Alberta Boundaries Spring 2009

Surveyors map growth in Albertas oilpatch

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GROUNDED IN THE PAST - LOOKING TO THE FUTURE SPRING 2009

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CONTENTSPUBLISHED FOR:

Alberta Land Surveyors AssociationPhipps-McKinnon Building

Suite 1000, 10020 - 101A Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 3G2 Phone (780) 429-8805

Fax (780) 429-3374Email: [email protected]

www.alsa.ab.ca

PUBLISHED BY:Venture Publishing Inc.

10259 105 StreetEdmonton, AB T5J 1E3Toll-free 1-866-227-4276

Phone (780) 990-0839Fax (780) 425-4921

www.venturepublishing.ca

PUBLISHERRuth Kelly

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERDaska Davis

ALSA EDITORBrian Munday

EDITORMifi Purvis

COPY CHIEFKim Tannas

ART DIRECTORCharles Burke

DESIGNERRodrigo Lpez Orozco

PRODUCTION MANAGERBetty Smith

PRODUCTION TECHNICIANGeoff Cwiklewich

VICE-PRESIDENT, SALESAnita McGillis

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVESAlicia Kuzio, Penny Smith, Stephen Tamayo

SALES ASSISTANTStefanie Jackson

Contents 2009 by Venture Publishing Inc.No part of this publication should be reproduced

without written permission.

Non-deliverable mail should be directed to the Edmonton of ce:

10259 105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3.

Printed in Canada.

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #40020055.

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS5 EDITORS NOTE

6 ISSUES IN INDUSTRY Meeting the challenges ahead BY RON HALL

8 ASSOCIATION FORECAST A view from the ALSA BY BRIAN MUNDAY

9 MESSAGES FROM THE PREMIER AND MINISTER

11 FRONT LINES Jargon buster; Technicians and technologists; ALSA family ties; David Thompson redux; Surveyors and homebuyers; Riel yanks a chain

18 SPOTLIGHT Find out the difference between geomatics and land surveying BY DR. ROBERT RADOVANOVIC

49 SURVEYORS STAR SIGN Forget about Sagittarius the Archer. Meet Surveyus the Measurer50 LAST WORD A surveyor recalls some of his fi ner moments from the fi eld BY BRUCE DRAKE

FEATURES20 A LOOK BACK A glance at the fi rst 100 years of Alberta land surveying BY SHANNON SUTHERLAND

26 PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE Meet the surveyor of yesteryear and tomorrows professional

28 EDUCATING THE SURVEYOR Discover access points to the fi eld with a focus on the University of Calgarys geomatics. PLUS: Labour mobility BY DAVID DICENZO

34 SURVEYING THE PATCH The oilpatch, that is. Find out how surveying enabled the growth of the provinces richest resource BY JIM VEENBAAS

www.alsa.ab.ca 3

38 URBAN SURVEYS A day in the life of a team at work in the city BY TRICIA RADISON

44 PROFILING THE PROS Meet seven Alberta land surveyors at work BY CAITLIN CRAWSHAW

On the Cover: From left, Ben Woodland, Bob Wallace and Marc Michaud. Photographed by John Gaucher

Top photo courtesy of McElhanney Land Surveys Ltd.

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BY BRIAN MUNDAY

Welcome to Alberta Boundaries

iREMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I WAS IN A PLANEfl ying over Alberta. I couldnt help but notice the systematic rectangular lay-out of the land. It was apparent to me even then that a great deal of thought and effort had gone into creating this system even if back then I didnt realize that land surveyors were the ones who created it. But land surveyors did create it.

We dont often think about the survey system we have in Alberta. Perhaps it is because land surveyors are usually on the land doing their work before there is any sign of development. Or perhaps it is because the land surveyors have done their job so well that there are very few boundary disputes in this province.

Alberta Boundaries is designed to spread the word about the role of land surveying in the peaceful and orderly development of Alberta. Land surveyors played a large role in the history of the province sur-veying a vast open territory into sections of land for soon-to-be-arriving homestead-ers. Land surveying is also playing a tre-mendous role in the future of Alberta

using the latest technologies to measure, map and capture data on a scale previous-ly unimaginable.

Throughout Alberta Boundaries, you will fi nd stories that highlight the land surveyors role in everything from large oil and gas projects to small residential real estate projects. From survey work across the street to around the other side of the world.

The magazine also shows how much land surveying has become a part of our everyday lives. Ever travelled on Baseline Road? Or how about Meridian Street? Baselines and meridians are survey terms. Ever been to Magrath, Alberta? It was named after land surveyor Charles Magrath.

As the Alberta Land Surveyors Association celebrates its centennial, we pay tribute to the legendary feats of yester-days land surveyors, recognize todays land surveyors in helping build a modern Alberta, and look ahead as far as the eye can see at the future of professional land surveying.

EDITORS NOTE

We want to spread the word about the role of land surveying in the peaceful and orderly development of Alberta

BRIAN MUNDAY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORALBERTA LAND SURVEYORS ASSOCIATION

www.alsa.ab.ca 5


6 A L B E RTA BOUNDARIES 2 0 0 9

HESE ARE CHALLENGING TIMES FOR ALL PROFESSIONALS and professional associations in Alberta and elsewhere.

Over the 100-year history of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association, there have always been challenges and land surveyors have faced them head-on. Some have been political or economic in nature and some have been related to the infl uence of emerging technologies.

Lets step back for a moment and think about what it means to be a professional. A professional is a person who, through a combination of education and experience, can provide a learned opinion in their area of expertise and take action based on that opinion. Often they must balance the goals of confl icting groups such as clients, governments and the public at large. The professional is bound by a code of ethics. All of this applies to Albertas land surveyor.

Surveyors are constantly battling a stereotype. People think of the land surveyor as a person who measures distances by standing behind a funny looking instrument on a tripod. But the person standing behind that instru-ment is often not the professional land surveyor, and measuring distances is only one very small part of the professionals work.

Measuring from one spot to another is the easy part, but knowing where to measure from and where to measure to is what makes land surveying a profession. The ideal land surveyor is like Sherlock Holmes, uncovering clues and looking for evidence as to what yesteryears surveyor did when the boundaries were originally established. Some-times the evidence is nothing more than a small rust hole providing a clue that a boundary marker was once there.

In Alberta, todays land surveyor has to be a bit of a politician. Increasingly amid the need for transparency, due diligence and complex regulation, the surveyor has to understand legislation, how its applied in practical terms and he has to be able to clearly explain it.

So what of that person standing behind the instru-ment, the one whom the public is most familiar with?

That individual is part of the land survey team. Often known as a party chief, he or she works with drafting staff, plan checkers, researchers, project managers and others under the direction of a land surveyor. Led by the surveyor, this team serves the people of Alberta.

The Alberta Land Surveyors Association also faces broader and complex challenges. Created by the provin-cial legislature, the association exists to protect the pub-lics interests relative to property boundaries. It assists the public and answers questions about surveys and the pro-fession itself. There are people who incorrectly assume that the associations intent is to further the interests of members. In fact, its paramount aim is to safeguard the public interest.

The Government of Alberta appoints public members to serve on committees that communicate directly with the association. Input from these committees is vital and

Challenging TimesIf the measure of Alberta surveyors is how well we respond to change and challenge, then our association indicates a bullish year ahead

t

BY BRIAN MUNDAY

The paramount aim of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association is to safeguard the public interest.

