2000 - The Perception of Land Surveying at the University of Calgary       At this year’s Annual Meeting, the membership approved amendments to the by-laws to create a separate membership category for articled students. While the Association had long had articled students, the Association's by-laws did not, until 2000, give them any formal recognition to vote or propose motions at annual meetings.   Meanwhile, Council adopted a policy to recognize all Alberta Land Surveyors who have been active for 50 years. The University of Calgary was the centre of much discussion. The membership expressed their concerns about the Geomatics Engineering Program particularly in light of the change made by the department head, Dr. Gerard Lachapelle, to reduce the number of land surveyors involved on the Geomatics Engineering Advisory Committee and to create a separate Geomatics Engineering Liaison Committee for land surveyor only. Concerns ranged from the number of cadastral survey courses to the perception of land surveying by the students.   After much discussion, the membership approved a pilot project to examine the advantages and disadvantages of a coordinate based cadastre. The pilot project did not, however, get off the ground. Land surveyors, developers and others were reluctant to participate if they thought there was a chance it would cost them more money to post the subdivision at the end of the pilot project. Earlier in the year, the Director of Practice Review had prepared a report which indicated that, in his opinion, a majority of members were not complying with the provisions of Section 40(3) and 42(3) of the Surveys Act when it comes to Real Property Reports and wellsite surveys. In response, the Council decided to put forward a motion to the membership to exempt Real Property Reports and wellsites from those provisions of the Act as it was Council’s opinion that the Surveys Act applies only to surveys in which it is intended for a plan to be registered. The motions for Real Property Reports and wellsites narrowly passed.   Back - 1999 - Digital Submissions Forward - 2001 - Bagpipes Around the Lake