be a very important role for me. Now, a large part of our role on these committees is to act as a conduit between the membership and the committees. We are out there talking to the membership a lot in the course of doing plan and practice reviews, so we can bring concerns from members to the committees and, in addition, we see our role as being a little bit of an information/communication line between the various committees themselves. There's a lot of common ground between committees. Also as part of our Professional Practice Services duties, we maintain the GSI Rules and the Professional Reference Manual. You'll have seen the newest version 3.3 of the GSI Rules that came out in February, I believe, early February. So we've got our editing of that document quite well honed, so we feel that we can turn it around fairly quickly now. In regard to the GSI Rules, I will address one item. We hear a good deal of feedback from members, that there seems to be an unending supply of rule changes and that it's difficult to keep up with all these changes and some of the rule changes seem to be relatively minor. Now, I just want to acknowledge we recognize the issue, we've got the message and we're looking for ways to address it. One of our projects this year that should help in that regard is that we hope to be able to tie the ECR checklists to the GSI Rules, so when you see in the ECR checklist a reference to a rule, you'll be able to click on that and go directly to the Rule. If it's possible to enhance that further and flag recent rule changes within that, we will also attempt to do that. So that should help people in keeping a little more current with a lot of these rule changes. Now having said that, I think people and our members need to recognize that rule changes are just a part of our changing technical and regulatory environment that we live in. Geo‐referencing, electronic filing, all those things are bringing about rule changes, and so I just need to emphasize it's also your responsibility to keep abreast of these rule changes and know what they are, just the same as you would if there was regulations or legislations that effected your surveys. You've got to keep up to date. 2012 brought 20 requests for GSI rule exemptions for which PAD, on behalf of the Association, is responsible as part of our PPS duties. Very few exemption requests were turned down. We remind members to provide sufficient background information and
39
material to clearly justify the request. We also emphasize that pretty well all exemption requests come through the Practice Advisory Manager, so your request should come to us. There are a limited number of instances where your requests go directly to the Surveyor General and those are outlined in GSI Rule I(2). We continue to work on sample plans and hopefully this year you'll see a Mineral Tenure Act plan added as well as some of the Strata Property Act amendment type plans added to our sample plans. So, in summary, I'm happy to report that over the past year, we've had a great deal of positive feedback from practitioners. Much of the feedback has been in the form of suggestions for improvement of the delivery and content of the program. We truly appreciate when members take the time and effort to contact us to discuss the results of their plan and practice reviews. Your input is essential to ensure that the Practice Advisory program evolves in a way that's relevant and beneficial to you. We also note that an increasing number of members are looking to the Practice Advisory Department for advice on practice issues and interpretation of GSI Rules. This is a positive trend, in our view, and it helps us to keep current and in touch with what's going on in your practices and to provide input into the various committees in which we are involved. We also encourage students, LST's and LSA’s that have questions, to give us a call. Staff of the Practice Advisory Department would like to express our appreciation for the direction and support provided by the Practice Advisory Panel over the past year; Joe Johnson, Chair, Bert Hol, Jeff Robertson, Rich Redfern. The Association staff have also been of great assistance in the day‐to‐day functioning of the department and thanks are due to Chuck, Chad, Vicki, Denise and Loraine. A full copy of this report was sent out to the membership at the end of February. It will be posted on the website if you want to look at it in more detail. We're looking forward to an exciting 2013. Any questions? JOE JOHNSON: Thanks, Gord. I'd like to thank Gord for his hard work and the dedication that he brings to his job as manager of the Practice Advisory Program. We're very lucky to have Gord leading that program. I'd also like to thank the other members of the panel for their efforts on your behalf; Bert Hol, Jeff Robertson, Rich Redfern. We are all very well served by these members as they guide the department. Over the past year, the manager and the panel have been working closely with the Board to start developing a model for the competency program. This is a work in progress and you will hear more on this initiative in a few minutes. One thing that has already become clear, the limited resources of the Practice Advisory Program need to be more focused on where they will have the most educational benefit. To that end, the department and the panel will be working within the framework of the developing competency program to build a practice review system that will help meet the mission of our Association, the protection of the public interest and the protection of the cadastre. As this new model starts to develop over the upcoming year, we will be looking for guidance and input from the membership. Thank you. Are there any questions? NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks, Joe. Thanks, Gord. So the next part will be a presentation on the Professional Competency Program. As you all know, it was identified as one of the key priorities in the 2011 Strategic Plan, and within the plan, it says that our Professional Competency Plan has three main objectives. The first one is to standardize the competencies required to practice. Number two, facilitate the regulatory oversight of the Association and, number three, enable a focused professional development for members. Now, strategic plans are wonderful and they're all broad‐stroke statements, but when we decided to work on this program and started to boil in on those three objectives, we realized that the scope of this thing was quite phenomenal. As Joe mentioned a few minutes ago, we have been working on it this year. We had several meetings between a contingent on the Board and the full Practice Advisory Panel along with the three managers. The three managers have been meeting about this. There's been telephone conferences, and I think that we've got to the point where we're going to move forward with a direction. We are at the point where we know the direction of the plan and where we want to take it, which is what we're about to start working on this year. It's going to involve looking at all facets of our Association business that pertain to the protection of the public. It is a critical plan for us to establish and implement, not only for the protection of the public interest, but to maintain our right to do what we do now, which is legally survey land and rights. Across the country we are seeing challenges to professional associations who are not demonstrating proactively the leadership that a plan like this is going to give us. In a Link article, earlier I mentioned examples of the B.C. legal and medical fields where changes have been made, and in Newfoundland, the government actually changed their Act when their land surveyors were unable to meet their needs on certain types of surveys. So there's been a lot of work done to date, we're quite happy where we are, but we're not at a position yet where we're able to roll out a plan and let members look at it. Three managers, Chad, Chuck and Gord, will be the main leaders as we move forward in the next year. They will be reporting back and consulting with the full panel and the contingent of the Board, and we will be, as the year goes on, asking select committee chairs to come in when the times are appropriate and bringing other people into the process. It is going to evolve over the next year
40
and we are really sure that we are going to be able to implement the plan in 2014. It is a massive project. You, the members, will be kept informed as the plan progresses all year long, and we will be asking for your input as Joe said. So thank you very much and I'd now like Chad to come up and give a brief demonstration. CHAD RINTOUL: Thank you, and good morning. Richard, you'll like this. A wise man once said that the only constant is change, and that was actually Richard Redfern at the buffet last night. Look, this is not change for the sake of change. This is not being approached for any other reason other than we are being proactive. It's not a manufactured program, it's not a manufactured issue. Government has launched a qualified persons initiative and they're looking critically and currently reviewing professions, in particular, with emphasis on self‐governing professions. Chuck Salmon has been liaising with government in this initiative, and it's important that we're proactive and can show to government that we are addressing the issue of professional competency. To provide you with a little bit of background, our strategic plan, as Nigel referenced, the Board has identified the development of a professional competency plan as a priority in order to support professional standards of practice and adherence to ethical conduct. One textbook definition on competency reads as follows: A combination of skill, knowledge, and performance. Its attainment is evidenced by an individual's ability to apply the
necessary knowledge, skills in judgement in his or her practice. We've talked a little bit about why we need this in terms of the emphasis from government and again there's an expectation that self‐governing professions will be transparent; in our particular case, the emphasis on the protection of the public interest, and also to maintain and improve upon public and government confidence. As Nigel pointed out, we need to be proactive on this. Our government may initiate changes that are less appealing to our profession. We asked ourselves in some of the early meetings, don't we already have programs that exist in relation to professional competency? We certainly do. We've got very good programs. Our continuing professional development program is well‐tuned and certainly proactive. Our Practice Advisory Department carries out reviews of both practice and plans with an emphasis on education. And of course we have the CIC as the Complaint Inquiry process so that the public have an avenue to turn to. Where arguably there is room for improvement would be within the transparency, the metrics or the measurables within these processes, and frankly the communication with each of these groups. Just to go back to that last piece on communication before I proceed. It's with an emphasis that we're looking at, so that the likes of CPD doesn't operate in isolation, for example, that they're getting feedback from PAD, transparent feedback in how to target CPD as an example. What's happened to date with this process, well we realize that you can't eat a turkey in one bite. Thanks, Hans. This is a process. We've met with the Practice Advisory Panel, the executive of the Board of Management, and we've had early discussions back in November and January of this year. We've hired a contractor who has some background in these areas, and he is doing some research on other professional associations in terms of the development of their professional competency programs. When we next meet as a small working group, we intend to look at our program foundations and compare them to what else is working and/or not working for the other associations. There is broad consensus in our early discussions that, as the program develops, it will include the following components: an ethical code, a mentoring program, Practice Advisory Department, targeted continuing professional development and, of course, the CIC component. Again, we would like to see the mentoring program feeding into targeted CPD. Chuck showed some demographics yesterday whereby we have approximately 95, 96 land surveyors within the first five years of practice. That group needs emphasis in certain areas of professional development that likely the 40 to 50‐year‐old category does not. We also have a considerable number of surveyors at the opposite end of the demographic who likely need CPD focus in other areas, refreshing their skills throughout the term of their professional practice. We'd also like to see the CIC feeding back into targeted professional development. So learning from the CIC as opposed to operating in isolation and keeping findings relatively in‐house. We'd like to use these as learning examples, and also be transparent about the issues that come out of CIC. Improvements to our website that will help to illustrate to the public and government, and our stakeholders, how surveyors are doing in their profession. Our next steps include select committee participation. So the groups that have been identified as being principal party to the process will be invited to send representatives to join in the working group. Also member engagement, we look forward to providing updates as the direction of the program comes together and request insight at regional group meetings in the year ahead. As Nigel pointed out, we're targeting an introduction of a program for the AGM 2014. The goal here clearly, folks, is to establish some measurables, some metrics that ‐‐ and I'm not suggesting that some don't exist now ‐‐ but to have metrics that are clear and transparent and available to the government and the public. I certainly appreciate your attention, and I would encourage you to approach management, myself or Gord, in particular, Chuck, and also members of the Board, the panel to provide any early thoughts that you have on this process. It's literally a work‐in‐progress
41
and we look forward to developing what we feel will address government's concerns, potentially for the profession in a proactive manner. Thank you very much. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Dave? DAVE HARDWICKE: I just had a question. The comment was made that the government may do some unknown thing that causes us to react in this proactive way. What is the "may do"? What's the threat that we're working against, just so I can understand a bit more what's the background. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: What it is, is all levels of governments, because of financial constraints, are looking at professional associations, and particularly self‐regulating professional associations, to ensure that they're meeting their mandates to the public. So I believe that a lot of this is coming from financial constraints put on governments on mechanisms to save money. That was the example that was found in Newfoundland. So they actually changed their Act and allowed certain types of surveys to be done by non‐Newfoundland surveyors. DAVE HARDWICKE: So you're saying there is pressure from other groups wanting to do work that we do? NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I'm not saying that there are pressures, Dave. What I'm saying is that everything is under scrutiny. That's not the main impetus for this program. The main impetus for this program is to ensure that our members are fully competent to serve the public and protect the cadastre. This is just a little by‐product that is also there, and one of the reasons that we want to be proactive and show that we are considering this. DAVE HARDWICKE: Okay, thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. Are there any other questions? Okay. I'd now like to call on Dave Harris to give a Professional Surveyor of Canada presentation. DAVE HARRIS: Thank you very much, Nigel. I am the elected representative of the Professional Surveyors of Canada. I represent the members here in British Columbia. I promise to be brief here today. For those of you who sat through the presentation last year, this will try and make up for it. I would just like to quickly review the role of Professional Surveyors Canada, and then we are going to take a quick look at how we have fulfilled or not fulfilled that role in the last couple of years, and then I would just like to finish off with where I think we need to go based on a lot of the feedback that I have received here during this week. Professional Surveyors Canada was formed with a mandate to represent the common interests of individual licensed surveyors on a nation‐wide basis. This is distinctly different from the licensing associations like the ABCLS whose mandate is to protect the public interest. PSC is committed to working with the licensing associations by facilitating discussion on common and national issues, by searching for ways to reduce cost of common services such as continuing professional development, and by speaking as a common voice when advocating for the profession. PSC is starting our third year of operation, and as you might expect for a young organization that's trying to find its feet, we've stumbled a few times along the way. We're not trying to hide that but I think we've definitely done a few things pretty good as well. One area where I think that PSC has done something worthwhile and is doing a good job is by providing alternative sources of seminars for continuing professional development. Not only do these seminars directly benefit the individual land surveyors, but they also help to reduce the cost of CPD to the associations. I know many of you were at the Professional Liability Insurance Committee Risk Management seminar on Wednesday. Professional Surveyors Canada, along with our partners ENCON and Jardine Lloyd Thompson, not only managed the insurance program that we've tailored for Canadian surveyors, but we also provide extensive risk management education. At that seminar there was 77 land surveyors and students, and students from BCIT, but only 12 of those were actually PSC members. So you don't need to be a PSC member to take advantage of our risk management. Risk management, it's important to everybody, not just in British Columbia, but right across the country. As we were told, the pile that gets driven wrong in British Columbia affects the cost of insurance in Newfoundland as well. By providing common risk management, not only are we helping individual surveyors, but like I say, we are also helping to reduce the cost of seminars to the Associations. We had a meet‐and‐greet information seminar on Wednesday afternoon and I spoke to a young land surveyor who just got his commission this week, and he was telling me how he had found on the Professional Surveyors Canada website information on risk management that helped him study for his professional exams here in British Columbia. In addition to the risk management seminar, we've also presented our project management essentials for surveyors a number of times across the country now and that seminar addresses another common topic that is the same right across the country. So while I think we've done pretty good in CPD, there's a few places where we haven't done so well and I think one of the ones that is most contentious right now is our Professional Association Liaison Committee. That committee is made up of members of each of the licensed associations and it's chaired by Professional Surveyors Canada. The terms of reference for that committee are to provide professional associations a national forum to discuss and to further common objectives. I think the problem is that, to date,