ASSOCIATION FORECAST


ensures that the publics voice is heard. But the publics concerns can often be in con-fl ict; thats probably one of the biggest chal-lenges facing professional regulatory orga-nizations today.

The Alberta Land Surveyors Association has a rigorous process to ensure that only the most capable people receive their com-mission. At the same time, changes in the demographic makeup in this province and country means trying to attract more pro-fessionals from a dwindling number of young people. Weve taken signifi cant steps, such as consulting with government and our sister associations, to increase the mobility of land surveyors without dimin-ishing their skills and expertise.

The association has an obligation to ensure that a skilled surveyor, once com-missioned, remains competent throughout his or her career. So weve had an extensive and in-depth systematic practice review program running since 1994. The reviews of the majority of Alberta Land Surveyors have been tremendously positive. Those surveyors who wanted some assistance to improve their practice received it. We hope to evolve and improve our practice review and renew our continuing competency program with input from association members.

As we address these challenges, part of the answer will be found in the history of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association. If we look at what our predecessors have done examine the survey evidence and see how they faced challenges, well have our guide.

I dont know of any Alberta Land Surveyor who doesnt want help to fi nd solutions to these issues. After all, profes-sionals are people who are accustomed to fi nding solutions to problems that dont have black and white answers. And the association that represents them to the people of Alberta wouldnt have it any other way.

Message from the Honourable Ed StelmachOn behalf of the Government of Alberta, I wish to extend my congratulations to the members of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association as you celebrate your 100th annual general meeting.

The work you perform has helped to shape our wonderful province as we see it today. As our province grows so does the number of commissioned Alberta land surveyors working to survey and map the province.

Your profession plays an integral role in laying the lines for our parks, roads and the growing oil and gas industry. The value of the effort Alberta land surveyors pour into the development of our province cannot be underes-timated.

The partnership between the Alberta land surveyors and the Government of Alberta is a positive one and I look forward to continuing this relationship well into the future.

Ed Stelmach

Premier of Alberta

Message from the Honourable Ted MortonThis is an exciting time for members of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association, as April 2009 marks your 100th annual general meeting.

The theme of this years convention, The Past, the Future and the Present, is tting seeing that surveying has a rich history in Alberta from the days of the Dominion Land Surveyors to the registration of the rst Alberta Land Surveyors on January 1, 1911.

It is professional surveyors like you who plot our public land for conserva-tion and development. You play a pivotal role in Alberta by supporting the growing oil and gas and land subdivision industries as well as our transpor-tation networks.

My department supports the Alberta Land Surveyors Association and we wish to congratulate you on this signi cant occasion. Thank you for your hard work and valuable contributions to the province of Alberta.

Ted Morton

Minister of the Department of Sustainable Resources

www.alsa.ab.ca 7



continue to face, is that of demographics and sustainability. Simply put, the average age of land surveyors is steadily creeping up. Eventually, older surveyors will want to retire, putting a possible strain on the profession. For the profession to be vibrant, sustainable and to meet the demands and expectations of the public we need to have a continual infl ux of new blood. We need to develop new ways to attract younger members.

Over the past decade, many governments have implemented different kinds of free trade agreements. Several years ago, NAFTA spearheaded the concept of cross-border mobility and, in 2001, as part of a Federal Government initiative, surveyors across Canada enacted a Mutual Recognition Agreement, making it easier for surveyors licensed in one province to become licensed in other provinces. Last April, the associa-tions representing surveyors in British Columbia and Alberta signed reciprocal agreements allowing surveyors to practice in either province upon the completion of a jurisdiction-specifi c examination, which can be completed in half a day. And discus-sions are ongoing across all of the provinces to expand this professional free-trade zone nationally.

Such agreements are a very positive step, allowing surveyors to become more compet-itive on the world stage, as well as allowing provinces to support each other in the case of bad economic weather. The worldwide economic downturn makes this concern all

HE ALBERTA LAND SURVEYORS ASSOC-iation (ALSA) has a strong and proud past, and it has been my pleasure to be

involved in the association in several differ-ent ways during my career. Its a special privilege now to serve as president. After a century of regulating the land surveying profession, the ALSA continues to be a truly stable and well-run organization. As we pre-pare to celebrate our 100th year as a profes-sional body dedicated to protecting the pub-lic, I believe the theme we have selected is very appropriate: Honour the past, cele-brate the present and look to the future.

Over the past year, Ive had the honour of representing Alberta surveyors across the country and Ive had the opportunity to be involved in many discussions about what the future of the profession holds and the changes that it will face in the not-too-dis-tant future. Coming out of all this, I have a conviction that the key to facing the chal-lenges ahead is a solid plan of evolution rather than revolution.

There are a number of issues facing the surveying profession (and the ALSA organi-zation specifi cally) that we need to deal with in the coming days, months and years. ALSA and many of its sister organizations are doing their best to face them proactive-ly and leverage strengths to ensure the sus-tainability of the profession. We know change is coming, and were preparing to adapt rather than resist.

One of the biggest issues most professions have faced over the past several years, and

Bring It On

t

PRESIDENTS NOTE BY RON HALL

Lets look at changes that are impacting our profession and nd out where the advantages lie

RON HALL, PRESIDENTALBERTA LAND SURVEYORS ASSOCIATION


the more real. Labour Mobility Agreements also help in attracting younger land surveyors to the profession by providing them with greater options in choosing where to live and where to apply their knowledge and experience. Maybe we can avoid a repeat of the last 20 years of struggling to attract bright people to the land surveying profession. Well be better equipped to attract more key people to the profession.

At the same time, we want to capital-ize on the fact that Canada is a magnet for highly-trained immigrants. To better tap into this reservoir of talent, govern-ments at all levels are aiming to ensure foreign trained professionals are fairly and transparently recognized in their jurisdictions. Land survey-ing is no different. We have to maintain the delicate balance, ensuring the public is protected by our tough standards but also enabling qualified people to get licensed and meet the increased demand for surveyors.

Our challenge is to streamline the application and testing pro-cess and yet still monitor, enforce and discipline our membership under a new system thats based on professional ethics rather than purely knowledge and practice.

We havent explored this new frontier. What does mandatory peer practice review, continuing competency requirements and continuing education look like in a mobile, non-locally based pro-fession? Does it become more of a national responsibility that the provinces oversee or direct? Does this labour mobility trend not create a stronger need for a national body, for national oversight of the profession? What happens when the surveyor from Charlottetown has to prove himself competent to complete a con-dominium development in Vancouver?

Environmental and regulatory changes will affect the way we survey. Surveying is increasingly taking place in the office rather than the field. Ensuring that projects minimize impacts on the environment, remain economical for clients and meet the moving

target of governmental approvals adds many layers of complexity beyond worrying that measurements are correct and boundary markers are set properly.

These responsibilities have changed the nature of a surveyor. While many land surveyors enjoy the rigours of working outside, the pro-fession is becoming one of managing technical staff from the confines of an office. Today, technicians and technologists do much of the survey work that Alberta Land Surveyors once did. The shift has created new roles in the field and the office, some that are not well recognized or certi-

fied. Surveyors must understand these changes, manage the pro-cess and implement controls to protect the publics interests.

