SURVEYING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA Shauna C. Goertzen, BCLS, CLS
Beyond the Measurement South of Chetwynd, BC
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o survey, defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary (2004 Edition page 721), 1. to find, look over, and examine closely; 2. to find and represent the contours, measurements, and position of a part of the earth’s surface (as a tract of land); 3. to view or study something as a whole Synonyms—scrutinize, examine, inspect, study.
A British Columbia Land Surveyor (BCLS) is a surveying professional. When people think of surveying, they think of someone on the side of the road or on a site measuring or “surveying,” gathering data on a specific section or area of land. Data can also be collected by other means, such as aerial drone surveys or Global
Mapping surveys may be used to show the location of bird nests or bear dens.
Navigational Satellite Systems. Data can be shared with other professionals through the use of CAD, point files, surfaces, and so on. The uses of survey data are many and varied. Topographical survey data are used to aid in detailed design by architects, civil engineers, shallow (communication/fibre optic, gas, and electrical providers) and deep (water, sanitary, and storm) utility operators, and road builders, to name a few. Topographical data are also used to calculate volumes on a variety of masses where contractors are paid based on those volumes. A British Columbia Land Surveyor has the expertise to analyse geospatial data from multiple sources and determine if they are in the same systems or advise how to relate the information to each other. A land surveyor can determine and provide transformation parameters when design information is not based on the same elevation and/or horizontal reference systems. That is significant during the design or construction phase of a project to ensure features are constructed in the intended locations and at the intended elevation.
Ingenika Point, Williston Lake, BC
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
BC Notaries Association
Mapping surveys may be used to delineate flood plains and mark those elevations on the ground to ensure houses and structures are not built within the restricted areas. Mapping surveys may be used to show the location of bird nests or bear dens. Volume 28 Number 2 Summer 2019