42
we've had lots of discussion but we haven't had very much furthering. In British Columbia we were fortunate to have a Board of Management that wants to work with Professional Surveyors Canada to help solve that problem. Along with establishing a long to‐do list of things that we would like to see get done, we also have to make sure that we provide adequate resources to make sure that we can meet those objectives. This year's PSC budget is a modest $190,000. Just by comparison, the ABCLS budget for this year is $1.4 million so we have to be really careful. If we extrapolate that across the country, if we just assume that British Columbia is more or less the average, that means there's about $15 million being spent annually by licensing associations across the nation. So that tiny PSC budget only represents about 1.5 percent of the entire national budget. So we have to be really careful that we manage our expectations and make sure that these shopping lists that we develop are realistic and that we can actually accomplish those goals. I'd just like to make one more comment about our budget. There's been some discussion that PSC expects to have a budget three‐quarters of a million dollars and that's just not true. Where that number came about is we have our $190,000 budget which is cash money, real money in the bank that we need to spend. But PSC also estimated that our volunteers contribute approximately another half a million dollars in effort each year to get things accomplished, and so that three‐quarters of a million dollars came about by adding the 190 to the 500,000 and coming out with approximately $750,000 but that's not the cash money that we expect to raise from our membership at all. I mention that here because it kind of leads into the next thing that we need to work a little bit better on I think and that is communication. I'm really happy about the seminar or the little information session we had here on Wednesday. We had a couple of dozen people out, I guess, and I talked a little bit and they talked a whole lot back and I listened a whole lot. I think from that session a few things were pretty clear. First and foremost, I think it's pretty clear that they want a national voice for professional surveyors. Second, they want a clear, concise, timely and unembellished communication from the PSC directors to our members, and third, they want modest, measurable success in advocating for their profession. I believe that at PSC, not only can we achieve those goals, but I think we have to achieve those goals. As Nigel said in his President's report yesterday, it's inevitable, change is inevitable and change will affect us all right across the country from Victoria to St. John's. We have no choice, we need to build. We can't build imaginary walls around our Association and pretend that change isn't going to affect us. If we do that, we are going to get left behind. We have to embrace change and we have to be prepared to move forward and I think PSC is one way that associations and individual land surveyors can make sure that they are part of change and that they don't get left behind. That's pretty much all I have to say, but I would appreciate it if you have any questions or comments. JOE JOHNSON: Dave, can you speak a little bit about why we need a national voice? Why we need national advocacy? DAVE HARRIS: I think one of the biggest things about national advocacy is a lot of other institutions like, for instance, the federal government, they don't want to hear the same thing from eleven different licensing associations. They would like to sit down and have that discussion with one body that represents all land surveyors in Canada. I also think there's a lot of ability to ‐‐ somebody's phone's ringing. We can also take advantage of the fact that all these issues are common, right, or a lot of these issues are common, and we can use our collective abilities to not solve the same problem eleven times. Thank you very much. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks, Dave. Just so you know, our Association holds the position as Dave referenced, and that's called the Professional Association Liaison Committee of PSC. Our Board representative to that committee is Bronwyn Denton. So if anybody ever has anything that they want to discuss to go towards PSC from our Association side, right now Bronwyn is the one that you would talk to. We are now going to have a presentation on the ParcelMap BC project from Brent Taylor. Brent is the Association's representative on contract to coordinate all the Association programs involved in ParcelMap BC. So Brent, if you wouldn't mind coming up to the podium. BRENT TAYLOR: Thanks, Nigel. Good morning, all. Technology is not my strong suit. So ParcelMap BC is an initiative of the Land Title and Survey Authority, but just before I get into those details, one of the things I'd like to just bring to the floor to start with, is this is not a new concept. A few years ago, I read the book Made to Measure, and one of the things I noticed in that book is very early on in the development of British Columbia, there was discussions about the idea of should surveys be put together in a geographical reference? Should there be one map for the province? The decision at that time, as I understand from the book, was that it was considered to be too onerous, too expensive for society at that time. So decisions were made that created a localized system. So when we go out and do a parcel survey or a resource survey, we're connecting to nearby information, and therefore we're stitching together this collective source of information for the province, but there's never been, one official source of a map that puts it all together province wide. As time progressed, there have been various initiatives to solve that problem and to get to a point of having a single map. I can personally know of three Surveyors General, one of which is to my right, one of which who isn't here today and one the current
43
Surveyor General, who have tried and worked hard to drive this single cohesive map of the province, that relates all of our work that we do for the public, into one single product. I think we're very close to being at a point where Mike Thomson and his organization is going to succeed in achieving this. We're coming at it 150 years late, so we're not getting the benefit of starting from a blank sheet and building a product that is starting from those first principles and everything is coming together. Instead, the LTSA is faced with taking 150 years of information, trying to get a best product cobbled together to get the program started with, I wouldn't say a limited budget, but a defined budget that may or may not be the ideal number but it's the money that they have available. So we're going to start off this project with the best available information that can be put together for the budget that's available. The concentration is really going to be on developing the systems to improve that over time as opposed to making sure we have a perfect product right out the gate. So, initially, the idea of ParcelMap BC is that it will be a spatial compilation or an index. It will be a best representation of the information available for the current parcel fabric. It's really a starting point. For us as land surveyors, we'll see all sorts of issues with the initial product. We'll download a portion of it, we'll have a look at a portion of it, and we'll know that there are problems with it. I think that part of what we need to do as a profession is be patient. Be patient and be participatory, recognize that our role is to help the LTSA and ourselves and society, but the LTSA is the owner of this product, so help them get to a point where we have a great product at the end of the day. So for us it's really a starting point. We will be able to use it like an index, a graphical index into the Land Title and Survey Authority records and use it as a starting point in its initial roll‐out. As the product develops and as we, as a profession, take pride in helping that product develop, we can get to a point where it turns into being a spatial compilation or index, but where the accuracy gets to a point of being useful for our profession and that we can help that product grow in time. Once it does, then it really becomes a starting point for our work. We can actually then start to access this data and use it and streamline our organizations, our work flow to take advantage of this product. We can also use it as an opportunity for expanded services, which I'll get into as we go along here. So who is involved? Who's part of this.? Well, it is an initiative of the Land Title and Survey Authority. They will be the ones putting the money out, putting the staff out, building the product, owning the product. What we've seen with the LTSA over their history of seven years is that they are very committed to working with their key stakeholders and honestly seeking input from the stakeholders and allowing the stakeholders to help shape their products. So there's sort of two categories of stakeholders. There's four groups that are considered to be participating stakeholders, and that has a real distinction in how this product will serve us in the future. So those four participating stakeholders are ourselves, the Association of B.C. Land Surveyors, the Integrated Cadastral Information Society, BC Assessment and the Province of BC. Then a more general stakeholder will be the end users, the general public, lawyers, legal professionals, real estate professionals, other parties that will have access to the data at a certain level and be able to use it as a graphical access to the Land Title and Survey Authority records. Just a little more about these participating stakeholders. The role ISIS is playing is really as a conduit to all of ISIS members. So ISIS members are mainly going to be the local governments, the municipalities, regional districts and the utility companies, the gas companies, the B.C. Hydro companies, those type of organizations. The province and others are also part of ISIS but the province is actually represented separately as a participating stakeholder as well. And then BC Assessment is a very heavy user of cadastral information and therefore they have a role to play as well. Of those participating stakeholders, one of the reasons I put the Association at the top of the list is we are seen to be the contributors. Once the product is built, we are the contributors. We are the ones that will generate the information that will create change, or generally be the ones that create information that changes the parcel fabric as life moves along. So we're very key players in this organization. ISIS and the province are important because they are contributing the initial suite of data that will be used to build the product. And as I said, BC Assessment is mainly there from a high‐user perspective, but they're also contributing some funding, not to the LTSA, but funding back to ISIS members to help them make changes to their system that will allow their systems to absorb the new ParcelMap BC product. One of the things that I've learned over the last decade as I've gotten more involved in development of systems is that when you start thinking about developing a software application, the people that you hire to do that speak a foreign language. They really do not speak English as far as I can tell. They are English words, but they have no meaning in a normal context. And arguably we can go sit around and talk about land surveying and nobody knows what we're talking about either. So the last eight months of development of this program, Kelly has converted to being an IT guy instead of a land surveyor and he now speaks in a whole different language. One of the things is if you ask him what the work he's been doing is, one of the products that he'll talk about is the services that ParcelMap BC will deliver.
44
This is a slide from the Land Title and Survey Authority, and what it talks about is the five fundamental services that ParcelMap BC is going to deliver, so the five types of products that it will be a result of, and I'll get into each one in a minute, but basically what you'll see is that ParcelMap BC is going to deliver one service to the general public. It will basically be essentially a view‐only type of graphical index, and through that graphical index you'll be able to access other records, but the public won't have access to download the ParcelMap BC itself, they won't have access to the underlining data, but they will have a graphical index to get to Land Title and Survey Authority data. You'll see in the bottom right‐hand corner the other participating stakeholders: the province, ISIS and B.C. Assessment. You'll see that they really have the same access that the general public has and one other service, and then land surveyors essentially are the special participating stakeholder in that we get the greatest value from the system in that we get access to all of these services. So what are these services? So there's a search for ParcelMap BC data, and this is a specific service designed for land surveyors. It's essentially ‐‐ and I have to be a little careful in that the system isn't designed yet. The system is starting to get specified. It's starting to take some detailed shape, but they need to hire a contractor and that contractor will go through a detailed design process. So these are the concepts at this point and things ‐‐ well, I don't think these concepts will change, but the details of the concepts will flush out as the project moves along. But it's envisioned that there will be this ability for a land surveyor ‐ that's not the Association, that's every one of you in the room that's a British Columbia land surveyor and your organizations ‐ to have the ability to go on to a specific tool within ParcelMap BC, and you'll be able to go through a process, yet to be defined, that will allow you to identify an area of interest, identify subjects of interest. Maybe you want line work, maybe you want attribute data. Whatever that is and design an extract if you will. Then you will be able to obtain or download a specific file that you will have designed and you'll be able to use that within your own organization and your own system. The next service is downloading the data. The first one is you get to design what dataset you want, and the second one is again specific to land surveyors in that you'll be able to actually real‐time access that data and download it and have a file on your system that you can then work with and develop. The third service is: in return for this whole program of ParcelMap BC and the contributions that land surveyors are going to make in putting in ‐‐ sorry, let me go back a little bit. ParcelMap BC, one of the fundamentals is that land surveyors will get benefit from it, from being able to access the data in a unique way. In return for that, land surveyors are being asked to give data to ParcelMap BC in a defined way. So this service is about how we give our data to ParcelMap BC. Again, the specific details have a long way to go in terms of the design, but the basic concept is that you'll be able to log on through the integrated customer portal, I think that's what ICP stands for. You'll be able to log on through this new portal. You'll be able to upload data. You'll have access to a certain amount of tools that are associated with uploading that data that will ideally help you in your business, and may actually address some of the things that Gord was talking about earlier this morning. You will then be able to get to that point where you will be able to push the data over to ParcelMap BC. There's no definition yet about what the format of the data will be or even the absolute specifics of the content of that data. That's still a work in progress and we will develop over the coming six months maybe, maybe a year, somewhere in there, probably closer to a year, and the Association will be closely consulted as we go down that path. The fourth one is sort of the general tool that's available to everybody. It's this graphical index or graphical search, if you will, to Land Title and Survey Authority records. One of the visions is that you will be able to do something like "window an area" and ask for all the survey plans that are relevant to that area and you'll maybe get list and be able to tick off the ones you want or select all and then, through that index search, you'll get moved over to the search and retrieval type of tools that we're used to seeing in the Land Title system today. So this will be the index, this will be the route in, but then we will be sort of going back and forth to the existing tools that we're used to using. That will likely also connect to something like GATOR and possibly other service providers as well. The last one is the one that I think creates some opportunities for people in this room that you may not have thought of yet. The whole concept of ParcelMap BC is that it is a foundation piece. It is, as Mike described it yesterday, they've got these four buzz words but it's essentially an overall map of the province that's based on cadastral information. With that foundational piece of information, you, as land surveyors, will be able to set up, if you wish to do so, set up a machine‐to‐machine download process. So if you want you can have this cadastral map for the whole province or any portion of the province that suits your needs. You can at some interval that suits your needs, you can get a refresh of that file, and you have the access to that data to then be able to build your own value‐added service that you can choose to market at your own discretion. You may just want to use that internally. Maybe some of you keep some form of graphical reference for all your files today where you have some way of knowing that you did a job on a particular parcel or in a particular area, and maybe some of you will want to take this further and actually develop tools and increase your market and provide services out there for others.