From a technological standpoint, the last two decades have been a cornucopia of development. GPS has radically changed the way we survey. Immense amounts of topographic data are avail-able thanks to satellite imaging. Surveyors can take any site in Alberta and, by merging different geo-spatial datasets, come up with a picture of the place that is more complete than if you went there yourself. But how does this convert to knowledge that can help clients make an informed decision? Developing useful and cost-effective products and efficient delivery mechanisms is important to surveyors growing their businesses. The days of dusty, static, printed maps or Mylars delivered Monday through Friday are long gone the public now expects products to be web-accessible, cross-linkable and available 24-7.

Professions such as our own must continue to evolve, embrace change and be proactive leaders in meeting the demands expect-ed of professionals in the 21st century. I believe that the Alberta Land Surveyors Association and its members are well positioned to meet the challenges that lie ahead. We not only recognize the opportunities created by change, but also offer leadership to make our communities a better place to live.

I strongly believe that the Alberta Land Surveyors

Association and its members are well positioned to meet

the challenges that lie ahead.

www.alsa.ab.ca


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FRONT LINES

house buyers need to converse with numerous professionals: real estate agents, lawyers, home inspectors, nancial advisors and now land sur-veyors? For some members of the public, the only time theyll meet a land surveyor is when it comes time to buy a house.

One should be called in for every house purchase, advises Jim Maidment, president of Maidment Land Surveys and Alberta Land Surveyor for 23 years. The vendor, if theyre aware of any problems and sell the house without disclosing those problems, can be held responsi-ble well after the sale.

The buyer or vendor can avoid any problems by hiring a land surveyor to conduct a real property report. Depending on his or her workload, and it varies from rm to rm, the land surveyor can compile a property report in a fairly short time after completing a eld visit and the ensuing of ce work.

Any problems the surveyor discovers may be as minor as a concrete RV pad extending over the property line or as complicated as a garage encroaching on a neigh-bours land.

It happens often enough, Maidment says. Probably once a month, we bump into one of these property reports

where the owner has just built the garage not surveyed at all and the garage ends up encroaching on the neighbours property.

There was an oddball case a few years back, where the fence was dramatically in the wrong spot by a few metres. This fellow came along, put in an offer to pur-chase because he gured he could drive his motorhome down between the house and the fence. After wed done the real property report, he actually withdrew the offer because it turned out the fence was so far out. He thought it was on the property line, but it turned out there was no room in there at all for the motorhome. Basically he would have to drive on the neighbours property. So the property wasnt as valuable as he would have liked.

Meet the PublicBY STEPHANIE SPARKS

Riel Yanks a ChainOn October 11, 1869, Louis Riel led a party of 18 Mtis men to defend their occupancy and ownership of land along the Assiniboine River. The Hudsons Bay Company was in the process of transferring ownership of the land to the Government of Canada. The Mtis, who had settled the area, objected. Unarmed, Riel registered his protest by stepping on the surveyors chain. The survey party with-drew and Riels yanking of the chain is often consid-ered the spark point of the Red River Resistance, which was a precursor to the Northwest Rebellion.

www.alsa.ab.ca 11www.alsa.ab.ca 11

once a month, we bump into one of these property reports

Riel Yanks a ChainOn October 11, 1869, Louis Riel led a party of 18 Mtis men to defend their occupancy and ownership of land along the Assiniboine River. The Hudsons Bay Company was in the process of transferring ownership of the land to the Government of Canada. The Mtis, who had settled the area, objected. Unarmed, Riel registered his protest by stepping on the surveyors chain. The survey party with-drew and Riels yanking of the chain is often consid-ered the spark point of the Red River Resistance, which was a precursor to the Northwest Rebellion.


FRONT LINES

lTechnically Certi able

BY DAVID DICENZO

and surveying work is two-fold. Theres the hands-on eldwork and the subsequent time spent in the of ce completing other tasks related to the survey.

Back in the day, there were surveyors who did both parts. Over time, the land surveyors migrated further into project management roles, says Dr. Robert Radovanovic of SARPI Ltd., a geomatics and engineering rm based in Edmonton.

The void in the eld, he says, has been lled by techni-cians and technologists, who are currently

not officially certified. The move towards certifying surveying technicians has taken on momentum as their duties and respon-

sibilities increase. As a member of the public, you see someone on the street corner measuring out property lines and

you think that would be the surveyor, says Radovanovic. They are more

likely to be surveying technicians. While technicians and technolo-

gists dont currently fall under any legislation, they are an inte-

gral part of the industry. Radovanovic says the

roles of technicians and

technologists should be certi ed and regulated. In an effort to better de ne these roles and where they t into the surveying profession, the ALSA has formed a joint committee with the Alberta Society of Surveying and Mapping Technologies (ASSMT). The two associations have agreed to collaborate, addressing the issues that relate to professionals and para-professionals. Both groups have pledged to maintain quality in education and high standards in training.

Theres a lot of responsibility downloaded on the tech-nicians and technologists, says Barry Bleay, a senior survey technologist with ASSMT and member of the joint committee. To this point, there has never been any leg-islative obligation for professionals to hire those that are certi ed.

The committee is trying to define processes and parameters as they relate to certi cation of technicians and technologists. Some of the more prevalent issues the committee will examine include professional devel-opment, education and curriculums in schools and, ulti-mately, the certi cation of members. Were basically trying to get these people certi ed, Bleay says, because they are working in support of professionals. It only makes sense. The committee expects to present more detailed information later this year.

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The Rich SurveyorIn 2002, a painting by Paul Kane sold at auction for $5.1 mil-lion, giving it the biggest price tag attached to any Canadian painting. He was friends with Captain John Henry Lefroy, the subject of the painting, which is usually known asIn The Northwest Portrait. As well as his military associa-tion, Lefroy was a scientist. He reportedly studied the Earths magnetic field, calculating the location of the magnetic North Pole. The painting is also known by its other title, one that celebrates Captain Lefroys other position: The Surveyor: Portrait of Captain John Henry Lefroy.

Third DimensionIn 2003, Raymac Surveys Ltd. was awarded the ALSA Geomatics Award of Excellence for a project that didnt leave anybody at. People think of surveying as marking out space in two dimensions: a chain on the ground. But when Raymac undertook the survey of the space between the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary and the Hyatt Regency during a construction project that would join the two, they were looking up and down and at all the spaces between.

Raymac had to survey downwards to include three levels of parking, and upwards to include ve storeys of sometimes shared space. At some points in the design, exclusively Hyatt property overlapped onto Convention Centre space. Raymac had to account for an underground walkway, LRT and roads. We de ned property boundaries and described what was joint use and what was exclusive to each side, says project manager and surveyor Terry Hudema. In the end we had 21 plans, which used 3-D images, to support boxes of documentation.

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a lberta Land Surveyors are a close-knit group. Some are even family. Duncan Gillmore, Jr. of Gillmore Surveys Ltd. enjoyed land surveying with his father when he was younger, so he entered the fi eld himself.

My dad let me decide for myself what I wanted to do, says Gillmore, but certainly didnt discourage me once I started showing that I wanted to be a land surveyor.

Project managers Byron and Lesley Laurie married a year after university and both now work at Midwest Surveys Inc. in Edmonton. We dont work directly with one another, explains Byron Laurie, project manager, oil and gas. The best thing about having a career is having that individuality, and its good to try to maintain that working environment. I would say weve successfully done that.

Focus Corporations project manager Ashley Robertson agrees. Not only does she work with her husband and father-in-law, shes a land surveyor like her father, several uncles and grandfather.

