Introducing Rob Abbott, ICI Society’s New Executive Director

ICI Society is very excited to announce that Rob Abbott has joined the organization as its new Executive Director. Rob is a pioneering sustainability and strategy consultant in Canada, a leadership coach, and a frequent commentator on the intersection of technology, strategy and sustainability. His prior appointments include an Executive Director in three divisions of the BC Ministry of Environment; and Sustainability Practice Leader with Deloitte. He is the author of 2 books, with a third on the way, and numerous articles for both professional/academic and general audiences on the ways in which data can (and should) be leveraged to enhance decision-making in service of economic, social and environmental sustainability. As the first Certified Management Consultant in Canada to focus on sustainability as a strategic business issue, Rob has a deep history of advising provincial governments, local governments, utilities, crown corporations and private sector organizations. He has worked on six continents and seen first-hand the power of trust and collaboration to bridge organizational and cultural divides and create the conditions that drive meaningful and impactful change.

In his non-working hours, Rob can typically be found running loops around Elk or Thetis Lake, cold-water surfing in Tofino, or exploring on his beloved BMW motorcycle.

ICI Society has a Refreshed Website

ICI Society is pleased to unveil a refreshed website that has an exciting new visual look and feel, and a streamlined message that underscores the importance of trust, collaboration and expertise in our work. Trust is the core value that has made ICI Society the only geospatial data sharing organization in North America with participation from all levels of government, crown corporations, and the private sector. Collaboration is a commonly held organizing principle among our members that makes data sharing a reality. Expertise is reflected in the breath and depth of the skills embodied by our members who reflect all major land-based decisions in the province.

A special shout out to Jerry Meaden, FortisBC, who supplied the extraordinary images that animate the new website and give it visual panache.

Partners in ParcelMap BC: LTSA and ICI Society

The Land Title and Survey Authority of BC (LTSA) operates and maintains ParcelMap BC, a standardized and up-to-date property data infrastructure which improves research, planning and business decisions for both public and private organizations involved in land development. The LTSA works in close partnership with the ICI Society to actively promote the adoption of ParcelMap BC by local governments, major utilities and other public agencies as a common system of reference for property information in BC.

The ICI Society has been a consistent supporter of ParcelMap BC from the program’s initial stages through to today. During the initial build phase, the ICI Society provided valuable feedback and data contributions from local government members. When ParcelMap BC became fully operational in June 2017, the Society began distribution of the data product to members via the GeoShare service and continues to provide front-line support and expertise to members as they transition to adopting ParcelMap BC. An integral example of this support includes the work of Dale Sparrow in providing ICI Society local government members with in-depth comparison reports for Parcelmap BC and the Integrated Cadastral Fabric (ICF) for their areas. Dale has built strong relationships with ICF users and continues to provide transition support for organizations moving to ParcelMap BC.

“As the adoption of ParcelMap BC continues to spread, the partnership between the ICI Society and the LTSA is a cornerstone of ParcelMap BC’s success,” says Brian Greening, Director of ParcelMap BC Products for the LTSA. “Through our partnership we maintain strong working relationships with adopters and deliver on the shared – and the Society’s founding – vision of realizing a single, province-wide cadastral map for the benefit of British Columbians.”

The partnership between LTSA and the entire ICI Society Membership is strengthened by collaboration with local government and utility organizations who participate in 360LAB events, the Adoption Working Group and related subcommittees. Thanks to the active support of the cadastral community in British Columbia, ParcelMap BC adoption continues to grow.

Click here for further information on ParcelMap BC progress in 2019: https://www.ltsa.ca/news/year-review-parcelmap-bc-2019

Municipal ICF Client Transition Reports Completed

The ICI Society is grateful to Dale Sparrow, a long-time compiler of the Integrated Cadastral Fabric (ICF), who retired from GeoBC last summer. Well known among the ICF user community as a principal liaison between GeoBC’s Parcel Fabric Section and municipal ICF users, the ICI Society operations team was very happy that Dale was willing to delay full retirement for a few months to help the Society reach an important milestone for 2019: to provide each of the Society’s local government ICF users with a personalized ICF transition report – the foundation for their plans to adopt ParcelMap BC.

With his deep knowledge of ICF client needs as well as the unique fabric characteristics in different jurisdictions around the province, Dale prepared thirty tailored reports for ICF users. The reports compare the ICF and ParcelMap BC fabrics locally, highlight opportunities offered by ParcelMap BC and outline any factors that ICF clients may need to consider when transitioning to the product.

The ParcelMap BC operations team has also received the reports and is actively engaged with these users. Many report recipients, including most recently Rossland and Peace River Regional District, have already transitioned to using ParcelMap BC as their principal parcel fabric.

Thank you Dale!