45
So this is available to you as land surveyors and the limit of what you can do with it is only the limit of your own imagination and the market that might pay for it. So we talked a little bit about what are the requirements here. So, as land surveyors, you are going to be asked to or required to, probably more specifically, provide a survey dataset to the Land Title and Survey Authority that's for every legal survey that you are submitting to the LTSA, whether it be a Land Act plan, a well‐site plan, a Mineral Tenure Act plan, a Land Title Act plan, a Strata Property Act plan. Any of those products that you are submitting today for filing in the Land Title and Survey Authority system, you will be asked to provide a survey dataset to go along with that. At least in time, whether it starts off of this way or not, but certainly quickly it will become a requirement, or to use old terminology it will become mandatory. You must do this in order to get your plan accepted by the LTSA. So it is that but, in return, you are going to get an awful lot of benefits from it. We can expect that, over the introduction of this program, there's going to be a learning curve. There's going to be a learning curve on the LTSA side, there's going to be a learning curve on the individual members' side. I think we've seen through the other products that the LTSA has been involved in, and worked with the Association on, that there is a commitment on behalf of both parties to minimize the pain of that learning curve for everybody. I think we'll see that over the next five, maybe even ten years, we'll see a great deal of support, continuing education, various products and techniques to help everybody get comfortable with this product, get comfortable with supporting it, and get comfortable with getting the most out of it for each individual. The benefits that at least I see for land surveyors ‐ and again, not the Association but individual land surveyors ‐ in this product is that, as a land surveyor, we'll be able to download meaningful data and use that meaningful data to change the way we do our business today. We'll be able to have a CAD file of some sort that gives you all of the scenery of the parcel fabric for the area you are working in. So you'll be able to ‐ particularly as the accuracy of it improves ‐ you'll be able to get to that point where you'll be able to use that as a starting point for the preparation of your plans, for example. And of course you can use it for other work that you do, topographic surveys, those types of things, recognizing that it's not a boundary resolution. It isn't a survey. We're not talking about a coordinated cadastre here. We're talking about an index and a starting point. One of the directions that the Association is moving, is moving towards required geo‐referencing. When we submit these survey datasets, they will be spatially ‐‐ they will be asked to be spatially correct to a particular tolerance. That will help improve the spatial accuracy of the cadastral fabric that ParcelMap BC will be presenting back to you, and therefore over time, the quality of the UTM coordinates or Albers or geographic coordinates, whatever you want or get out of this system will improve in time and give you the opportunity to use that as a starting point to help you go search for evidence and go help you locate yourself on the ground. We will have access to attribute data. So there will be all sorts of information associated with the information and that will, I believe, prove to be very beneficial to our profession as we move forward. As I talked about a few minutes ago, if you choose to, you can set up these machine‐to‐machine downloads and enhance your business, grow your business to provide new services or improve services that you are already providing to your clients. Through that, you can add value to this foundation data and improve your services. Where I said there may be an overlap with some of the things Gord said today is what we are envisioning is when you upload your data, it won't simply be a blind submission that we see in many organizations that we provide data to today. The idea is that there will be a suite of tools, developed within the limits of the budget in the program of the LTSA, but a suite of tools that the Association will help design that will give you opportunities to check your data, give you opportunities to maybe catch some blunders that might have been there, or maybe even some tools to allow you to do some plan checks, some map checks is what I used to call them, where I actually can check my bearings and distances and make sure that my data is complete and correct. Those are possible services as part of the upload. So where are we at? I believe Mike said about two weeks ago a request for qualifications was issued through B.C. Bid to the general community out there and there's a six‐week process in which IT companies are looking at this request for qualifications, deciding whether they wish to seek to be a qualified provider or qualified bidder. I would encourage you as land surveyors to seek out some of these organizations and suggest to them that you may be able to contribute and be part of a team that responds to the ultimate request for proposal to the LTSA. I think our profession has a great deal to offer to a bidder on this project. The next step, I believe Kelly and his team are busy preparing a request for proposal. I think it's largely done but there's a fair amount of work to refine it, finish it off, and once they have a qualified group of bidders, they'll release that request for proposal to that group and get responses back. Somewhere, as Mike indicated, within 2013, that will all be analyzed and assessed and they'll get to see what the real market value of building this product is. Decisions will be made and ideally a contract will be let before the end of the calendar year, possibly sooner than that. The concept is that this product will take somewhere between two to three years to build. So this is not something you are going to see next week or even next year. There is a lot of work to build the system, and then to also take all this existing data and mesh it all together and get a starting point.
46
The current concept is that the LTSA is not going to wait until the end of the project and then flip a switch and turn it all on. They're looking at a phased implementation. The distinct roll‐out has not been fully decided yet, so I can't offer you ‐‐ if the product is going to come to you particularly sooner, but I think that we will see, in a year and half to two years, give or take, maybe somewhere in there, somewhere give or take two‐ish years, we'll start to see a part of the province get rolled out and start to see this occur. The need to get survey datasets into the system is going to happen at the early end of that, I would expect. It wouldn't surprise me if within the next two years we're starting to submit survey datasets. So we're at the end of the presentation part. I will take questions, but we're going to break for coffee before I do that, so just a final piece of the presentation is that my role for this is a contractor to the Association, and so my role is to be your conduit. So as you as individuals, or you as committees and groups, have questions or concerns or input to ParcelMap BC, I'm sort of the party that will ultimately go talk to the LTSA about those concerns and issues. The Land Surveyors Advisory Task Force and again, Mike read out all the names of parties involved in that, is the committee that's representing the Association on a slightly higher level than I am doing, but they're the ones that are talking or guiding the LTSA. My role is sort of a subset of that. From the LTSA perspective, Kelly Stofer is the project manager ‐ I think that's probably the right term ‐ and Mike is the project sponsor or the project champion. So, with that, maybe we can turn it back to Nigel and I'll come back later for questions. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks a lot, Brent. We're running a little over schedule so, for coffee, I'm going to ask that you are back here at about 10:55. We will be ringing the bell so you know when it's time to come back. Just before you go, we are going into new business this afternoon, so I'd like to remind any of the members that if you have motions, they must be in writing and you must have a seconder. We would appreciate any motions to be made under new business to be submitted as early as possible. It should be submitted to Chuck, the secretary, so that they can be entered into the computer and projected onto the screen for clarity. So thanks a lot, enjoy your coffee break, and I'll see you back here at 10:55. (Adjourned at 10:25 am) (Reconvened at 10:55 am) NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Welcome back. I hope you all enjoyed your coffee. Dave, I'm assuming you have some questions about ParcelMap BC? DAVE BRUBACHER: Questions and comments, yes. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Okay. So I'm not the guy to be answering them. I'll get Brent back up here. BRENT BRUBACHER: Thank you very much, Brent, for your presentation. I saw a lot of parallels in what you talked about compared to what is going on in Ontario, and I thought for the interest of the members here, I would talk a little bit about it and perhaps it can raise some more questions and more discussion. So, in Ontario, we have a number of different ‐‐ I am not going to call them parcel maps. They are index maps built by a number of different agencies. But none of them have served adequate needs for utilities, for municipalities, for surveyors. There have been problems and we've had no real recourse to correct those problems and no control. So last year, about this time, the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors created a corporation called the Ontario Digital Cadastre Corporation. This was at the will of the members. It had been evolving for about ‐‐ it's now about three years that we have been working on this. I'm here to tell you a little bit about what's happening with that. Now I am sort of the face of ODCC. I'm really building the business and driving it, so you're lucky you're going to get it straight from the horse's mouth, as it were. So a lot of similarities but some key difference. I think the most important and the biggest difference for the membership here is who owns the product and who maintains the product. With the Ontario Digital Cadastre Corporation, we have a corporation that is owned by a minority ownership by the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors, and a majority ownership by a co‐op which is restricted to professional members of the Association. So, in essence, it's the surveyors themselves that own the cadastre, and it is the surveyors themselves that maintain it. Again, we're not all there, I mean, we haven't built everything yet, but that is the model that we have taken because ‐‐ well, there are a number of reasons why. Some of your slides earlier today, other presentations, actually speak to that. It's our duty to maintain the cadastre, to be custodians of the cadastre and to serve the public. Like you, we see this eroding of the importance or the relevance of self‐regulating professions and we thought that one of the best ways that we can become relevant was to take a lead role in the creation and maintenance of such a cadastre. So that is part of the platform, part of our strategy in becoming more relevant and ensuring that the long‐standing growth and relevance of the Association. So a couple other notes here that I've scrawled and now I can't read. We have, similar to you, we have a number of stakeholders. We are starting with the assessment parcel fabric. The assessment, MPAC, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, is very
47
keen on downloading ‐‐ maybe downloading is the wrong term ‐‐ but diversifying itself and getting out of things that it isn't supposed to be doing, and one of them is parcel mapping. So they are looking to us to help fulfill that need for them. So we start with the MPAC parcel fabric and we slowly evolve it over time on a completely customer‐driven basis. Eventually we turn what is currently a sow's ear into, hopefully, a silk purse. which becomes ever more useful to municipalities and to utilities, especially utilities. We've got data‐sharing arrangements in place with utilities where, for instance, Union Gas, they're interested in an accuracy of, they like to say, of about a hockey stick. If you get me within a hockey stick and I'm happy, I can put my plant on a cadastre. They don't have that now with the existing product, so that lets them also get out of the cadastral fabric mapping business. That's not what they do, they deliver gas. But in return, and as partial payment for that, they are contributing all of their plant into the dataset so that we, as surveyors sitting on the phone giving a price, for instance, know that there is a 10‐inch high pressure main under where we would have to put some bars, and we can take that into account. So again, that's very much a public protection role that we're taking. We're involved with the "underground utility locates" folks. I'm not sure what it is like here in B.C., but we have a lot of problems with our ability to plant bars or posts because of underground utilities and a very aggressive ‐‐ it's called the TSSA. It's essentially they do everything from licensing elevators to finding surveyors who drive stakes through bars ‐‐ through utilities. So one of the other things that I do want to point out ‐ I'll be around we can talk about this later, I don't want to take too much more time ‐ but one thing I do want to underline is that the value of what you are doing here and the value of what we are doing in Ontario cannot be stressed enough. The opportunities that come from an accurate cadastre with a known relationship to the ground that can be discovered by users, the doors that open up, you cannot imagine them. Every door that opens up, every door you walk through opens up five or six more. So I strongly encourage you to aggressively travel down this path. And one last little thing I wanted to say, I didn't realize you had an RFP out. I've downloaded it and sent it to my Board. We may be quite interested in responding to that. So if there are opportunities to work together, we are quite interested. BRENT TAYLOR: Thanks, Dave. Next? AARON SHUFLETOSKI: As I was saying to Mr. Beddoes I think we have all this information already available, and I hope that the ParcelMap BC has got access to all this information that we already have like Online Cadastre and all that stuff. I hope that they are more creating the portal and amalgamating all this information. I hope it's not just a bunch of techs punching all these plans, because I think that'd be already done. I'm hoping also that this is going to include Crown lands and LTO data in one source as well so we don't have to go all over the place. BRENT TAYLOR: Both your wishes are true. So the starting point is that that's the role of ICIS and the province in this participating stakeholder piece is they have both agreed to ‐‐ well, ICIS has agreed to gather the existing parcel bases from all local governments, municipality and regional districts, and provide that to the LTSA on a no‐strings attached, here's a one‐cut starting‐point basis. The province has, or is in the process of agreeing to doing the same thing with all of their Crown land parcel map. And absolutely, the outcome of ParcelMap BC is an index of all Crown and private parcels for the complete province. Just one thing to be careful of to make sure we're clear. What it is, is an index. So from that index, if you want to get a Crown grant, for example, it will be a pathway to be able to say, okay, "I want a Crown grant of this parcel," and it will take you to GATOR where you will get the Crown grant. You won't be getting a Crown grant or a title or a plan or a document directly from ParcelMap BC. It will take you there, that's ‐‐ the intention is that it won't be cumbersome, but ParcelMap BC is just the foundational, graphical index to all that data. AARON SHUFLETOSKI: If we could just click on one button and it goes automatically, I'm sure that would save everybody about five hours of right click, cut, paste, and open up. So that's great to hear. BRENT TAYLOR: Exactly. That's the desired outcome. Richard? RICHARD WEY: Brent, thanks very much for your presentation. I guess I came here with my own little warped view of what ParcelMap BC was going to be all about and I guess I have two concerns. One is that the LTSA think big enough, and the other is that one of the main stakeholders, mainly us, gets a chance to make some significant input into this ParcelMap BC, because this is like an important crossroad in our profession. I mean, I'm a bit of a dinosaur and sort of the next generation is coming along. Over the past ten or twenty years, there's been a sort of an allied profession or similar profession in the GIS professionals. Throughout our province we've got over 100 GIS maps that have been developed in somewhat isolation of us. So I think this is an exciting opportunity to embrace the GIS people and bring them into this proposal and produce a product that is not only a base map of parcels, but a base map for all of these individual GIS maps to be based upon. BRENT TAYLOR: Right. RICHARD WEY: There is so much data and information out there that we have to ensure that we capture it all. Like when we first came up with electronic plans, you know, I envisioned something way more than what we got in the end. I mean a pdf plan? I mean, it's nice, you can download it and all of those good things, but it really didn't go far enough. We've lost significant smart data