[My husband and I] make a conscious effort to not talk to each other during the day. Working together in a family environment can be very good, but you have to be really conscientious of what other peoples perceptions are. We work harder than we probably need to because we do want to make sure that people understand that what were doing is based on our own skill set and our own credibility, not just who we are. And I think people respect how we make it work.

Its funny, the survey community is quite small, she continues. Everyone kind of knows everyone, even across provinces. And the more you start to talk to people, the more you realize it is a family profes-sion in a lot of ways. A lot of people are involved in the profession because their dad was a surveyor and its a tradition.

Family TiesBY STEPHANIE SPARKS

FRONT LINES

Surveyors erect a tent in the downtown of ces of the ALSA in preparation for the organizations travelling historical display. This type of tent was commonly used by survey teams at work in the bush.

The ALSA maintains a rich trove of surveying arti-facts for educational purposes, ranging from antique survey instruments to cast iron pans. This travelling surveyors display is scheduled to tour the province this year to mark the centenary of the ALSA. In the coming weeks, check in at www.alsa.ab.ca to nd out when the exhibit is going to be in your area.

Lot 56, Still as SurveyedNature lovers in St. Albert are familiar with River Lot 56 Natural Area. Never developed, Lot 56 still bears the name the surveyor attached to it when it was subdivid-ed in the early 1900s. The river lot system of surveying ensured that all land holders had access to the Sturgeon River. In 1973, local users of the area banded together to maintain it as a park and Lot 56 was eventu-ally granted municipal protection. It is home to walking trails that wind through graceful aspen forests, mead-owland and riverside habitat.

Urban Camping


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Water HighwayWhen I joined the David Thompson Bicentennial Brigade, I was expecting a nice two-week canoe and camping trip. I wasnt expecting the pageant that went along with it. I was part of the 15-member ALSA group who retraced the route Thompson took along the inland waterway, which was once the only strip of civilization in the territory.

We started at Rocky Mountain House and every community we passed, even the smallest, put on a big celebration, with feasts and fi reworks. Our group fi n-ished at Prince Albert, others went to Thunder Bay. The journey was to mark the 200th anniversary of Thompsons original trip he was an explorer, trader and surveyor. He surveyed much of the interior of what was then called the Northwest Territories.

He crossed the continent, mapping rivers, trading houses and forts. I was amazed by how accurate his survey was. He would record his readings at night (his Salish name meant one who looks at the stars) then bunk down for the winter and do his calculations. His maps from the late 1700s were used until the 1920s. I see his accomplishment as a real effort of will.

John Haggerty, Can-Am Geomatics


Raymac Surveys Ltd.

Congratulates the

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Surveying the Distinction

Geomatics is the science of measuring things on Earth. Land surveying is one application that puts it to extensive and valuable use

OCTORS, PHARMACISTS AND DENTISTS EACH HAVE THEIR

own differences in the qualifi cations and experi-ence they have and the type of work they do.

They have specifi c titles because they have specifi c roles. When a person has a cavity, he doesnt call a doctor. If he has a question about his heart medication, he doesnt call a dentist. These professionals can be categorized under health sciences, but theyre not one and the same. Each is a specialized job.

The same goes for geomatics, the science of measure-ment. This large umbrella covers many different roles, each with its own area of expertise. One particular role thats familiar to many is that of the land surveyor, who specializes in uncovering the boundaries that defi ne interests in land.

The science of geomatics has been around for a long time. The ancient Egyptians were the fi rst surveyors to mark out fi elds when the Nile River fl ooded. Since then, the practice has evolved and has been adopted through-out the world.

These days, geomatics is a broad subject that encom-passes all types of spatial measurement. The data that is collected is then used to create information systems that are easy for individuals to interpret. Two everyday exam-ples of this are MapQuest and Google Maps. Geomatics is what led to the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and its geomatics that led to the ability to input your GPS position on a moving map in your vehicle.

Geomatics is a supporting science. The information collected can be used in any application that requires a spatial distribution of data. Even fi elds such as sociology benefi t from geomatics. For example, with the data from a sociological study, geomatics can help illustrate the number of people in a specifi c salary bracket populating an area of the city in an easy-to-understand map. It can also provide tools to answer questions such as, How many people with salaries below $40,000 per year live within 300 metres of bus stops? Geomatics provides the background tools to make it simple for scientists to dis-play their data and make inferences from it.

For those with more immediate interests, geomatics can be used to measure anything on Earth. This focus on measurement is at the core of what the science does. It can be used to fi nd out the perimeter of a parcel of land, the length of a coastline or the area of an expanse of trees. Different tools to make these measurements are available, ranging from simple tapes to expensive GPS setups to imaging satellites located hundreds of kilome-tres above the Earth.

A layperson may argue that it sounds a lot like land surveying but its not. Land surveying is certainly a spe-cialty subset of geomatics, but geomatics is the general science that covers what land surveyors do. Land survey-ing is used to determine where a persons boundaries lie. Its the legal side of geomatics.

From a municipal perspective, landowners can enlist

d

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Surveying the Distinction

Land surveying takes the science of geomatics to measure boundaries and show ownership.

WELL SCHOOLEDUniversity of Calgary Department of Geomatics Engineering Schulich School of Engineering 2500 University Drive NW Calgary AB T2N 1N4 Tel: 403-220-5834 www.geomatics.ucalgary.ca

professionally recognized land surveyors to determine where lot boundaries are located. Land surveying takes the science of geomatics to measure boundaries and show ownership. If geomatics is the science of measurement, then land survey-ing is the application of that science.

Theres a whole legal aspect behind land surveying. Anyone can open a book and learn about geomatics, but to actually be able to call themselves a land surveyor and put what theyve learned into practice requires that individual to be licensed. Land surveyors need to know how to take the measurements and understand the legal implications behind those measure-ments. Should a legal dispute erupt between land owners, a land surveyor can be called in as an expert witness but they

dont actually defi ne the boundary. Instead theyre making the measurement to deter-mine the boundaries the judge will make the fi nal decision. In this way, land surveying is not unlike police work: inves-tigators collect the evidence, but its the courts that render a legal decision.

The distinction between land surveying and geomatics is an important one to make. Its all about the accuracy of the terms. If a person requires a land surveyor, they will hopefully not hire someone who

has only read a couple of books on geo-matics or someone else who knows how to wield a measuring tape. Surveying is so much more than that. Only a surveyor recognized by the Alberta Land Surveyors Association can practise in the province. Dr. Robert Radovanovic, P.Eng., A.L.S., C.L.S.

www.alsa.ab.ca 19

MAP QUEST: Students at the U of C study geomatics, then can narrow their course- work to become professional land surveyors


BY SHANNON SUTHERLAND

Laying Down

t

Forget the wagon trains, railways and six-shooters. The West was won with an axe and lengths of survey chain

the Lines

HEIR OCCUPATION IS DIVISIVE IN NATURE, BUT PEACE AND order are most often the outcomes of their work.

Historically, land surveyors in Alberta were the individ-uals who ventured into uncharted territory, so those who fol-lowed would not have to do the same. After surveyors had done their jobs, those who came after would know where they were standing, where they were going and where they had been.

The survey was required before Western Canada could be made available for settlement, says Gord Olsson, a retired land surveyor who is now helping to organize a travelling exhibit on the impact land surveyors have had in shaping the history of the province. It has been said that no other land survey system in the world equals the Dominion Lands Survey System for pre-cision and uniformity over such a large area of land, and no other comparable body of surveyors was assembled, trained and deployed with such focus and dedication to carry out the sur-vey. Yet, to me, it is remarkable that it is hardly mentioned, if mentioned at all, in books on the history of Canada.

