Company Overview

Usher Canada Limited Usher Canada Limited (UCL) is an independent Canadian company offering comprehensive professional geomatics services for individual land owners, the private sector business community and all levels of government, across Canada and internationally. UCL was incorporated in its present form in 1957 and is the successor of a company started in Edmonton in 1928. UCL has full time offices, staffed by Alberta land surveyors and professional engineers, in Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray. Our President and General Manager, Mr. R. W. Leeman, P. Eng, ALS, resides in our Calgary office. Mr. H. W. Janes, P. Eng, CLS, M. Sc. Eng. manages the Edmonton branch office. Our branch office in Fort McMurray (formally Murray Associates Surveys Ltd.) is managed by Brent Murray, ALS; the former owner of MASL. Mr. Murray has been resident and conducting surveys in the Fort McMurray area for the past 20 years.

The nature of most assignments undertaken by Usher Canada Limited require the provision of a wide range of geomatics services to comprehensively satisfy the needs of its various clients. In its early years, UCL specialized primarily in cadastral surveying and continues to do so with right-of-way, subdivision and oil field surveys making up a large part of the firm's work. However, in more recent years, the firm's work has expanded to include construction, geodetic, precise engineering, deformation, and hydrographic surveys, as well as, GPS satellite positioning and navigation, industrial metrology, software development, geographic information systems, image processing and project management. Usher Canada Limited has been exporting services for approximately 15 years and has successfully completed projects in several countries worldwide since that time.

Usher Canada Limited has been actively involved with the Global Positioning System (GPS) since 1983 and was one of the first companies in the world to utilize GPS technology for production geomatics services. The Company presently owns and operates approximately 30 GPS receivers of all makes and models. This technology is supported by a strong systems development group continually striving to develop improved systems and methodologies for delivery of efficient, cost effective solutions to our clients. This group undertook a 2.5 year R&D project, funded by the National Research Council of Canada, whereby the utilization of GPS for the purposes of high accuracy engineering applications was investigated.

In the last few years, UCL has been using GPS technology to conduct GPS controlled aerial photography (GCAP). This technique uses GPS equipment in the photo aircraft to position each photo center as the aerial photography is conducted. This eliminates or greatly reduces the need for conventional ground control previously needed to control aerial photography.

UCL, through a subsidiary company, presently operates full time Differential GPS (DGPS) service in Alberta. Base stations located at our office facilities in Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray provide DGPS corrections to correct data collected by our clients using roving GPS field receivers throughout the Province, as well as, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Clients are currently using the data from this DGPS service for surveying, mapping, forest inventory, aerial photography, environmental assessment and facilities management for both post processed and real-time applications. Differentially corrected position information from these projects are being combined with other data in GIS applications.

Usher Canada Limited's Geographic Information Management Group provides consultation, analysis and a full range of digital and hardcopy products to address the issues of data acquisition, data integration, date presentation and data structuring facing the users of land based data. UCL provides a full range of image handling capabilities which have been instrumental in enhanced data presentation and the implementation of many cost saving measures for its clients.

Experience - GCAP & Orthophotos Usher Canada Limited has been providing Imperial Oil Limited, as well as a number of other clients, with Orthophoto services for the past 3 years. UCL has a unique method of data capture that utilizes GPS Controlled Aerial Photography (GCAP) in combination with aerial photography equipment. The following diagram illustrates the GCAP process that involves the installation of a dual frequency geodetic quality GPS receiver in the aircraft conducting the aerial photography. The GPS receiver is interfaced with the photogrammetric aerial camera to enable the exact time pulse of every photograph to be recorded. This in turn enables the GPS position of each photograph to be computed. By differentially correcting the GPS data collected in the aircraft with data collected at a GPS base station located near the project area precise photo coordinates are determined while greatly reducing or eliminating the need for expensive ground control stations.