48
over the last 15 years since we've all started producing plans on computers. That information is gone, it sort of lost us. We didn't geo‐reference early enough. We procrastinated, we talked about it, we argued about it and, again, all of that geo‐reference data is lost to us. So I encourage the LTSA to reach out to the Association, all of the members of the Association, to ensure that this ParcelMap BC is more than just a giant pdf map. I think it's got to be geo‐referenced, it's got to have all kinds of layers, it's got to have photographs. It's got to be something that regional districts can use, that B.C. Assessment can use. I mean it's our chance to get it right for once and for all, and I think it's important that we challenge the bright young minds of the young land surveyors coming behind me, and my advice to Mike Thomson, please think big. BRENT TAYLOR: Thanks, Richard. I think, Mark, you were next. MARK BUDGEN: First of all, let me say that I'm excited about what I'm hearing about ParcelMap BC, but I also wanted to get up and just make a few general comments that I want the membership to think about, I want the LTSA to think about and I want the Association to think about. One of the biggest concerns I have is in some of the documentation that I've seen put forth thus far has been use of the words like "trusted" along with "government" and "Land Title Survey Authority". I worry about public perception of what this will be and what this represents. I want to make sure that the Land Title and Survey Authority and the Association are dealing with whomever may end up building this product. I'd like to know how are they planning to address that public perception. Because what we see in our practice on a daily basis is the public coming in with something from the local government with an air photo laid over it, and they're in an argument with their neighbour about an encroachment that may or may not exist. I worry about how this is going to be taken by the government, so I just want everybody to think about that. The second one, we seem to be moving more and more towards a user‐pay system in dealing with governments, local governments, and provincial governments. What I'm not seeing here is the parties with whom I think have the largest to gain in all of this, being the local governments and the utility companies, I don't see them paying. I see the Land Title and Survey Authority and I see survey offices paying for this. So I'd like to see some type of a system where we are going to more of a user pay. There are certainly going to be land surveyors contributing to this, absolutely, and I think that's the right thing. But I think the people that have the most to gain in all of this, I don't see how they're contributing to this model particularly, other than maybe their existing datasets that they've got. So I want everybody again to think of that, and I'd like the Land Title and Survey Authority to address that in some way through this RFP process. Thank you. BRENT TAYLOR: Thanks, Mark. I think the funding side is one that more needs to be answered by the LTSA than me, but I can offer quickly that a lot of work over the last decade has been done around how to fund this project. The answer came back that if you ask people to buy the data, in today's world, it's not going to be a successful model. The way to do is to ‐‐ somebody needs to pony up and create the first product, which is what the LTSA is doing. Then, after that, essentially somebody that is causing a change to the fabric is who pays for the record to be updated. So that's occurring through LTSA fees and as somebody is buying a title or changing a title, changing a plan, a portion of those fees collected supports updating and changing the program. So that's kind of where the funding concept is, philosophically. I think I've got time for one more question. REID EGGER: You might have actually just answered my question, because I was going to ask if ‐‐ for that third component of it where we are contributing data, will we be given the opportunity to pay for the privilege of contributing data to the system? 'Cause, to me, that's a little like me charging my party chiefs to send their notes in. BRENT TAYLOR: Good idea. I like that one. REID EGGER: So did I like that part, but I don't think they'd like it. BRENT TAYLOR: From an Association perspective what the Association has been working hard on for a long time is we recognize the members are being asked to do something to give to create a survey dataset, which may take time. In return, we are trying to make sure the product that they get compensates for that. So it will be up to you individually as to whether ‐‐ how you balance that ledger. But from an Association perspective, the opportunity is there to actually gain from ParcelMap BC, rather than have it be a cost to land surveyors. Nigel may cut me off here. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Sorry. Would you mind asking Brent afterwards because we're running out of time. PETER MUELLER: Reid didn't ask a question, so I thought I would get up here and take my chances. I work for one of those 100 plus local governments that contribute data through the ISIS avenue, and we, in Surrey, have been dealing and building and maintaining a cadastral database over the last 30 years. So when Richard is asking about is it going to include enough information, it's taken 30 years to build that information.
49
But I really wanted to talk about not losing sight about what the benefits are to land surveyors. A cadastral fabric will challenge you to look at how you can build efficiencies into your business. We no longer pre‐calculate to explore for information in the field. We load up our database in our GPS receivers, go out in the field and find the points. We can do that with one person. So I think you have to think big enough to look at what type of efficiencies you're going to build into your business models, how that's going to change over time, and then the value‐added products and services that you can provide to your clients based on the actual products that we're going to see will be another way to get it. So I would strongly suggest that you support this initiative and think big and think out of the box. Thanks. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks a lot, Peter. So moving right along and very quickly I'm going to ask Chuck to come to the podium and present our Notices of Motion. CHUCK SALMON: Before I start, I just had one quick thing, because we are dealing with what we've been talking about, the ParcelMap and the LTSA. I've been asked by the group that is putting together the Integrated Customer Portal or the ICP to provide names of three or four land surveyors who would be willing participate in doing some testing for the ICP as it moves forward. They are actually looking for people who would like to do some testing around the account management function for the ICP as well as people who would like to do some testing around searching for that. The majority around the testing will be taking place at the offices in Vancouver, so if you happen to reside in the Lower Mainland and would like to participate in this great project, it would be very worthwhile being part of that. Please come and see me or send me an email and let me know that you're interested in participating and I'll make sure that you get all that information. Thank you. Now I'd like to move to Notices of Motion. We'll start with Notice of Motion #1. Notice of Motion #1 BE IT RESOLVED THAT bylaw 6(h) be amended by replacing the word "pass" in the first sentence with the words "successfully complete, in accordance with criteria established by the Board," and that bylaw 6(j) be repealed and replaced with the following: 6(j): The Board will establish from time to time the criteria by which successful completion of an examination or task under
bylaw 6(h) is to be determined. So moved. And a seconder. MINDA RILEY: I'll second that motion. BRENT TAYLOR: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to request that the membership be given the opportunity of voting on ‐‐ splitting this motion into two so that we're dealing the change to paragraph (h) separate from the change to paragraph (j). NIGEL HEMINGWAY: So granted. CHUCK SALMON: So I'm not sure, Bryan if you want to talk ‐‐ we're now talking about the change to 6 (h) independently of from that of 6(j). BRYAN BATES: I'll come up again later. CHUCK SALMON: Okay, thank you. So if you look forward, 6(h) with the change will read as it shows there.
6(h): All candidates for membership as a land surveyor in the Association shall be required to successfully complete, in accordance with criteria established by the Board, each of the following categories...
And it lists those categories. The change was in the first part of that. Is there any question on that change? NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Is there any further discussion on that change? Seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? One, the motion is carried. CHUCK SALMON: Thank you. And now deal with the change to 6(j). I'll back up, so the change will read: The Board will establish from time to time the criteria by which successful completion of an examination or task under bylaw
6(h) is to be determined. BRENT TAYLOR: I'm standing to speak against this motion. I appreciate the efficiencies of moving certain actions from bylaw to the policy set by the Board and there's many of those changes that are going to come up in the coming years that I will support, including later on today. There are however, some fundamental issues that I believe should remain in bylaw and, in this particular case, I believe that the standard to which a candidate entering this profession must achieve is something that is worthy of being within a bylaw. When I've had the opportunity of representing the Association at various other organizations across the country and across the province in years gone by, what was really noticeable to me was if I attended an engineer's meeting, an architect's meeting, a engineer's meeting and I thought about how many of those professionals existed ‐‐ I don't know, 20,000 engineers in British Columbia maybe ‐ I don't know if that number is right ‐ and how many of them actually attended an Annual General Meeting. Most of those organizations are lucky to get a very small percentage of their membership out.
50
I look around the room here and we're typically getting between 40‐60 percent of our membership out to an Annual General Meeting. I believe a big reason for that is that, as members, we truly participate in the actions and governance of our profession, and that the most important decisions for our profession are made by our membership. They are not delegated to an executive to make on behalf. So when I go to an annual general meeting for a different profession, what I see is their Board sitting up front reporting out to a small percentage of their membership all the achievements that they've made during the course of the last year. When I come here, we have honest and good debate about what the membership believes that the Board should be executing for the coming years. So, for me, moving this standard, this important standard of what it takes to become a land surveyor, out of a bylaw into a Board policy, is harmful to our profession from the desire of the membership to participate in those things. It's not a statement of not trusting this Board or future Boards. It's a statement of I believe we are what we are today because we have such active participation in these meetings. So I'm speaking against the motion and I intend to vote against it, but I would further that to say I do understand the other objective of modifying 6(j) in that the Board trying to change the situation so that a minimum of 70 percent is required in all examinations. So if this motion is defeated, I will be coming back with a second motion that will seek to get approval to direct the Board to amend the bylaw 6(j) by deleting ‐‐ the existing 6(j) by deleting specific words that will address that problem for the Board. Mr. Ringwood is going to correct my Parliamentarian lack of knowledge. PATRICK RINGWOOD: Brent, it's not direct; it's authorize the Board. BRENT TAYLOR: Thank you. PATRICK RINGWOOD: And that's from the Act. BRENT TAYLOR: And my draft motion does use the word "authorize". Thank you. CHUCK SALMON: All right. Bryan was next. BRYAN BATES: I'm speaking against this motion too. It does solve one small problem but I believe in doing that, it takes a step backwards in terms of the transparency, particularly for people wanting to become members of this Association on exactly what they will need to do in order to pass the exams. It's moving from a relatively clear standard defined in our bylaws to a Board policy that could be changed whenever the Board see fits. I don't think that serves transparency the way we need it to. CHUCK SALMON: Aaron? AARON SHUFLETOSKI: Ditto. I think we just listened to Chad talk about how important transparency is right now with government, and I think that this is taking away transparency and putting it in ‐‐ hiding it in the boardroom. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Is there any further discussion? Hearing that, I'll call the question. All those in favour? Okay, all those opposed? The motion is defeated. BRENT TAYLOR: Based on that, I'd like to move that the Board, under section 5(2) of The Land Surveyors Act, be authorized to amend bylaw 6(j) to remove the necessary wording to eliminate the reference to 50 percent, such that all examinations will require a minimum of 70 percent. I believe I have a seconder but I will let him speak for himself. RICHARD REDFERN: I'll second the motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. Rob? ROB TUPPER: Mr. Chairman, could the parliamentarian provide some background? If this is a motion from the floor to change a bylaw, isn't that required to be in a Notice of Motion? PATRICK RINGWOOD: The motion is to authorize the Board to amend the bylaw which is section 5(2) of The Land Surveyors Act and the membership can authorize the Board to change the bylaw in accordance with the intent of the motion. So the Board can go away and change the motion as advised by the membership. CHUCK SALMON: And I would just like to add to that. The proposed change to the bylaw that exists would be what you see on the screen right now, is what the Brent is asking us to change. ROB TUPPER: Okay. So this would be something that would be changed over the course of the year or at the next annual meeting? CHUCK SALMON: No, this would be changed immediately following this annual meeting. The Board will make the motion to change it and that will be included in the bylaws when they are forwarded to the Minister with the other changes that come out of today. ROGER GALIBOIS: If we're going to change the bylaw to require 70 percent to pass every exam, seems to me we probably don't even need the last sentence in that bylaw as well. CHUCK SALMON: The last sentence addresses a different paragraph which is 6(i) and that's why it's in there. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Is there any further discussion? I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. CHUCK SALMON: I'd like to introduce Notice of Motion #2.