The Dominion Lands Survey was a simple and accurate meth-od of land identifi cation. Its design was based on a rectangular system laid out from meridians and baselines conforming to parallels of latitude. The survey covered the largest area in the world dealt with by one comprehensive survey system, accord-

www.alsa.ab.ca 21

ing to information from the Alberta Land Surveyors Association.

In fact, a world record was set in 1883 when the Dominion Land Surveyors subdivided an area covering 27 million acres (more than 10 million hectares). This was the largest subdivi-sion survey of its kind ever carried out in the entire world in a single year. Between 1880 and 1920, more than 3,000 town-ships, which is more than 440,000 quarter-sections, were sur-veyed for settlement in Alberta.

The goal was to establish a complete grid of meridians and baselines before fi lling it in with extensive township subdivi-sion, says Judy Larmour, author of Laying Down the Lines, a book commissioned by ALSA on the history of land surveying in Alberta. The quick construction of the Canadian Pacifi c Railway, completed in 1885, saw the Dominion Lands Survey begin township subdivision on the lands granted to the rail-way. Following that, surveyed dominion lands were to be opened to the homesteaders who would fl ood the West by the turn of the century. This involved literally chaining out dis-tances on the ground and marking the corners of sections within townships, explains Larmour. Until the surveyors township subdivision plan was registered with land titles, no homesteader could take out a homestead application.



1900 to 1910 In September 1905, the Province of Alberta is founded and, according to the provisions of the British North America Act, the government of the new province becomes responsible for the administration of real prop-erty law within its territory.

1930 to 1940The Great Depression arrived and a dispirited attitude is much in evidence. Membership of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association steadily drops and work is scarce.

1920 to 1930 Alberta becomes an equal partner in confederation when it gains adminis-tration of public lands and natural resources in the province by the Constitution Act of 1930. Future wealth of the province is assured as mineral, oil and gas and forest resources become vested in Alberta.

1910 to 1920The Alberta Land Surveyors Act is passed in 1910 and the Alberta Land Surveyors Association is born.

The work was as dangerous as it was meticulous, not to mention onerous. In Vision of An Ordered Land, James MacGregor quotes an early surveyors fi eld journal. He writes, As a protection against black fl ies, we are using Stockholm tar and sweet oil mixed in equal parts; this mixture we rub over our hands, face and neck. By this, our appearance is of a hybrid between the devil and a white man. For the mosquitoes this is only a mockery, for the oil only greases their nozzles and the tar gives them a good footing to ram in their infernal append-ages. Surviving brutally unforgiving weather, infesta-tions of insects and hard physical labour was often a daily ritual for land surveyors.

Larmour says the greatest challenges fac-ing land surveyors in the years before the First World War were the trips to northern Alberta. Simply to get where the surveys were to be undertaken required hazardous journeys, she says. Survey parties had to be hired and outfi tted to withstand any circumstances nature would provide. Planning meant land surveyors and their teams had to prepare for every aspect of the expedition, from calculating how much grub the party would need for months on end, to determining how many iron posts and other pieces of equipment they would require to com-plete the task. The surveyor had to check all his equip-ment and instruments before going into the fi eld, says Larmour. He had to order, purchase and load all the sup-plies required for a journey that would last hundreds of

miles. Some surveyors had to make arrangements for scows [fl at-bottomed boats] to carry freight at Athabasca Landing, and teams of horses and sleighs or dog trains for later winter work. She says other occupational hazards included setting up and tearing down camps in the wil-derness, walking huge distances carrying gear and deal-ing with bugs, snow and storms.

Once they got there, they had to clear the lines through the bush with an axe in order to measure and mark the ground, says Larmour.

One of the greatest challenges was surveying moun-

tain areas. This required the use of photo-topographical surveying that involved taking views from established fi xed points on mountaintops. Surveyors had to fi rst make arduous mountain ascents and, once on high, triangulate to establish latitude and longitude.

When the Dominion Lands Survey started, surveyors measured distances using the Gunters chain, which was named after an English mathematician who designed his chain to be 66 feet long, including 100 steel links so that 10 square chains would equal one acre. The chain was heavy and clumsy, making it diffi cult to move around

Many early surveys were done to almost the same degree of accuracy that is possible with todays modern technology.

ALSA: A Line of the Times


1950 to 1960 In 1953 Swedish surveyors develop the geodimeter, the fi rst electronic distance meter using laser beams or radio fre-quencies to measure distances. This instrument reduces the time required to measure baselines from weeks to hours with increased accuracy.

1940 to 1950 Oil is discovered at Leduc in 1947. Its the most important factor in the evolution of sur-veying in Alberta in 50 years. The township system in Alberta provides a framework for man-aging oil and gas rights. Surveys are also required for surface leases on well sites, pipelines and related facilities.

1970 to 1980In the 1970s, surveyors become involved in developing land informa-tion systems and geographic informa-tion systems (GIS). Survey control systems are implemented by survey-ors to support GIS.

1960 to 1970New technology continues to arrive. Electronic distance measuring instruments such as the geodimeter and tellurometer become available for everyday use and computers arrive on the scene.

2000 to present 2005 marks 100 years since the Province of Alberta entered confederation, and the Alberta Land Surveyors Association pub-lishes Laying Down the Lines: A History of Land Surveying in Alberta as a centennial project. Numerous initiatives to increase labour mobility are underway.

1990 to 2000 The Global Positioning System (GPS) becomes the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). By 1994, a complete constellation of 24 medium-earth orbit satellites is in use. The system enables a GPS receiver to determine loca-tion, speed, direction and time.

and diffi cult to tighten. Steel tape eventually replaced it.While the chains and tape measure distance, a transit

is used to measure horizontal and vertical angles and to produce straight lines, explains Larmour. In the 1980s, electronic transits came into use. These are basically telescopes that revolve around a horizontal circle and a vertical circle. Both the horizontal circle and vertical circle are graduated into 360 degrees like a protractor, she says. Total stations measure angles and distances, recording the measurements electronically.

Finally, the use of computers cut out hand-produc-tion of maps and today sophisticated GPS units assist with establishing positions in many instances, says Larmour. She says that while things are easier and quicker, many early surveys were done to almost the same degree of accuracy that is possible with todays modern technology. At the end of the day, the basic principles and practice of land surveying have changed little, says Larmour.

There has always been a need to use a system to organize the development of land in Alberta and since it is rich with natural resources, the land has an incredible amount of value in this province. Land sur-veyors were instrumental in developing irrigation for agriculture, for example. A surveyors information was essential to fi nd the best location for the diversions and dams.

And then the oil started fl owing.Alberta Land Surveyors were at the forefront. After

Leduc No. 1, the oil companies rushed to hire them to determine the position of well sites, which were tied into the established township system. Well site surveys were followed by surveys to mark out fl ow lines and battery sites, Larmour says. Surveyors next marked out a right-of-way for a pipeline to carry the crude to its destination ultimately one of the refi neries in Calgary and Edmonton. Eventually exploration moved north and where the oil companies went, surveyors preceded them.

A new challenge waited surveyors in the north. The township system had not been marked out in parts of northwest Alberta, which made calculating the position of a well site diffi cult because there were no survey mon-uments on the ground, Larmour explains. Surveyors were able to establish vertical and horizontal control positions from which they could work, so that seismic crews could locate shot holes and record ground eleva-tions theyd use for gathering geophysical data.

