SAN DIEGO, Esri User Conference —Esri Canada congratulates the Government of Canada and Land Title and Survey Authority (LTSA) of British Columbia for receiving Esri Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Awards. The awards are presented to organizations across the globe for their innovative use of geographic information system (GIS) technology to improve the world.
“Canada’s Federal Geospatial Platform and LTSA’s ParcelMap BC effectively streamline government processes, providing tremendous efficiencies, saving thousands of taxpayer dollars and making vital government information more accessible and useful to the public,” said Alex Miller, president, Esri Canada. “These GIS applications are a win-win for both the government and all Canadians.”
Government of Canada’s Federal Geospatial Platform
Using Esri’s ArcGIS technology, the Federal Committee on Geomatics and Earth Observations, composed of senior executives from 21 departments and agencies, built the Federal Geospatial Platform (FGP)—an infrastructure that dissolves barriers which prevented timely sharing and integration of data. The FGP also makes information more easily available to the public through Open Maps, thereby increasing government transparency.
Previously, it took weeks—even months—to view and analyze federal geospatial data from different departments as the data owner needed to be identified, the department contacted, data downloaded and aggregated. Then the spatial layers had to be integrated, the information mapped and analyzed before a report could be produced. These delays cost more than time. According to a 2014 Economic Value Study by Natural Resources Canada, geomatics productivity improvements contribute $20.7 billion to Canada’s GDP.
In building the FGP, the government’s most relevant geospatial information can now be analyzed and shared among a wide range of people, allowing them to capitalize on the full potential of the data. The FGP advances Canada’s Action Plan on Open Government by providing comprehensive data that is accessible, accurate and authoritative. It makes geospatial data available in a coherent way to the public, academia and the private sector to conduct research or produce value-added products and applications to drive innovation and economic development, and leverage efficiently federal geospatial data to benefit all Canadians. Already, the FGP has been used to support evidence-based decision-making on complex issues such as resource development, environmental assessment and public safety.
“We greatly appreciate the Esri SAG award as it recognizes the tremendous collaborative efforts of all the individuals and organizations that played an important role in launching the FGP and showing leadership in bringing the power of geospatial information to Canadians,” said Prashant Shukle, Director General, Natural Resources Canada.
Land Title and Survey Authority of British Columbia’s ParcelMap BC
The LTSA leveraged ArcGIS to develop an operational model for maintaining a single, complete and contiguous parcel map of British Columbia. The result is ParcelMap BC, an electronic map that includes over two million active titled and surveyed Crown land parcels in the province. The map supports faster and more accurate real property transactions and improves the efficiency of land-related research, planning and business decisions through the current spatial representation of a given parcel and its relationship to adjacent parcels. It also minimizes data discrepancies and confusion by reducing the need to consult separate spatial systems in BC. ParcelMap BC is currently available through multiple service channels, including as a dataset in the Province of BC’s Data Catalogue and through the myLTSA portal ( https://myltsa.ltsa.ca/myltsalogin).
The LTSA uses Esri’s Parcel Editor to efficiently maintain data in ParcelMap BC and Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS to build applications that provide LTSA customers—such as lawyers, notaries, land surveyors, developers, realtors, local governments, and utilities—access to the map. As well, the LTSA successfully implemented an electronic submission process for survey plan datasets provided by land surveyors. These datasets support the maintenance of the parcel fabric and are a requirement for nearly all new survey plans, as mandated by the Surveyor General of BC and with the support of the Association of BC Land Surveyors.
“Esri technology has allowed us to establish a sustainable system for maintaining, managing and distributing BC’s parcel mapping,” noted Brian Greening, Director, ParcelMap BC Operations. “ParcelMap BC builds on the Canadian Parcel Fabric Data Model, providing an effective way to organize parcel data. It also provides efficient mapping workflows for integrating electronic survey plan datasets and surveyed control points from land surveyors into ParcelMap BC, allowing for improved spatial accuracy of the fabric over time.”
About Esri Canada
Founded in 1984, Esri Canada provides enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solutions that empower businesses, governments and educational institutions to make timely, informed and mission-critical decisions by leveraging the power of geography. The company distributes the world’s leading GIS software from Esri, Schneider Electric, Cityworks–Azteca Systems, Inc. and other technology partners. Headquartered in Toronto, the company serves over 10,000 customers from 16 regional offices across Canada. Esri Canada joined the elite rank of Canada’s Best Managed companies in 2012 and became a Gold Standard winner in 2015. The company has also been named to the Branham300 and Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures. More information can be found at esri.ca. Follow Esri Canada on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