51
Notice of Motion #2 BE IT RESOLVED THAT bylaw 3 be repealed and the subsequent bylaws be renumbered. So moved. Seconder? NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Could I have a seconder for this? STEVE BUZIKIEVICH: Second the motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Any discussion? Aaron? AARON SHUFLETOSKI: And again, with transparency being really important with government, I'm just asking the members here if it is redundant but maybe it's necessary for public perception to keep it in our bylaws as well as the Act just to keep it out there. Know that we're watching our own. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. Any further discussion? DAVE HARWICKE: Can we see bylaw 3? CHUCK SALMON: It's in the Notices of Motion that were circulated. DAVE HARDWICKE: Can we not see it here? CHUCK SALMON: How about if I read it, Dave? I'd have to break it all down and do it. So, I'll read Notice of Motion. So bylaw 3 reads: The breach of any bylaw or regulation contained in these bylaws shall render the member liable to disciplinary action by the
Board in accordance with section 60(1) of the Act. And the legal counsel recommends that this be removed from the bylaws because it is already in our Land Surveyors Act. There's no need for it to be in the bylaws. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Hans? HANS TROELSEN: I believe that in the process of transparency, we also need to adhere to issues of a lack of double jeopardy, and I perceive the current bylaw to essentially create a circumstance of potential double jeopardy which works both ways. So I support the motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Any further discussion? I'll call the question, all those in favour? All those opposed? Two opposed, the motion carried. CHUCK SALMON: Notice of Motion #3. Notice of Motion #3 BE IT RESOLVED THAT bylaw 12 be repealed and replaced with the following. 12. STANDARD MEASURE All equipment used in a survey must be in adjustment, in calibration and standardized. The land surveyor must keep records
of calibration and standardization results and carry out sufficient analysis of the data to prove that the equipment is operating to the manufacturer's specifications and meets criteria acceptable to the Board.
So moved. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Could I have a seconder, please. BRONWYN DENTON: I second this motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Any discussion? Seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. CHUCK SALMON: Notice of Motion #4. Notice of Motion #4 BE IT RESOLVED THAT bylaw 14 be repealed and replaced with the following. 14. LAND SURVEYORS ACT FORMS The Board shall establish a schedule of forms to be used for purposes of implementing the provisions of the Act and these
bylaws. The Board may from time to time approve new forms and amend existing forms. So moved. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Can I have a seconder, please. BRIAN BROWN: I second. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Any discussion? Seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Number five. CHUCK SALMON: Notice of Motion #5.
52
Notice of Motion #5 BE IT RESOLVED THAT Bylaws 18(a), 18(b) and 18C) be repealed and replaced with the following. 18. ELECTION OF THE BOARD AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS (a) At each Annual General Meeting the membership by majority vote must elect (i) one practising land surveyor to serve on the Board as Vice President; (ii) two practising land surveyors to serve on the Board as members at large, each for a term of two years
commencing on the first day following the adjournment of the Annual General Meeting. (b) The term of office of the President and Vice President commences on the first day following the adjournment of the
Annual General Meeting and ends on the last day of the Annual General Meeting of the following year. On the first day following the adjournment of the Annual General Meeting, the Vice‐President in the preceding year becomes President and the President of the preceding year becomes Past President, and
(c) No practising land surveyor may serve as Vice‐President unless that person has served on the Board for a period of at least two years.
So moved. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Can I have a seconder, please? PETER MUELLER: I'll second that motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Peter. Is there any discussion? BRENT TAYLOR: It's more of a question, I guess. One of the things I've noticed in the election this year, and the last couple of years, is that the new system, for lack of a better term creates a nice, knowing continuity from Vice‐President to President to Past President. But the way this bylaw is written and the way practice is occurring, we lose our non‐executive every two years essentially, don't we? It just seems like maybe we've lost these idea of staggering a bit and so it's not really ‐‐ I'm not proposing a change to this bylaw, but I'm trying to remember back whether anyone knows the history and whether or not the intention was to update or replace one of the non‐executive members every year and we've ended up with replacing both of them every two years? Is that what has happened? CHUCK SALMON: I'm not sure I follow, Brent, because this doesn't change what exists right now. BRENT TAYLOR: No. CHUCK SALMON: So the process that was approved in 2006 that was implemented at that time introduced the fact that two members get elected as members at large for a two‐year period. And we went through a process in the old bylaw ‐‐ the reason we're changing it is the old bylaw had all that process written down to the point where, today, that's an automatic rollover. So we've got two members who serve for two years, they get elected and then after two years, they come forward for re‐election again. Likewise, once a person gets elected as Vice‐President they automatically roll into President and Past President. BRENT TAYLOR: I accept that I'm off topic to a certain extent, and I'm willing to sit down if you want me to, but I'm just trying to get my head around ‐ I'm not trying to change this bylaw ‐ I'm just trying to get my head around whether I want to create some new business to talk about this or not. My sense of what's happening is every ‐‐ we had an election this year for two new non‐executive members of the Board and we won't have one next year. Then we will replace them both or have an election for both of them the following year? CHUCK SALMON: No, next year we will re‐elect two new members at large. If I can use the example up here, both Bronwyn Denton and Brian Brown, their terms will expire next year. BRENT TAYLOR: Okay, I'm fine. Thanks. DOUG DODGE: Proposed section (a)(ii) says that the two new practising land surveyors who are elected to the Board will be on the Board commencing on the first day following the adjournment of the Annual Meeting. Does that mean that Ron and Dave should not be sitting up there and that Minda should still be there ‐‐ NIGEL HEMINGWAY: No, it doesn't. DOUG DODGE: Because the terms haven't begun yet. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: No, it doesn't, because they were elected prior to this being approved by the membership. CHUCK SALMON: Any changes to the bylaw at this meeting are forwarded to the Minister and they have 45 days to review those bylaws and they do not become effective until 45 days following their receipt of the bylaws. Consequently, this bylaw if approved at this meeting, will not become effective until long after that. So that will be the process that will take place next year. DOUG DODGE: So next year the two new people elected don't sit at that meeting. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: No, in effect they will all come on the Saturday after the AGM and Dave and Ron will serve a slightly longer term than everybody else. ROBERT ALLEN: Actually, I thought I was up before those two speakers were. I thought that Mr. Ringwood was going to talk about some parliamentary procedures and he's at the back of that line now.
53
I'm having difficulty with the motion, the wording in clause (a)a with regard to majority vote. On yesterday we had an election ‐‐ well, maybe CHUCK SALMON is going to speak a bit about it because I thought that ‐‐ he and I had some communication about this and I thought there was going to be an amendment to this, so I'll let CHUCK SALMON speak first. CHUCK SALMON: There was, there is. Sorry, I should have introduced the amendment. It wasn't on these notes, it's on my other notes, and I apologize. So at this point I would like to introduce an amendment to the motion. It's in the other ones. BE IT RESOLVED THAT Notice of Motion #5 be amended by deleting the words "by majority vote" in the first sentence of the proposed bylaw 18(a), such that that sentence shall read: 18(a) At each Annual General Meeting the members must elect. So moved. ROBERT ALLEN: I'd be happy to second that motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. Did you want to speak to it? ROBERT ALLEN: Just briefly, in that at the election we had yesterday, and I've forgotten the numbers now, but we had ‐ and it doesn't really matter what they are ‐ but for the election for Vice‐President, there were two members running and, yes, one of the them had to be elected by a majority; otherwise it wasn't going to work. By normal process, one would be elected by a majority. On the others that were elected to the Board, though, it's quite possible none of them would have had a majority vote. I forget what the numbers were from yesterday and I say it doesn't really matter, but there's a chance that one or none would have had a majority vote, so that would not have happened, and I think that is also contrary to the Act and that's why this amendment has come up. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Mike, are you going to speak to the amendment or...? MIKE KIDSTON: No, I was going to speak to the main motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Okay, can you wait till we get through the amendment? MIKE KIDSTON: Do you want to deal with the amendment first? NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Yes please, Mike. Pat? Okay, Any further discussion on the amendment? Hearing none, I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. And now we're back to the original motion as amended. Mike? MIKE KIDSTON: We can't read the second part of that motion so I was trying to keep it straight in my head. I just wonder if making it a bylaw if we would run into a situation five and ten years from now where somebody died, somebody moved to a different part of the province and we were stuck with a bylaw that said we must do this, and we can't achieve it. CHUCK SALMON: In an answer to that question, the Act supersedes the bylaws. The bylaws deal with our voting procedure. The Act gives us the ability to replace a member at a special meeting. There's requirements within the Act to deal with a situation where a member resigns, a Board member resigns or cannot continue. So it's all handled under the Act, Mike. PATRICK RINGWOOD: I see a logistical problem that may occur. With the current President serving up until the end of the Annual General Meeting, and the new President coming into effect the day after the annual meeting, I think there may be a problem. I think we may have to stay here until midnight to see the Transfer of the Spats and the instillation of the new President. That causes me a little concern because I can't stay up till midnight anymore. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. Any further discussions? BILL CHAPMAN: At the end of (c), it says that no land surveyor may serve as Vice‐President unless they've served for a period of at least two years. Wouldn't it be two terms because we don't hold the meeting the same time every year and there would be chances that although they served a two‐year term they didn't serve two years, and then on a point of order, they wouldn't be allowed to run for Vice‐President. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: No, I don't think that's a problem. What my understanding is what this clause is allowing us to do is somebody like you, who has been on the Board before, to come in and not have to serve that term and come straight in at the Vice‐President level. BILL CHAPMAN: But how does it work for the people on the Board now that have been on for two terms but not two years? Does this not make them ineligible to run for Vice‐President? You see, the bylaw before said two terms, it doesn't say two years, unless I'm reading that wrong. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I think it says two years in both places. CHUCK SALMON: Yes. The existing bylaw (b)(ii) reads: In 2009 and each year after, the Vice‐President will be elected by practising land surveyors for a two‐year term from
practising land surveyors who have served at least one two‐year term as a Board member or former Board members who have served a minimum of two years.
So what it's saying, Bill, is exactly what we have in there now.
54
BILL CHAPMAN: Well, I guess it doesn't matter what is in there now. I'd still like to have it correct so that we can move forward, and I'm concerned that, if you haven't served 730 days or 731 in a leap year, that your eligible to move ahead if you've served two terms. CHUCK SALMON: I don't get it. There's no mention of terms. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I'll admit I'm often a confused fellow but there is no mention of terms. It's strictly a yearly thing. Richard? RICHARD REDFERN: I think Harry might have been first. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Oh, sorry Harry. I didn't see you up. HARRY HICKMAN: My question here is that ‐ and I think follow what Bill was getting at ‐ is that the current Board members, for the situation we were in which would be Bronwyn and Brian, that their term would not be up until the day after the Annual General Meeting next year. And part of this says that they will have to have served their term, so would they be eligible for election as Vice‐President next year, because their term would not have been up until after the Annual General Meeting? NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Yes, they would be eligible. Richard? RICHARD REDFERN: That's funny, eh, Bill? Because I think we were thinking the other way around. That would be if the AGM next year was, say, in the middle of February that Bronwyn and Brian would not have served two years. That was Bill's concern. Harry brought up another one. So, yes, I think it just needs to be clarified so that everybody understands that it's one term. One two‐year term, and for the sake of argument, I don't think a two‐year term has to be the 730 calendar days, but I think the two years, the way it is now, I agree with Bill, it's a little bit dangerous. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Mike? MIKE THOMSON: I apologize, it's Friday. I think we are going a little too far in trying to read the words literally. I think we should be reading this as spirit and intent. The year for this Association in the manner of this motion is from AGM to AGM. It's not read as 365 calendar days or from a particular date to a particular date. While I think the point may be valid, I think we're going too far in worrying prescriptively about measuring how we measure a year. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Is there any further discussion? I'll call the question. All those in favour? Okay, all those opposed? The motion is carried. CHUCK SALMON: Notice of Motion #6: Notice of Motion #6 BE IT RESOLVED THAT bylaw 2(c) be repealed and replaced with the following. 2. THE BOARD (c) Board members shall receive an honorarium in the following amounts (i) the President shall receive $10,000 annually; (ii) the Vice President, Past President and members at large shall receive $2500 annually; (iii) the Board shall establish policy identifying Board duties, responsibilities, and activities which are covered and
which are not covered by the amounts shown in parts (i) and (ii) above; (iv) an honorarium of $250 per day shall be paid for any extraordinary Board duties, responsibilities or activities
not covered in parts (i) and (ii) above. (v) Board members shall in addition be reimbursed their expenses in accordance with policy set by the Board
from time to time; (vi) Other members of the Association or representatives of the Board in the exercise of any task delegated or
authorized by the Board may, at the discretion of the Board, be paid an honorarium of up to $250 per day subject to the Board policy established in part (iii) above.