Once the oil company decided on a drilling location, surveyors established accurate coordinates for the well site and boundaries of the lease. Without marked town-ship corners, surveyors had to work from the nearest baseline, often at a considerable distance, to tie the well site into the township system, Larmour says. This meant cutting long lines through the bush, but the exactness of the survey ensured the precision of the drilling location and the potential success of a well.

The equipment and instrumentation changed little

www.alsa.ab.ca 23


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TheALBERTA SOCIETY OF

SURVEYING & MAPPING

TECHNOLOGIESvalues our unique relationship

with theALBERTA LAND SURVEYORS ASSOCIATION

and looks forward to another 100 years of success.

N

S

W EALB

ERTASOCIETY

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VEYING AND MAPPING

TECHNOLOGIES

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Heres Looking at YouSurveyors are accustomed to being the ones doing the scrutinizing, but soon it is they who will be surveilled.

The Alber ta Land Sur veyors Association is organizing a travelling exhibit on the history of land survey-ing in the province. The exhibit will be displayed in museums across Alberta, and ALSA representatives hope it will become a resource for visiting school classes. It will consist of story panels, display cases and a surveyors tent from 1910, complete with bedding, personal effects and survey equip-ment of the day.

For many years, the ALSA has had a collection of land surveying arti-facts, says Gord Olsson, a retired land surveyor and project organizer. In 2002, ALSA adopted a collections policy in support of travelling thematic historical exhibits.

The exhibit will soon be ready for the public in 2009. Stay tuned to www.alsa.ab.ca for dates and locations.

until the last several decades and Olsson says that, while its easy to focus on the great achievements of early surveyors, in the last few decades the industry has made impressive accomplishments as well. For example, an undergraduate degree program in Surveying Engineering was created at the University of Calgary in 1980 and, in 1987, a Professional Audit Branch was established within ALSA. Prior to then, surveyors plans were examined by gov-ernment employees, says Olsson. In 1987, this responsibility was given to the profession.

The work isnt quite as dangerous as it used to be, but that doesnt mean it isnt an adventure. Today, surveyors stay in modern hotels, travel to remote work sites by helicopter and take measure-ments using GPS, says Olsson. They obtain survey plans and title informa-tion instantaneously from government offi ces by Internet, often through satel-lite communication. And they can send their survey observations to their offi ce the same way so that survey plans and reports can be prepared and sent to cli-ents electronically within a few days.

Maybe the most fascinating aspect of land surveying is how irreversibly entan-gled the work of todays land surveyors is with the work of yesterdays surveyors. Larmours book says: Surveyors are dependent on the job done by the sur-veyors who went before them. In a sense, they are historians as they examine old

plans and archaeologists as they scrape away layers of dirt. They always seek the original mark laid down by their predecessors, and tie into a position established in the past to create the boundaries and property parcels of tomorrow.


Photograph by Jeff Miles (System Administrator)

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Precision is the cornerstone of longevity

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Past, Present and FutureCalling all gearheads and historians. Take a look at what the surveyors of yesteryear called high tech. Despite all the bells and whistles of modern surveying equipment, the survey evidence indicates that professionals of the past measured land almost as accurately as their counterparts do today. Any bets for the must-haves in the tool kit of tomorrows surveyor?

Field notebook Surveyors need to protect their records from the damp in the eld

Chain The standard measure for surveying, Gunters Chain, has just been replaced with steel bands measuring distance in feet

Survey posts Wooden posts, or occa-sionally piles of rock, commonly mark boundaries. Eventually metre-long metal pins will supplant these

Transit It consists of a small mounted telescope that rotates horizontally and vertically

Total station It measures distances and angles by aim-ing a beam of infrared light at a prism, supported by a tripod

1909


Past, Present and Future

www.alsa.ab.ca 27

ILLU

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Global positioning system Surveyors use more precise GPS units than those available in the hardware store. Its just one tool in the kit

Safety equipment Surveyor teams in the eld wear hard hats, safety vests and steel-toed boots. Bug and bear spray where appropriate

Cellphone with camera A land surveyor is never out of reach. Cameras come in handy for docu-menting survey evidence

Laptop computer As iconic today as a transit was in the past, a surveyor spends more quality time with a com-puter than any other piece of equipment

Univisor A spectral headset that records data as the eld tech views it and allows speech-to-text input

Monumarker staff Injects the boundary with nanoprobe survey markers that send continuous data to the global network. Added feature: stun laser for bothersome wildlife

Versabound boots Grip terrain as steep as 90 and take three-metre strides

Transicorder It downloads data from the eld teams univisor, allowing multi-dimensional interpretation

Multibelt It holds eld items such as food pellet dispenser, sonic grooming system and expandabode shelter

2009

2059


FEW THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN LAND SURVEYING since Bruce Gudim entered the fi eld over a quarter

of a century ago especially on the technological front. When Gudim began his career back in 1982, surveyors were in the middle of a gradual transition from making their measurements with steel tapes to using electronic distance measuring equipment.

The tapes were survey chains 300 feet in length. Gudim says that using them especially rolling them up is an old-school skill that would likely be foreign to todays newer surveyors.

It was neat to be a part of that change, says Gudim, now the vice-president of Alberta fi rm Maltais Geomatics Inc. In those old days, the surveyors equipment would consist of a plumb bob strapped to their hip at all times and a survey chain. Somewhere along the line, the plumb bob went by the wayside.

So did the survey chain. Surveyors learned to use the newer electronic distance measuring equipment. Now another transition is underway and EDMs are being phased out, replaced by high-tech global positioning systems.

We transitioned from using survey tapes to EDMs to the point where wed notice that a week might go by since wed last used our survey chain, recalls Gudim of the changes that took place in the early 1980s. Today, its exactly the same with EDMs. Ill ask crews, Whens the

last time you used your EDM equipment? They might say a week or a month because theyve been able to improvise and use their GPS for almost everything they do.

While the tools of the trade have evolved, the things Gudim has always loved about land surveying remain constant. He remembers the late 1970s, when he was studying physics at the University of Alberta. Gudim saw a want ad in the Edmonton Journal looking for land surveyors. Gudim, who didnt really see himself as much of an aca-demic, decided to switch from physics to the U of As sur-veying program.

What attracted him to the fi eld was the variety of things a surveyor would be tasked to do. There are many different types of projects a surveyor does in the fi eld plus there are many different areas they can work within Alberta, he says. The variety of landscapes a surveyor encounters in the province appealed to him, as did the city work.

Sometimes, Id be working on a construction project. In those environments, the surveyor is typically given a lot of respect on the job site, Gudim says. Its nice to have a job where you get that kind of respect.

But other times, Id be working in a wooded area, far from human habitation, which is a whole different experience.

The job comes with challenges. Challenges, not only in what skills and aptitudes the profession demands, but also

BY DAVID DICENZO

a

While the basic tenets remain the same, the profession of surveying has morphed. Schools are catching up

An EducatedProfession



www.alsa.ab.ca 29

the logistical challenges of getting to and carrying out a job, because some sites are remote and diffi cult to access. But Gudim says that depending on whos working on a site, the logistical challenges can be part of the fun.

In my early career, those challenges often became com-petitions with other survey crews, he says. You compete to see who can be the most productive and do the most work in a given day. Sometimes, they become physical competitions where its really a foot race to get to a job site.