The GCAP method provides an effective tool for controlling photography as well as providing other numerous benefits. These benefits include:

Reduced ground control Limited access required to site Time savings Accurate results Cost savings for the client

After going through the orthophoto creation process, we have discovered a number of benefits by combining these orthophotos with other sources of data. For example, this combination of data sets allows us to produce a number of thematic maps. These maps of varying scales and degrees of information have been a benefit to a number of different groups within a resource organization as shown in Table 1.1. A few examples of the types of information that we have provided with orthophotos includes:

Digital InformationAccuracy Facility Information+/-0.10 m Survey Information+/-0.10 m Parcel Mapping +/-5 - 10 m DEM+/-3 - 4 m Energy & Utility Board +/-20 - 40 m Seismic +/-20 - 100 m Geotechnical +/-100 m

Combining these different data sets can create numerous problems, even with data produced within a single organization. These problems include incompatibilities due to differences in coordinate systems, varying data accuracies and different data formats. Usher Canada Limited has extensive experience in solving these types of problems and can produce a professional product that is suited for a wide range of uses. These uses include anything from public presentations to engineering design.

Table 1.1 Benefits of Using Orthophotography with other Digital Data Sets USERTASKBENEFITS Drilling Drilling and completing Detailed drawing for access well programs Surface restrictions Environmental concerns addressed GeotechnicalDetermine reservoir Ability to relate subsurface information with terrain Project engineering Execution of corporate objective Preliminary alignment drawings Project management / progress Improve ability to accurately cost projects Environmental concerns addressed

Process engineeringDesign components of projectDetailed profiles for pipelines Length of pipeline known Accurately define pipe sizing EnvironmentalMinimize impact to environmentAccurate environmental assessments Presentation to public and government Habitat monitoring Hydrological evaluation Address environmental concerns Survey ActivitiesLayout all facilities includingReduced time in doing survey investigation wellsites / pipelinesAble to preplan many activities

GPS Experience Usher Canada Limited has been actively involved with the Global Positioning System (GPS) since 1983 and was one of the first (most survey companies seem to say this - we really were) companies in the world to utilize GPS technology for production geomatics services. We have completed literally hundreds of surveys worldwide using a wide variety of GPS systems, and have established an industry wide reputation in the GPS field based upon a solid track record of innovation and success. The Company presently owns and operates more than 30 GPS receivers of all makes and models. This technology is supported by a strong systems development group continually striving to develop improved systems and methodologies for delivery of efficient, cost effective solutions to our clients. This group undertook a 2.5 year R&D project, funded by the National Research Council of Canada, whereby the utilization of GPS for the purposes of high accuracy engineering applications was investigated.

In the last five years, UCL has been using GPS technology to conduct GPS controlled aerial photography (GCAP). This technique uses GPS equipment in the photo aircraft to position each photo center as the aerial photography is conducted. This eliminates or greatly reduces the need for conventional ground control previously needed to control aerial photography. We have utilized this photography to produce digital orthophotos for several of our oil field clients.

Pleiades Data Corp. UCL, through a subsidiary company, Pleiades Data Corp. (www. pleiadesdata. com), presently operates a full time Differential GPS (DGPS) service in Alberta. Computer controlled base stations located at UCL office facilities in Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray provide DGPS corrections to correct data collected by our clients using roving GPS field receivers throughout the province, as well as, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. This is the only service of its kind in Alberta. Clients are currently using the data from this station for surveying, mapping, forest inventory, aerial photography, environmental assessment and facilities management applications. Differentially corrected position information from these projects is being combined with other data in GIS applications.

Real-Time DGPS UCL, through Pleiades Data Corp. (PDC) has recently implemented a real time DGPS service. This service is available through a partnership between PDC and Telus Mobility. The DGPS corrections are broadcast using a new digital cellular technology known as Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD). CDPD coverage is not available throughout the entire Province.

Safety UCL is a member of the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA). We are currently actively managing our safety program in accordance with ACSA guidelines. Our safety manual, training and monitoring procedures, and reporting structure are in place. We have recently completed both our final internal audit and our external audit. OH&S have advised us that they consider the certificate of recognition issued by the ACSA as equivalent to the OH&S Partnership in Health & Safety Certification. We have every confidence that our commitment to safety will meet or exceed our client's expectations.

UCL has adopted the environmental practice guidelines of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA) as the basis of our environmental policy. We have supplemented this policy with additional procedures and requirements adopted in consultation with Alberta Environmental Protection and our clients in the forestry and oil & gas resource sectors.