So moved. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Can I have a seconder, please. MIKE THOMSON: I'll second the motion. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Discussion? HANS TROELSEN: I'm going to speak against the motion until such time as the specifics of what is or isn't considered an appropriate duty also becomes part of the motion or an adjunct presentation. I think that the possibilities are almost endless to imagine in a scenario where essentially the President could receive $10,000 and the Board could choose to determine that virtually every other duty, including wiping their nose or pulling up a zipper, would in fact be extraordinarily required to be funded. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. Richard? RICHARD REDFERN: I'm also going to speak against the motion. I don't believe ‐‐ and I certainly support the Board fees being increased, I don't want to make anybody to think that I don't, but an honorarium, to my way of thinking, doesn't suit this particular
55
purpose. An honorarium will virtually guarantee that in years where the Board is busy, that the President and the members will receive less money than they should, and in years where they are not busy, they will receive more. So I don't think either of those situations are fair. I think that in a lot of ‐‐ a lot of us who are on the Board that work for larger firms who were quite happy to pay us while we served the Association, we could decline to claim our ‐‐ or certainly some of our Board fees and I'm not sure that this will allow that sort of thing to happen. So I believe that the way we've done it for many, many years, having a day rate in the bylaw where everybody, the public as well, can see is a good idea and that Board policy should dictate how that daily rate is divided up. AARON SHUFLETOSKI: I'm speaking out as well. I didn't hear any ‐‐ I heard a lot of speeches this year, and I didn't hear anybody thank the honorarium for letting them serve on the Board. I heard them thank people. I'm talking from a spot where I'm not one of those people that's, "Well, I'm never going to be there, so I'm not going to get the money, so therefore I don't want to." I'm one of those people ‐‐ you can ask my wife that, and I'm putting a big target on my back right now, I think ‐‐ but I'm one of those people that gets something out of just volunteering my time towards something like this, and I think those people exist on our Board. It says here ‐‐ how is this motion in the public interest? It says that an annual honorarium will ensure that all members will have an opportunity to serve on the Board, and I don't think that $10,000 is enough for some people. If you want to go that way, then make it a full paid position, if you want to go that route. Otherwise, if you want to honour somebody for dedicating their time, a gold watch or even a pat on the back is good enough for me. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. Brent? BRENT TAYLOR: I'll speak in favour of this motion. At the last Annual General Meeting, I instigated, I guess is the right word, some new business that asked the Board to look at Board fees, and the Board took that motion seriously and hired a consultant and put together a work group and went through this process of coming up with an assessment of the effort of Board members, and if there was a more appropriate financial package that could go along with that situation. In my mind, the numbers in here are still considerably too low, but the concept in here I'm very much supportive of. I see this as a step in the right direction and that ultimately, in the future, we may be coming back with a more significant compensation for the Board. Partially by my experience of being on the Board, and partially by befriending many of the Board members over a number of years, I can honestly say that to be a Board member, no matter what your situation is, no matter whether you are a sole practitioner, part of a larger organization, part of government, part of a municipal type of organization, the impact on some aspect of your life is very, very significant. The number of hours that the folks up at that table put in is significant, and they are doing that, taking away something. If you still get your paycheque, you're taking away from your family time or your taking away from the attention to business. At some point, something is suffering because you volunteered or let your name stand to do something good for this organization. I do accept that being on the Board is not a full‐time position. It isn't something that should be compensated at full rates, but at the same time, I believe it should be compensated at reasonable rates, something that helps offset the cost of being up there, whether it's personal time or actual financial costs. So I'm very, very much in favour of this motion. My only disappointment is I think the numbers should be higher, but I will work towards getting them higher in the next decade. Let's do things piece at a time and for me this is the first step towards a fairer compensation for our Board. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I think Doug was up first. DOUG DODGE: I just realized that in reading this and looking at Appendix C that one of my initial concerns is unfounded. Because the way I read it, was that, for instance, a Board member would get an honorarium of $2500 a year and that for all the meetings and stuff that they were doing, they were also getting $250 a day. That is not correct. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: No, that's not correct. DOUG DODGE: Yes. For the benefit of some of us older people in the room who made the same mistake that I did ‐ 'cause I'm sure the young guys haven't ‐ that I would point that out in case you've made that mistake. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I'll let Mark go, and then Mike. MARK BUDGEN: I don't disagree with the concept here. I do understand where Aaron was coming from, that I believe that public service is important. We don't ‐‐ I think I get the same thing out that Aaron gets out of public service. However, I want to encourage people that are sole practitioners to be able to participate in this process, because I think if we don't do something along these lines, we will start to lose those sole practitioners that literally can't afford to come and serve. But I also agree with Hans in that I think we need to see some itemized things that are currently going to be paid for with that honorarium, and we need to know what is excluded from that. I think that's very important. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: So just to answer your question, Mark, that is the Appendix C that Doug was just referring to. It is all itemized there in the policy. Mike?
56
MIKE THOMSON: So just to repeat that, because Mr. Troelsen opened the door and asked the question, the members have been supplied with a copy of the policy as to what's included and what's not included. It's one page forward from the motion. But the purpose of my speaking at the moment is just to address that this is just simplification. This is all about simplification. An earlier speaker, and I believe it was Richard Redfern ‐ no I apologize, it was Hans Troelsen ‐ used the ‐‐ I'm sorry, it was the zipper and the wiping your nose, was that the analogy? So you were the zipper and the wiping the nose, and Richard Redfern spoke about the time committed. Right now, when we hold a two‐hour telephone conference every sixth Thursday, is that subject to something that is payable under the current bylaw at the rate of $150, or do you pro‐rate that as two of eight hours, so one quarter of 150? Or do you pro‐rate that of two hours out of 24 so one twelfth of 150. Or does it not actually not imply that it is something that should be paid for? The current bylaw is an administrative nightmare. This just simplifies it. Makes it very straight forward. For all regular duties, the President will receive a particular fee. For all regular duties, everybody else will receive a particular fee. While I think Brent Taylor raises points that are accurate and valid, that it remains too low, the intent here is not to address that and fix that. It's to simplify it. Then on the years going forward, we can determine where that value should be. It's simplification, it's nothing more. It's an administrative nightmare. We're paying thousands and thousands of dollars of staff time to administer a policy that is unclear. This provides clarity. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Bob? ROBERT ALLEN: Just a point of order, I suppose, Mr. Chairman. I wonder if we could have a secret ballot on this? It's quite a contentious issue and I would like to see a secret ballot. I'm probably too late to make a motion, but I wonder if we could make this retroactive back to 1988. RICHARD REDFERN: Just, I guess, a disagreement with what you said there, Mike. If it's just an administrative thing, then the Board fees shouldn't be increasing by 40 percent. And just as another point of order, or not point of order but correction, I believe the Board policy allows for teleconferences to be charged at the half day. MIKE THOMSON: Richard Redfern, your point is valid in the daily rate being increased. But there is not an increase in the actual average compensation. It's a minor increase in the average compensation that the Board members are currently claiming on the $2500. RICHARD REDFERN: Sorry, Mike. So in rationale document there under number 6 where it says: Are there any financial implications for this motion? Yes, this motion will increase Board fees by about 40 percent. That means the daily rate, not the overall? MIKE THOMSON: I'll let Chuck Salmon address that. I believe that that is overall cost but it's not in the average daily return. CHUCK SALMON: Yes, that's correct. It's overall. When I did an analysis of what it will cost and the increase to the Board fees overall, it came to about that much. RICHARD REDFERN: Okay. So ‐‐ MIKE THOMSON: And that's also on the basis, Mr. Redfern, of everybody claiming the $2500. RICHARD REDFERN: Yes, II ‐‐ MIKE THOMSON: Where, as you recognized a lot earlier, a lot of Board members previously had not been claiming. So this is a pure mathematical add. RICHARD REDFERN: Okay. CHUCK SALMON: And I just wanted to clarify the point you made earlier, Rich, regarding the fact that some people don't claim their current Board fees. The policy allows for that if they choose not to claim their honorarium. RICHARD REDFERN: Or a portion thereof, perhaps. CHUCK SALMON: Yes. RICHARD REDFERN: Excellent, thank you. HANS TROELSEN: I just want to make a point as ancillary to the earlier comments that I made that my argument isn't with either the numbers ‐‐ I agree with Brent that they should be higher. I don't disagree with Mike that the system should be simpler. What I disagree with, the fact is that we have two component parts that are essentially independent. We have the bylaw and then we have the policy. Unless the bylaw essentially contains the elements of both, the end point is variable. That's the argument that I'm trying to make. It may be a subtle difference, but I believe it that that's the critical point. If the "players" in the game are capable or have the ability to change the rules of the game whenever they feel like it, other than their social engagement with us, then there isn't much point in having the bylaw in place in the first place. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. CHUCK SALMON: Just in response to that, the current bylaw sets an amount and the policy sets where that's paid. So I mean that exists now anyways.
57
So, anyway, in the call for a secret ballot, what we'll have people do when we go to vote, which will be very shortly, will be to have everybody either write yes or no on a piece of paper. There are pads in front of you. Then Bronwyn and Brian will collect those. You must show your voting card when handing those to Bronwyn and Brian. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: So is there any further discussion before we call the question? Okay, the question is called. (LONG PAUSE WHILE VOTING OCCURS) CHUCK SALMON: I’ve been asked to make reference to two changes that will take place in the policy itself that was attached as Appendix A when the Board ‐‐ if this motion passes, the Board will be approving or be dealing with this policy on Saturday, tomorrow. Under "Procedures", in the second bullet, there's a reference to 65 percent. That should actually read 70 percent. And under "Other expenses", under mileage, kilometre is misspelled. It should be "r‐e" not "e‐r". Have all votes been collected? Please raise your hand if there are any further votes out there. Nigel? NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Okay, so the reason that it's been called for by a secret ballot is the fact that this takes a two‐third majority to pass, and Mr. Allen's reason for this is with the number of people we have got in the room voting, it was going to be very hard for us to determine. So to make sure that we get it right, we've got it recorded on paper. So to give us a chance to go through and count the ballots, I'm now going to adjourn the meeting for lunch and we'll give you the results after lunch so enjoy your lunch. (Adjourned at 12:15 pm) (Reconvened at 1:15 pm) NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Okay, we're back here and I'm going to call on Chuck Salmon to announce the results of the vote. CHUCK SALMON: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There were 109 votes cast. There were 89 votes for, 16 votes against, there were four abstentions, so the motion passed by an 81.7 percent margin. I'd like to move that the ballots be destroyed. Can I have a seconder, please? Show that the seconder was Harry Hickman. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. I'd like to now call on Richard Wey to come forward to make an announcement on behalf of the B.C. Land Surveyors Foundation. While Richard is making his way to the podium, I'll note that the B.C. Land Surveyors Foundation report is found on page 33 of the Committee Reports that was previously circulated. Thanks. RICHARD WEY: Thanks, President Nigel, members of the Board. I'll try to keep this short. It gives me great pleasure to present the BCLS Foundation Report this year. I'd just like to introduce the current members: Robert Allen, Hans Troelsen, Dick Wright, Blair Matheson, who is our lay member, myself and Chad Rintoul, the CAO of our Association who is the clerk of the Foundation. A number of accomplishments this past year: Robert Allen has, in conjunction with all of the members, put together a booklet highlighting the various awards, scholarships and bursaries. I'd like to personally thank Bob on behalf of the Foundation for his invaluable contribution. I'd also like the thank all of the Foundation members for the generous contribution of time that they have freely given. I may have the title of Chair, but all I've really done is steer the boat and keep things moving forward. Copies of the booklet were supposedly at the back. I'm not really sure where the copies are. CHUCK SALMON: They're at the front, at the Registration desk. RICHARD WEY: They're at the registration desk. I'd like to thank Nigel and Doerte for organizing the silent auction for this year's Annual General Meeting. The silent auction benefits the BCLS Foundation and is one of our significant sources of funding. We thank you for your contributions at the silent auction and also your donation through the Sergeant‐at‐Legs. Your indiscretions have certainly helped a large number of students over the past few years. This year, it gives me a special pride to announce the Gordon Thomson Citizenship Award. The BC Land Surveyors Foundation G.M. Thomson Citizenship Award will recognize a student in the BCIT Geomatics, Bachelor of Technology degree or diploma program, based on achievement and citizen criteria that mirrored Gordon Thomson's greatest personal attributes. Those are: providing leadership to others, contributing freely to others with his time, and exceeding all reasonable expectations, with a selection to be made by the program faculty. This award is in the amount of $1,500. Gordie Thomson was a model citizen of the land surveying community and a member of the Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors for over fifty years. He started as a survey assistant in 1956 and received his commission as British Columbia surveyor #425 in 1963. He was working in private practice until 1984. He was elected to the Board of Management in 1975 and became President in 1979. From 1984 to 2002, Gordie serviced as the Association secretary‐treasurer and registrar. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Award in 2002 and elected to life membership in 2003. In 2011 the Board of Management renamed the Meritorious Service Award to the GM Thomson Award.