LAND SURVEYORS IN ALBERTA ARE A FAIRLY EXCLUSIVE club. Bruce Gudim is one of approximately 370 surveyors in the province. One of the primary sources of Alberta Land Surveyors these days is the University of Calgarys geomat-ics program (part of the Schulich School of Engineering), which has been in existence for 30 years.

Guided by a staff of about 20 specialized professors, the U of Cs undergraduate engineering class consists of 45 to

50 students per year, with anywhere from 15 to 25 eventu-ally going on into the surveying fi eld.

Weve been fortunate to have many innovative students, says Prof. Mike Barry, who teaches fourth-year survey law and a geodetic engineering course at the university. In recent years, we have had a lot of students go through land surveying.

The U of Cs geomatics program is excellent training for surveyors in Alberta. Approved by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board and the Canada Council of Land Surveyors, the university boasts a large department that offers a lot of technical electives for students who are interested in surveying or other aspects of geomatics.

Students can undertake practicums in the fi eld while studying. Gudim says that the nice thing about doing the practicum at the U of C is that a student has the opportuni-ty to get out, work the year with a survey company and learn about the industry.

The hope of the company is that the students will come

TEST TIME: University of Calgary Geomatics students put their new-found knowledge to practical use



back once they graduate, Gudim says. Theres a win for both parties.

As students near the completion of their courses and begin to enter the fi eld, mentoring becomes an integral part of their experience. Thats no different from when Gudim came up the ranks in the early 1980s. Gudim says that a former Alberta Transportation employee named Tom Holt was well known in the Edmonton area and through-out the province for the guidance he offered to aspiring land surveyors.

He has a special place in the lives of a lot of land survey-ors, says Gudim. He would meet up with us on Saturdays, taking his own time to sit down and chat with the pupils about the profession.

When students graduated, he would give them Alberta Transportation projects to work on. That mentoring pro-cess was very instructive for a lot of us.

The pay-it-forward approach remains strong in surveying today. Articling is important and while young surveyors typically article to one principal, many will transfer to dif-ferent principals to obtain experience in different areas.

And when the time comes for the gruelling oral exami-nation surveyors must pass before they are certifi ed, stu-dents will sit before a panel of Alberta Land Surveyors, who try to duplicate the exam experience in whats known as a mock oral. Larger fi rms will arrange that for their stu-dents, while smaller fi rms will often accomplish the same

by collaborating with other fi rms. Pupils fi nd that process really instructive, says Gudim.

Its very similar to the real oral. You sit down in front of a half dozen people youve never met in your life. You get some tutelage on how to handle yourself at the oral.

GUDIM LEARNED FROM HIS MENTOR, HOLT, THAT PROFES-sionals must partner with surveyors of the past by uncover-ing their work. He tries to impress the same lesson on his protogs. Both men stress the signifi cance of fi nding traces of the original surveying evidence, placed by surveyors in the past, and the work required to uncover that evidence.

Its an ability that is just as important to a land surveyor today as it was decades ago. One of the things that survey-ors take pride in is their ability to be sleuths, says Gudim.

Finding survey monuments on a piece of property the three-foot square pit, 18 inches deep, with a fi ve-foot square mound that governs a boundary is always a fun challenge for a land surveyor. It takes a great deal of effort and labour and sleuthing to determine that location, Gudim says. You cant shorten the work any better than you could 30 years ago. The shovel is still your friend.

For Gudim, fi nding evidence is just one of the many intriguing things surveyors do in the fi eld or in the offi ce. The challenges are vast, he says of the profession. In some respect, youre like James Bond. To be James Bond, you have to be good at a lot of things.

ON THE JOB: Bruce Gudim, left, with Jeremy Park. Park is a U of C graduate, currently articling to Gudims colleague Doug Sharpe


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A MOBILE WORKFORCEOf the 370 professional land surveyors currently work-ing in Alberta, 17 received their training outside of the borders of Wild Rose Country. That might not seem like a large number but as the Alberta Land Surveyors Association executive director Brian Munday points out, its about ve per cent of the working population.

Consider that just eight years ago, that number would have been zero.

I think well start to see more people move more seamlessly from one province to another, says Munday, making reference to the much-improved labour mobility legislation that is having a signi cant impact on the profession.

In the 1990s, the federal government and the prov-inces signed the Agreement on Internal Trade, which required that professions get together and set up an agreement among the provinces in which they set a level playing eld for the bare entry requirements into a particular profession. In 2001, the land survey-ing profession signed its own agreement. The move expanded the opportunities of people in the eld.

The key to the mutual recognition agreement was that provinces would not question the professional designations conferred by other provinces, explains Ron Hall, executive vice president, geomatics at Focus Surveys Limited Partnership. Since the MRA, all sur-veyors registered in other provinces or at the federal level are deemed to have met the minimum require-ments. End of story, Hall says. But that was not always the case.

The ability to move freely took another leap forward in 2006 when Alberta and British Columbia signed the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA). It has proven to be a groundbreaking deal meant to remove barriers surrounding trade, invest-ment and labour mobility.

In 2008, the federal government and the prov-inces amended the Agreement on Internal Trade to further enhance labour mobility across Canada for land surveyors coming to Alberta. This means the lengthy process of four exams and three project reports is no longer required.

All you have to do is write one exam that proves you have local knowledge in our area and around our

statutes, says Hall. Its one more step towards labour mobility.

Munday believes that the original Mutual Recognition Agreement and TILMA have had a hugely positive impact in Alberta. Alberta has been the leader push-ing for increased mobility, he says.

Munday says he likes what he has seen from the out-of-province imports who have entered Albertas land surveying community. As weve seen those members come in as Alberta Land Surveyors, there is a tremendous comfort level that theyve been a ben-e t to this province, he says. They have been involved in associations, committees and activities. They have really become a part of the association and thats been a bene t.

As more agreements pertaining to labour mobility are struck (for example, Ontario and Quebec are trying to establish their own version of TILMA), the result will be a greater ability for professionals to pursue work outside their own backyards. Hall makes it clear that there are, however, challenges in doing it right.

There is no doubt in my mind that labour mobility and access issues are going to become bigger with governments, he says. They want bigger trade areas. The balancing act for us is that we are self-regulating and self-legislating with a mandate to serve and pro-tect the public. The public relies on a land surveyor no differently than they do an engineer or a lawyer. How do we protect their interests?

The job is to make sure the people we bring in can do that and meet the criteria. If we dont, that right will be taken away from us.



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Serving Alberta Since 1985

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The geomatics engineering program at the Schulich School of Engineering is the proud alma mater of 117 of the 370 active members of the Alberta Land Surveyors' Association.

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IN THE FIELD: A two-man crew and a trainee conduct a survey in southern Albertaon behalf of Focus Surveys



t HEY ARE MODERN-DAY EXPLORERS, SLOGGING through some of the most inhospitable and remote terrain in Alberta to map out potential well sites, access roads and pipeline routes. Land surveyors have a long history in Albertas oilpatch and have helped put the provinces energy industry on the map.

We are the shock troops of the oil and gas industry. We are usually the fi rst people on the ground and were working under some pretty rough conditions, trying to create order where there was none before, says John Haggerty of Can-Am Geomatics, a Calgary-based consult-ing fi rm that specializes in land surveys, engineering, mapping and geomatics for the oil and gas industry.