Aboriginal Involvement Usher Canada Limited employs three full time First Nations people in our Fort McMurray office.

Company Information

Additional Details

Legal Name: Usher Canada Limited

Number of Employees: 41

Total Sales ($CDN): $100,000 - $200,000

Contacts

Services

• Surveying And Mapping - Cadastral Surveys
• Surveying And Mapping - Engineering Surveys

  Engineering surveys are performed to provide a framework for the design, construction, and monitoring of various structures. These surveys are an essential component of all major construction and resource development projects and encompass a variety of survey activities, including: Topographic detail surveys, Horizontal and vertical control surveys, Construction surveys, As-built surveys, and Monitoring surveys.

  Usher Canada Limited has provided site survey management and engineering surveys on several large development projects, and has the knowledge, experience and expertise required to plan, manage and execute surveys in an economic, reliable, and timely manner.

• Surveying And Mapping - Geodesy And Control Surveys
• Surveying And Mapping - Geographic Information Services

  Geographic Information Management has brought several new technical issues to the surveying industry: data issues which for the most part were transparent to surveyors in the world of the hard copy map. Issues such as data acquisition techniques, data accuracy, data format, data structure, datum transformations and map projections did not concern the user of the paper map. Surveyors were generally interested in the scale and perhaps the contour interval. The map represented a point of departure for the user to start work on his/her application on the assumption that the map and its components were a single homogeneous whole to an accuracy consistent with the proposed use. In general, this assumption was valid because the spatial issues surrounding the data were being handled by the spatial data experts.

  Digital map data can be obtained from a number of government and private sources. GIS software packages will combine and overlay this data from disparate sources, on different datums, to different accuracies, and generally make the assumption that it is homogeneous structured whole. Consequently, a number of users are finding they are spending an inordinately large amount of time on the spatial data issues and a disproportionately small amount of time on their application because the data they are attempting to use is not GIS ready.

  Usher Canada Limited's Geographic Information Management team provides consultation, analysis and a full range of digital and hardcopy products to address the issues of Data Acquisition, Data Integration, Data Presentation, and Data Structuring facing the users of land-based data.

• Surveying And Mapping - Geophysical Surveys
• Surveying And Mapping - Hydrography/Oceanography

  Usher Canada Limited utilizes GPS positioning technology to provide a hydrographic survey capability over inshore and near offshore waters. The positioning system may be interfaced with a variety of secondary sensors such as depth sounders, side scan sonars, seismic arrays or other instruments to gather data of particular interest to the: Navigator, Engineer, Geophysicist, Geologist, Oceanographer.

  The hydrographic system utilized by UCL lends itself to the survey of lakes, streams and harbours for navigational charting, engineering studies or construction monitoring.

• Surveying And Mapping - Mining Surveys
• Surveying And Mapping - Oil & Gas Surveys

  Usher Canada Limited provides geomatics services to oil & gas corporations including well sites and pipelines in western and northern Canada, as well as, internationally.

• Surveying And Mapping - Other (specify)
• Surveying And Mapping - Training

  Usher Canada Limited, has been providing GPS training to its clients since 1986. The training involves all aspects of GPS projects including project planning and logistics, data collection, data processing and analysis, and network adjustments and analysis. In addition to this project oriented training UCL has provided the following more formal training courses.

  UCL has developed a one day Introduction GPS course that was presented at the High on Energy Conference 1997, hosted by the Alberta Land Surveyors' Association. This course covers both theoretical and practical considerations that all GPS users should be aware of when selecting and using GPS equipment.

  UCL has co-developed and co-presented a two-day course on The Technique of Least Squares Adjustment Applied to Cadastral Surveying sponsored by the Alberta Land Surveyors' Association.

  GPS and conventional survey training were provided to approximately 40 British and Cameroonian surveyors in support of the Chad Cameroon Pipeline Project. Training included GPS theory, receiver operation (post processed and real time), GPS data processing and analysis, total station operation and conventional data processing. The training was provided for the Leica System 300 GPS receivers, SKI GPS processing software, Leica TC1800 total station, and LISCAD software.

NAICS Categories

• 541330 Engineering Services
• 541370 Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services
• 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services

Additional Information