58
So in 2002, for his valued contribution to the profession of land surveying across Canada, the CCLS, Canadian Council of Land Surveyors awarded Gordie with the Champlain Award which recognizes the achievements of those who have performed outstanding contributions in promoting and/or advancing the land surveying profession. So on behalf of the BC Land Surveyors Foundation, I'd like to personally thank all of you for your generosity and, you know, we'll all be brimming with pride over this latest award. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Richard. I'm now going to call on Chuck Salmon to introduce the 2013 budget. CHUCK SALMON: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Board of Management, I move that the 2013 Association budget as circulated be accepted by the membership. May I please have a seconder for the motion? IAN LLOYD: I'll second that. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Are there any questions or discussions? Brent Taylor? BRENT TAYLOR: If I am reading this correctly, I think what we're predicting is a $237,000 deficit for the coming year, and if I read the introductory notes, I see a comment that suggests that we have adequate reserves that we can manage that deficit, and I would agree with that. So my question is: Does the Board have a five‐year plan? Do you have thoughts on future years and will we see another big deficit next year and the year after until we use up that, or is this a blip? Or is this what we're going to see for a while in the future? CHUCK SALMON: In answer to that, the deficit budget is based upon the fact that our accountants are continually requesting that we reduce our reserves. We've been projecting a deficit budget each year since 2005. So last year was the first year we actually achieved that and our accountants were happy. However, they still say that they like to see the deficit budget because if they ever get asked questions by Canada Revenue Agency, they can say that the Association is working to reduce those. Now having said that, as you can look through the appendices, you will note that the significant portion of the deficit lies within the Practice Advisory Department and that's on purpose to do it that way, as that's where the largest amount of reserve is. We have had discussions on that. We know that this cannot be sustained and I won't say that there's a five‐year plan but we are monitoring that deficit and will be addressing it in future years. In light of that, we'll see what happens next year and where we are in November when we actually do the budgeting so that we can determine what sort of a budget we need to come forward with, depending upon expenses this year. So, yes, the Association is concerned about the fact that the budget is showing a deficit. We have identified ways to deal with that, but we're monitoring it for the time being. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Robert? ROBERT ALLEN: On the first page of the budget, there is a figure of bank charges for $12,000 for the year. I have to admit that I haven't really looked at the budget or the financial statements that closely for the last few years, I should say. It may have been those thousands of dollars a month that we've been paying for bank charges in the past. But it just seems to be a lot of money and I'm just wondering if there's an explanation for that. CHUCK SALMON: Yes, there is. As you know, we have recently moved towards using credit cards more and more over the past few years. So the growth of the use of credit cards has increased the bank charges. So the amount that we have to pay the credit card company is 3.15 percent or close to that. That’s what you're seeing here. Now, the only thing we do not use credit cards for at this point in time is our Annual dues and that is because of the way the bylaw is written and I can remember Gordie standing up here as the former treasurer saying that it didn't allow for us to do that. I haven't analyzed that but at this point in time, dues are the only thing that we don't accept credit cards for and that's where that amount comes from. ROBERT ALLEN: Thank you very much. I never thought about the credit card charges so that makes sense. Thank you. CHUCK SALMON: I will go on to say, though, that, in addition to that, since Chad came on as our CAO, he has been looking at a number of things, and in his background, he has worked in a bank. He brings a different look to this thing. Since he's been here, we've worked with the bank. We've recently done some restructuring of our accounts which will save us money over the next year, and we hope that will continue for years to come. He's also looking at this point in time, and he's been talking with the bank, about trying to change that amount that we pay for each credit card transaction. So these are being looked at. We are trying to deal with them and try to streamline them as we speak. HARRY HICKMAN: Just going back to earlier today, we were talking about the development of the Professional Competency Program. In the budget, I don't see that itemized anywhere. With the amount of work that it appears that is going into that this year, there is a cost associated with that work. I'm wondering if that is contained within the PAD budget or the public program development for protection of public interest, or just where that money for the development of the program is coming from. CHUCK SALMON: At the moment, money spent on the Professional Competency Program is being assigned to the various program areas where they fall. Some of it lands within PAD, the increased expenses by the panel and that. Some of it falls within Board
59
expenses, that we have Board members attending some of the meetings. At this point in time, at the budgeting ‐‐ at the time we did the budgeting, we hadn't actually identified what costs would be associated with actual program development. So we were unable to actually put something in there for that. We will be using monies associated with various accounts through the year, and as we progress to next year as we do our budgeting, we will see what will be necessary and will include that once we have identified what those costs will be. HARRY HICKMAN: Okay, thank you very much. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Okay, so if there is no further discussion on the budget, I will call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? The budget is carried. I would now like to move on to the group reports. I'll introduce each group chair and ask them to stand and give a report for their respective group. In the absence of the Chair being present, possibly someone has been delegated within the group or is available to report on the Chair's behalf. So we will start off with the Northern Group. Is Rebecca Broten here? No. B.J. Houghton? Oh, you are, thank you. REBECCA BROTEN: I'd like to thank Dave Storback and Bill Powley for their past term as Chair, and coming up this year we'll be having our spring meeting in Prince George again, and our fall meeting in Fort St. John. That's because we'll be offering a natural boundaries seminar in Prince George, so Jeff Beddoes is coming and Darren Kent has been working hard to find a suitably challenging yet accessible location for our field work on that. We hope to see more participation. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Rebecca. The Okanagan Mainline. Scott Rhodes? SCOTT RHODES: We've gone under a little bit of a change in the last year, when my Co‐Chair stepped down, Jonathan Austin. We have a new Chair, Ross Mandeville. He's here somewhere. We had two meetings last year. The first one we had a CPD seminar in Kelowna that was, "Conflict in the Brain", and it was pretty well attended and I think everyone enjoyed it. Our next meeting coming up will be on June 11th, it will be in Kelowna. We don't have a venue yet. We are still looking for ideas for our agenda and CPD if anybody wants to come forward with some of those ideas. Thanks. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Scott. Kootenay. Jerome? I don't think Eric is here either. BRONWYN DENTON: Maybe I can do it, Nigel. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Bronwyn will do it. BRONWYN DENTON: Our group traditionally meets only once per year. And this year we welcomed the Board in the fall and had our meeting at McVittie House and it was freezing, but thankfully the wood fire eventually warmed us up and it was great to see the efforts of John Armstrong's team. Thanks to Bob and all of the workers that have made McVittie House what it is right now. We don't plan to have a meeting in the spring but we will welcome the Board again in the fall. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Bronwyn. Lower Mainland, Dan Machon? DAN MACHON: I'm the Chair of the Lower Mainland Group and Greg Marston and Ivan Ngan are on the Executive. We had two meetings this year and I’m really happy with our numbers. We're getting 60‐70 people out. We have been having a little bit of a CPD component in each meeting. In our main meeting we had an update from the MetroVan coordinator about their real time GNSS network. We've also had the fourth year geomatics students give us a presentation on one of their projects. So we're trying to build bridges with BCIT and keep our membership abreast of technology. In October, we had another good turnout. We had it in conjunction with the Natural Boundaries Seminar, so that worked out well. Then we did have a meeting in late January of 2013, and I want to thank Gord Gamble from the Practice Advisory Department who came over and gave us a rundown of trends he's seeing and his reviews of Lower Mainland‐type surveying. We are going to have a meeting at the end of May and we're hoping the Lower Mainland members will come out and support us. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thanks, Dan, and sorry about the last name. Vancouver Island, Ryan Turner. Dave Symonds is stepping in. DAVE SYMONDS: I'm stepping in for Ryan. We had our spring meeting in Nanaimo last year, the fall meeting in Victoria. We had interesting discussion, most notably how many plans were required to amend a strata plan under the Strata Property Act. We have upcoming spring meeting at the end of May where we are going to hold the election for a new Chair and secretary‐treasurer. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you. We are now going to move on to the committee reports. This year, we are going to handle it a little bit differently than we have in previous years. We've gone through all of the reports that were submitted and there are no published motions in any of them. If this membership has any questions relative to the committee reports, this will be the time to raise them. But we're not going to deal with each committee, other than the Comedy Committee, individually on the floor. So you are welcome to talk to any Committee Report as published and as previously sent. But, before I start, I want to pass on a huge thank you on behalf of the Association to Brent Taylor. Brent has been on the External Relations Committee from its inception as the Government Partnership Task Force through the Government Liaison Committee to
60
the body, which it is today. He took over as Chair of the Committee in late 2003 when Dave Bazett stepped down as Chair as Dave was the incoming Association President. This past year, Shauna Goertzen stepped up to serve as Co‐Chair with Brent, and following this AGM, will take over as Chair. Brent has been the driving force of this Committee which has had a significant impact on the direction for this Association. So please join me in thanking Brent for his outstanding work on our behalf. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: So is there any discussion on any of the committee reports? ROBERT ALLEN: Just a quick announcement about the Historical and Biographical Committee. We are going to have a work party at McVittie House, the land surveying office in Fort Steele, between June 2nd and June 8th of this year. And an invitation to Bronwyn and the rest of the Kootenay Group, maybe they can have a meeting during that particular time frame, so if any of you would like to come and join us, we would certainly welcome to have you at the McVittie House and land surveying office in Fort Steele. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Robert. The McVittie House is really cool. I was there for the first time on the Board trip this year, and Bronwyn was right, it was a little cold to start, but we had our breakfast in the ‐‐ it was the jail, wasn't it, where you fed us breakfast? It was good. Dave? DAVE HARDWICKE: I just wanted to talk to the Professional Reference Manual. Our Committee had sent out an email requesting anecdotes and stories and whatnot from everybody, and we've only received two so far. So we'd really like you to wrack your brains and come up with some cool stories from your field experience and researching funny field notes or whatever. Just something interesting, because we'd like to make a little appendix, or what have you, in the manual, just to gather these stories. Because these are the kind of stories that get lost over time if they're not collected. So just if you have a spare moment, that would be great. Thanks. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Dave. So the Co‐Chair of the Comedy Committee? MARK CAHILL: I'm ashamed to say I'm kind of empty with comedy committee details this year, and it's just occurred to me that the problem is I've missed the SOB tour two years in a row now due to bad weather and too shiny a motorcycle. So ‐‐ which then reminded me that there are quite a few new members in the room. Some of you might not be aware of the group started, I think primarily with Stan Nickel. Mike Taylor looks after our roster of the Surveyors‐on‐Bikes, known as SOB's. We get together one weekend every year for a ride and to celebrate time well wasted. So if there are any of the new members who are into motorcycling at all, it doesn't matter if you ride a crotch rocket or a big trail bike or a Harley or a cruiser type, everybody is welcome. Just get in touch with myself or Mike Taylor and we'll get you in the loop to be informed of this year's ride, which I believe is some day trips out of Hope in late August. That being said, at the SOB tour every year, I usually practice my Comedy Committee skills, and I promise to smarten up and I will gladly pay the Foundation my fine this year. Thank you. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you very much. So is there any further discussion about any on the committee reports? So my very detailed binder says the we are about to break for the exhibitors lunch. So jumping down: Welcome back, I hope you enjoyed your lunch. I'd now like to open the floor to new business. CHUCK SALMON: Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a motion. The motion reads: BE IT RESOLVED THAT authority to amend the bylaws for the limited purpose of updating the format structure and
numbering scheme for ease of reference and consistency, without changing the meaning or intent of any bylaw, be and is hereby delegated to the Board of Management in accordance with section (5)(2) of the Land Surveyors Act.
So moved by Chuck Salmon and this is seconded by Bronwyn Denton. Speaking to the motion, you will all remember that we circulated, in September, a document recommending restructuring of the bylaws into an organized format, and this motion just provides the authority for the Board to do that. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Any discussion? I'll call the question. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Is there any further new business? AARON SHUFLETOSKI: I just want to take this moment – I might be out of order ‐ I was given some advice by a member to be a bit more understandable and precise at the mike, to be better understood. And I appreciate the feedback, and I'll do my best to be clearer and concise, but bear in mind I think you are very used to hearing from people with a lot of experience at this microphone. So maybe with a bit of practice I can get a bit better before I get my twenty‐five year pin. Without raising the wrath of Richard Redfern, who I just realized, thanks to Gordon Gamble's report on Practice Advisory, that he is in fact not Gordon Gamble. So even if I'm up here talking on a lot of motions and speaking a lot for practice at the mike, it doesn't mean that I'm not sincere in what I'm saying. It means that I'm interested in the topic and I think that I have something to contribute in the discussion. Thanks very much.