We are an integral part of the machine that keeps Alberta running.

The involvement of land surveyors in the oilpatch seems pretty straightforward. If an oil and gas outfi t wants to establish a well site, for example, it contacts a company such as Can-Am Geomatics and describes where it wants the well. Can-Am sends surveying per-sonnel into the fi eld to make sure its physically possible to locate a well on the site.

Surveying employees mark out where a well could be constructed and, back in the offi ce, land surveyors draft a plan that the oil and gas company will send to various government bodies.

The information cultivated by land surveyors includes the boundaries of each site down to the centimetre

topographical features of each location, overhead and underground structures, elevations and information related to water distribution. The Energy Resources Conservation Board requires that information before it will approve any proposed project. Oil and gas compa-nies also use the information for their Geographic Information Systems, the databases that allow compa-nies to electronically map facility locations, pipelines, well sites and other related structures.

Surveyors map out plans for each of the thousands of wells drilled in Alberta each year, as well as the pipe-lines used to move the product and the access roads to get to the sites. But their role exists a little apart from their clients main concerns.

First, land surveyors offer a legal framework in that their plans on behalf of their client are offi cial docu-ments that cannot be disregarded. Second, they satisfy a regulatory function, facilitating communication between the oil companies and the regulatory bodies. Regulatory offi cials can adequately address environ-mental concerns with a surveyors report in hand. It slows down the process, offering time for checks and balances. Its a safeguard to the public.

And this is at the request of the energy sector, says Haggerty. Its in their best interest to have a third party, a professional body with the necessary expertise and a code of ethics, one that obligates them to be responsible to the public.

Surveyors operate at an arms length from their big oil clients. They keep an eye to the ground and safeguard the public

Eyes to the Patch

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OIL AND GAS COMPANIES HAVE TO COUNT ON SURVEYORS with their unique set of skills and abilities: part mathema-tician, part computer whiz and part Paul Bunyan. While the classic image of a loner behind a tripod in the back country is one that most surveyors today would prefer to downplay, the fi eld conditions in the oil and gas sector are pretty tough. The isolation, terrain and extreme weather can make even the simplest job a logistical nightmare. But, at some level, most surveyors do have an affi nity for the outdoor workday.

Working in an urban area is a whole bunch of fun, but not as much fun as working in the bush. When you think of the early explorers like David Thompson and John Palliser, they were doing survey work. What we are doing now is not that much different 100 to 200 years later, says John Wallace, president of Can-Am, which employs 200 people in fi ve offi ces across Western Canada.

We are still out there in remote areas gathering information not only on the posi-tion of boundaries, but also with respect to topography and surface improvements. Its thrilling to be out in the bush and to fi nd original survey evidence that was planted in the 1800s. Its a special feeling knowing that you are the fi rst person to lay eyes on that site since the surveyors of old were there more than 100 years ago. The big thing is orderly development, explains Bruce Winton, president of McElhanney Land Surveys. We have to account for all the regulatory requirements in a plan.

If its a well site, were picking up all the natural terrain features and anything that will have an impact on the envi-ronment. For a pipeline, the biggest things are crossings and route selection. McElhanney is an Edmonton-based fi rm with 380 staff members across Western Canada. Winton and his colleagues have to be intimately familiar with the various government departments that have restrictions on the development of oil and gas. The infor-mation we gather helps determine if each site meets those regulations, he says.

We deal with drilling engineers, pipeline engineers and land people. Its almost a partnership you have with your client. They know what to expect from you and you know what they need. One thing about being a land surveyor is that you serve your client, but your responsibility is to the public. Youre an impartial party and you have to respect the interests of everyone involved.

The tools of the trade have changed dramatically since Wallace and Winton started their careers in the 1970s. At the time, the most sophisticated instrument was the theodolite, technology originally developed in the late

1500s. The equipment has advanced tremendously in the last 30 years and surveyors now rely overwhelmingly on real-time GPS, which use satellites to determine the exact location of any spot. Equally profound has been the chang-ing political environment. Government departments now require much more information about each site and have stricter environmental standards.

The actual information gathering is such a breeze. When I started in the 70s, you might spend three or four days at one well site in the bush. Now youd be hard-pressed to spend more than two days in the bush and that includes line cutting. A well on the prairie may have taken you a full day in the 70s. Today you might do up to fi ve or six in a day, says Wallace.

Its not just the speed of work thats spiked in the last 30 years, either. The amount of information that survey-ing teams process has changed. The regulatory bodies in Alberta and across the West have become hungrier for more and more data, and they want more of it to be provided exclusively by land surveyors. The information that used to be included on a well site plan doesnt even come close to resembling the amount of information you need today.

One of the biggest challenges facing surveyors out in

If youre afraid to get your hands dirty or your feet wet, youre in the wrong business. When youre out in the bush, you have to be prepared to be chief cook, bottle washer and surveyor.

WELL BEING: Before any well is drilled or access road cleared, teams like this from Focus Surveys get the measure of a property

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the fi eld is accessing the proposed loca-tions. Haggerty is based in Grande Prairie and does a lot of his work in the foothills south of the city. The terrain is daunting, to say the least, but it takes more than bad weather, steep slopes and thick bush to stop surveyors from pushing through to their target, even in locations that ultimately prove unsuitable for drilling.

Some of the conditions are really hairy and not everyone likes to forge out there into the bush. Ive waded through a swamp and waist-deep water. It can be really rug-ged out there, Haggerty says. When every-thing is fi nally done and ready to go on a site like that, you could probably drive a car in there.

To enjoy those extreme conditions requires a rare breed people who place equal value on knowledge and formal edu-cation, with a love of the great outdoors and a real sense of adventure. You are talk-ing about individuals, almost without exception, who know the backend of a chainsaw. How many other professionals do you see out there cutting line? You have to be made differently to do that, says Wallace.

If youre afraid to get your hands dirty or your feet wet, youre in the wrong business. When youre out in the bush, you have to be prepared to be chief cook, bottle washer and surveyor. Ive always believed in the value of education and I was always strong in math, Wallace says, but I really like the

TALES FROM THE FIELDOne of the last eld jobs John Wallace of Can-Am Geomatics did was survey-ing an area north of Fort Chipewyan in 1987. The job required Wallace and two other men to spend a week in the bush, taking measurements and mak-ing boundaries for the federal govern-ment. Trouble started even before they arrived at their bush camp, when the pontoon airplane that was to take them there couldnt get up in the air.

By the time the pilot shut down his engines, we ended up drifting onto the rocks and puncturing a pontoon. We had to jump into the lake to lighten the load and lift the plane off the rocks to get it up on shore. We were up to our chests in the lake with ice floating around us, recalls Wallace.

Undaunted, the men pushed on by engaging another, larger plane that could handle the load only to discover their communication equipment wasnt working. They spent a week in the bush, cut off from civilization, with no means of communicating to the outside world. They didnt need to radio for emergency pickup quite the opposite.

The pilot came to pick us up, but we needed more time to complete the sur-vey, so we left a note in the cookhouse saying we needed another day and to come back tomorrow. Sure enough, the next day the plane came in and picked us up, says Wallace. I think thats when I came to the conclusion that I should spend more time in the of ce. Sometimes I think you have to be nuts to do this job. But he means it in a good way.

outdoors and I just couldnt see myself working only in an offi ce when I fi nished school. For the people who like that, theres no life like it.

Like Wallace,

Alberta Boundaries Spring 2009

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