61
NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you, Aaron, I appreciate it. Is there any further new business? Well, it looks like there is no further new business at this time so I'd like the incoming President, Ian Lloyd, to take over the Chair of the meeting for the rest of the afternoon. IAN LLOYD: Thank you, Nigel. I must say I didn't really anticipate my first duty as incoming President to be riding a bull, and I confess that I hope that the rest of the year is not quite as rough. It's my pleasure to ask Connie Petersen, as the most senior of the visiting delegates, to come up and make some closing remarks. Thank you, Connie. CONNIE PETERSON: Thank you very much. On behalf of all the visiting Presidents, I wanted to express our appreciation for your kind invitation and for the warm hospitality that we've all received since arriving here in Whistler. We've all enjoyed our travels with Nigel this past year and, rest assured, your Association has been very well represented. All of us have been impressed at the level of detail that Nigel puts into his notes at each meeting. I must admit that I rely far too heavily on my memory and sometimes that does fail me. But I know that if I need clarification, I just needed to get Nigel to bring me up to speed. At each provincial meeting, we've held a Presidents Forum to discuss the current issues that we are dealing with in our home associations and that has afforded us also the opportunity to determine the issues or problems on a national level, and to communicate these back to our councils and our Boards. Nigel has led the discussions on many occasions and kept the rest of us on track and on topic. Another plus of travelling with Nigel was that we never got lost. Wherever we were, wandering around trying to find a meeting or an event, we just needed to cast our gaze up, up, to the guy with the white hair and follow him to where we needed to be, so thanks for that, Nigel. We will all be sad to say good‐bye at the end of this meeting. We've enjoyed Nigel's candidness and his obvious love for this profession. We all wish him well and we're thankful for the time that we got to spend together this past year. In closing we would like to welcome Ian to the Presidents’ group and we look forward to having him join our discussions in the coming year. Ian, I hope you will be able to join the Alberta Land Surveyors next month in Jasper at our 104th AGM. Thank you. IAN LLOYD: Thank you, Connie. My wife and I and our daughter will be in Jasper Park Lodge. We're looking forward to that, and I'm well aware I've got big ‐ I'd better choose my words carefully ‐ big shoes to fill. Is there any further new business? This is our last opportunity for new business. Any other new business? I'll turn the mike back to Nigel, then. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Boy, the rest of the meeting went very quickly. I would like to take a moment once again to thank our office staff for the tremendous job they have done, organizing and planning the Annual Meeting entertainment. Securing this venue and completing all of the associated work for this AGM has been underway for at least one and half years, so it is incredibly satisfying to see it all come together so nicely. I'd also like to thank the AGM volunteers who stepped forward to help out in any way possible. Thank you all for the great jobs you have done. Last, but not least, I'd like to thank the Whistler Convention Centre and the Whistler Hilton staff, our hosts this week. They have done everything possible to work with us, make us comfortable and keep us well fed throughout. Thank you so much for making our conference a success. So, at this time, before we transfer the spats, I'd like to see if Richard Redfern might want to have a few last words. RICHARD REDFERN: Thank you, President Nigel. First off, I must thank O'Brian Blackall and Rob Tupper. O'Brian donated $200 U.S. and Rob, $100, for International Women's Day through the Foundation which is great. Doug Dodge, you know, your phone rang. Normally it would be $25, but I think Nigel said it had to be $50, so sorry about that. And it's been two years now that Minda has been on the Board, and yet you still refer to her as Mindy, which I believe that you did at some time in the past as well, so another $25 bucks for that. Bill Soroski from Saskatchewan, the delegate there, very kindly donated $50. He realized that he had bid too low on a silent auction item, so he made that right which we really appreciate. He did say that his wife made him bid low. I guess she took a little bit of responsibility for that. Nigel, I hate to keep coming back to you, because you already put so much effort in as President that it seems unfair to fine you, but nevertheless, would you mind telling me the name of the Province that St. John's is the capital of? NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Newfoundland. BRONWYN DENTON: That's still not right. RICHARD REDFERN: That's much better. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: It was worse when I said it wrong over there. RICHARD REDFERN: Yes. But, if you had got if right this time, I could have forgone the fine, but it's actually Newfoundland and Labrador. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Okay.
62
RICHARD REDFERN: But yes, it's not New‐Found‐Land, it's Newfoundland. Thank you, $25. While we're on the pronunciation, it seems that people from away are a little sensitive to incorrect pronunciation of their home place. So this was given to me by another person who was sensitive to pronunciation. Chuck, what's the name of the city that I used to live in before the one I live in now? CHUCK SALMON: Fort St. John. RICHARD REDFERN: That's actually much better. Chuck, usually has a quite different ‐‐ I don't even think I can do it myself. It's a Fortsun‐John? CHUCK SALMON: Yes, quite often it gets sped up a little bit to be Fortsun John. RICHARD REDFERN: Anyway, 25 bucks, sorry about that. CHUCK SALMON: Quite all right. RICHARD REDFERN: Now, Joe Johnson. In a little while, we are going to see the transfer of the Spats and the Past President being installed with the Past President's pin, and I'm sure most of you know the history of if you get caught without your pin, then you have to buy a round. Well, last night, Joe realized in a moment of panic that he had lost his Past President's pin, so he spent quite a bit of time looking for it and he engaged the help of the Association office to look for it. And, as luck would have it, Bobbie was walking over to the Association office, thinking ‐‐ seeing if she could help out, and she stepped onto the tile and her foot started to scrape a little bit on the tile and she realized that she had Joe's pin stuck to the bottom of her shoe. So, once again, woman to the rescue. But nevertheless, Joe, for losing track of your pin, $50 fine. And actually I have to tell you that Joe asked me to fine him for that, and he's always been a long term supporter of the Foundation, so thanks, Joe. Peter Mueller, are you here? I really hope your distance measuring abilities are better than your time measuring or estimating abilities. You did say that you would just need thirty seconds? Yes, 25 bucks. I was informed by Brian Brown that a member did jokingly try to vote twice in the little election ‐‐ or notice of motion that we had prior to lunch. So very funny indeed but not really, so 25 bucks. I'm not sure who it is, but you know who you are so, step up. Dave Hardwicke. Come on, man. I had just ‐‐ I thought, well, you know what I'll do, I'll give Dave a five dollar credit, but I'll make Mark pay the thirty, you know, just to divide it up a little bit. But Mark did step up and, you know, acknowledge that he had been short coming and then you put your foot in it by being incorrect on so many levels, so I'm just going to waive Mark's fine and give you the whole fifty because that's inappropriate. And getting to the end here. Aaron, you know, for recognizing that Gord is my brother from another mother, thank you for that. You know, it's not totally by accident. We're just trying to set a trend for the whole panel and we're expecting Joe and Jeff and everyone else to join in pretty soon too. I think that's about it, but I just have to pass on a little anecdote that'll hopefully will make you feel good about what surveyors do and who we are. My six‐year‐old grandson was out with his other grandmother, not my Cathy, but her name is also Cathy, a couple of weeks ago and they're strolling along hand in hand. Kevin says to Cathy, "My Granddad Redfern is really, really smart." Cathy is thinking, oh yeah. So she says, "What makes you say that?" And he says, "Because he measures the world." So even at six years old, surveyors are highly regarded. CHUCK SALMON: Our photographers are ready? Just to make mention of the fact, at the back of the room on the table there is a box, a tote of some sort, and in it are some lanyards. So we are into recycling. So as you leave today, we would appreciate it if you would toss your lanyards and your name tags into there. But don't do what I'm likely to do, and that's throw it in there with my dinner ticket in there, because otherwise I'll be hungry at dinnertime. But, yes, take your tickets out. Actually, it wasn't supposed to be quite this easy, that Ian just walks over here. He's supposed to try and run away and we're supposed to have these guys collect him, but obviously that's not happening this year. A little break in tradition, okay. I'm sure that will be noted. While this is going on, I would like to give a little background on the Order of the Spats. The pair of spats that Nigel is transferring over to Ian is the third pair of spats that represent a tradition that started in our Association in 1928. When Dalby Morkill, then President, left the Chair in 1929, he took off the spats that he was wearing and transferred them to Donald McGugan, the incoming President. Ever since that time, the spats have been passed down from one President to the next. The two previous pairs of spats have each been signed by the President that wore them and are on display at the Association office. There are approximately 37 names on each pair. In keeping with the tradition of the spats, the Past‐President's pin that will be presented shortly, represents the Order of the Spats. Just as a further bit of note, this gavel that we have here, was made from wood kindly supplied by Mr. Alex Campbell of Argyll, Sooke, B.C. The head is ironwood from the "S.S. Beaver", the first steamer to round the horn and come to this coast. After a notable career, the "Beaver" was wrecked at the entrance to the First Narrows, Burrard Inlet. The handle is of teak, taken from the "Japan". The "Japan" was a small sailing vessel and one of the first whalers to round the Horn
63
to Victoria. She was built at Dundee‐on‐the‐Tay, near where His Honour Lieutenant‐Governor Randolph Bruce originally came from. This gavel was officially presented to the Corporation of B.C. Land Surveyors at the Annual Dinner held January 9th, 1930, in a fitting ceremony by His Honour, the Lieutenant‐Governor. A historic scroll signed by His Honour was at that time placed in the handle of the gavel but has been unfortunately been lost since. The statement is now inserted in this gavel, not as a copy of the original, but merely so that future generations may honour somewhat of the gavel's origin. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Ian, it is my pleasure to present you with this gavel and turn over the presidency of the Association to you. We have worked closely together throughout the past year and I know that you are ready and eager to take on this task. I look forward to working under your leadership over this upcoming year. Thanks a lot, Ian. IAN LLOYD: Thank you, Nigel, and thank you for your confidence. You know, I can't help but think when you go through the traditions of the gavel and the spats and then we have the discussions like we did today about ParcelMap BC and the future ‐‐ that's what makes this profession great, our history and our future. This past four years on the Board has been very busy and, for a while, I had thought, oh, they're going to get it all done before I take the reins, and I'll have an easy year. But it looks like we still have an exciting year ahead of us, and I think our big files were talked about, working closely with the Practice Advisory Panel and department to work on professional competency and providing value for our members. The other big one will be georeferencing and coming up with meaningful rules that will benefit the public interest and working hand in hand with the Land Title and Survey Authority on their ParcelMap BC project. So I think it's going to be a pretty exciting year and I'm looking forward to it. It's pretty well recognized that a diverse Board leads to better decision‐making, and I think we have that and I'm very excited to work with the Board. The membership should feel free to call myself or any of the Board members directly if you've got concerns or questions. You know, there is a great number of people in this room that have acted as role models and mentors, and I really appreciate that. At the moment, I would like to ask Peter to come up and induct Nigel into the Past Presidents. CHUCK SALMON: Richard's at the microphone. IAN LLOYD: Sorry, Richard Redfern, go ahead. RICHARD REDFERN: I humbly apologize to the incoming President, but there is a little matter of protocol that unfortunately I think has to be remedied before the photographer leaves the room. but some of the Past Presidents have noticed that you have spats on the wrong feet. IAN LLOYD: Thank you for drawing that to our attention. I think you've been in the office too long. The spats were carefully put on so that the buttons were on the inside so they wouldn't catch on any rosebushes. So I think that you should perhaps redirect that fine to yourself. So in all seriousness, I was very careful to put them in the same feet that they came off of. So one way or another, the fine is going to have to be doubled. PETER MUELLER: The pin that I have placed on Nigel's lapel is a true symbol of the Order of the Spats. I'd like to explain the rules of the Order of the Spats before I pin it on you, now that Bob has reminded me I've violated them. Tradition has it that you shall always wear this pin to official Association functions, and if you don't, and another Past President finds that you're not wearing it, then they can charge you with a round of drinks for all the Past Presidents that are at that function. Of course, your duty and your responsibility is also to be mindful and watchful that other Past Presidents are wearing their pins. And if you find that they are not wearing their pin, of course, they will have to buy a round of drinks. But it's a wily group, as you've noticed, and sometimes they hide the pins. So if you charge them with not wearing the pin and in fact it is on their person and hidden, then you again will have to buy a round of drinks for the Past Presidents in that function. Congratulations, Nigel. NIGEL HEMINGWAY: Thank you very much, Peter. PETER MUELLER: Tremendous job. IAN LLOYD: Peter, just before you ‐‐ just when I spoke earlier about role models, certainly Peter Mueller has been a tremendous role model for me on the Board, and it's certainly with mixed feelings we see Peter move on to a more normal life and spend more time with Lorraine and his family, but on behalf of the Board, Peter, it's been such a pleasure and we really appreciate what you've done for our Association. PETER MUELLER: Thanks, Ian. IAN LLOYD: Before we move to wrapping things up, I think I'd be remiss if I didn't ask the Sergeant‐at‐Legs if he had a final tally. You're good? Okay. Thank you so much, Richard. Thank you to all of the delegates for your efforts in coming across this great country to attend our meeting, and your contributions are very much valued and appreciated and I look forward to attending your meetings.
64
I'd like to invite the delegates and the membership to attend the 109th Annual General Meeting of this Association and this will be held March 19‐21st at the River Rock Resort in Richmond, B.C. So I look forward to having you join us there. And finally I'd like to call for a motion to adjourn. PATRICK RINGWOOD: So moved. IAN LLOYD: Thank you, Patrick. We are adjourned. (Proceedings concluded)