NEXT GENERATION 9-1-1

Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) is a new emergency communications system that will replace analogue 9-1-1 systems with IP-based technology. This nation-wide transition will enhance the existing system to use the coordinates of mobile devices and, in the future, allow for location-enabled voice, data, photos, videos, and text messages. GIS data will take a central role in the new system, and local government authorities (LGAs) will be responsible for providing accurate and up-to-date Public Safety Grade GIS data to TELUS. 

On May 16, 2025, GeoBC was appointed the provincial aggregator for British Columbia. GeoBC will be responsible for collecting all GIS data for NG9-1-1 and supplying it to TELUS. In BC, TELUS is the top-level aggregator for GIS data and serves as the NG9-1-1 provider for the vast majority of the province (and Northwestel where applicable).

ICI Society will continue working with GeoBC, TELUS, LGAs, E-Comm 911 and other PSAPS to develop data submission processes, discrepancy reporting workflows and fine quality assurance processes. On behalf of GeoBC, we are collecting the Site Structure Address Point layer in NENA format.

If you are ready to submit your NENA address data, please contact The Society.

DATA SHAREHOUSE

The Data ShareHouse contains all shared datasets contributed by Society members. The Society has developed its own automated, scheduled data sharing process – called GeoShare – that is customizable to each member’s unique business and technical requirements.

We are continually updating and upgrading GeoShare to ensure all members receive their data packages in the format and on the schedule that is best suited to their mapping requirements. We also actively pursue and integrate new datasets as requested by members to improve the Data ShareHouse offerings and provide additional value to members. 

ADDRESS BC

AddressBC is a member-driven initiative to build an authoritative, accurate, and accessible point-based civic address registry for British Columbia. Address data is contributed directly from Society members via GeoShare, the Society’s automated data delivery system. The disparate address datasets are then integrated into a single point-based feature class, AddressBC.

Address providers and address users alike benefit from having a single source of accurate civic address locations. Emergency planners, regional service providers, utilities, and other users are able to retrieve data from AddressBC in a useable, consistent form, helping to streamline service delivery to constituents and consumers.

As the Society transitions to collecting address data in the NENA standard, AddressBC will continue to be populated and maintained. A custom transformer is in place to perform the ETL process, converting NENA-standard address data into the AddressBC schema to ensure continuity and consistency of the AddressBC dataset.

SUPPORTING STRONGER GEOSPATIAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH FIRST NATIONS

The ICI Society’s First Nations Working Group plays a strategic role in deepening relationships with First Nations communities across British Columbia. Established to align with the province’s commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Working Group focuses on understanding the geospatial data needs, challenges, and contributions of First Nations members.

By fostering collaboration, co-developing solutions, and supporting data sharing, the Working Group helps strengthen GIS capacity, enhance the AddressBC dataset, and ensure First Nations voices shape the future of BC’s geospatial data landscape.

COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE

The BC Ministry of Housing established the Complete Communities Initiative to support local governments in meeting the third commitment of the BC Climate Action Charter – creating complete, compact communities. The Initiative includes a $10M funding program, a Complete Communities Guide, and data to support geospatial assessments. 

As part of the Initiative, ICI Society hosted 5 User Conferences across the province in February and March 2023, connecting with over 120 people representing 65 Local Governments and First Nations. In addition to the User Conferences, we leveraged our expertise in geospatial data integration to host the Spatial Access Measures database, compiled by Statistics Canada. The complete Spatial Access Measures dataset has been made publicly available through ICI Society. Users can easily view and analyze the geographic data at a glance via the Spatial Access Measures Web Map, or choose to download the full dataset from our Data Catalog for use in their own geospatial assessments.

PARCELMAP BC

ParcelMap BC has been developed as the authoritative, single-source cadastre for the province. The wide-spread adoption of this fabric will provide high value to all stakeholders and Society Members by providing a common parcel base and alignment that will result in more efficient and effective data sharing. In conjunction with the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC, ICI Society actively promotes the widespread adoption ParcelMap BC through a variety of resources and tools to support Society members in their transition. 

PLATFORM FOR ORTHO-IMAGERY COST-SHARING

The Society hosts a Web Map for members to share their plans for ortho-imagery acquisition. With this project, we aim to encourage collaboration among members and facilitate cost-sharing in the acquisition of ortho-imagery products.

Members can submit their confirmed flight plans and future areas of interest and refer to the Web Map to see if other members in their area intend to collect imagery. In addition to showing members’ flight plans and future AOIs, the Web Map also displays BC Assessment’s existing aerial inventory and flight plans for the current year to assist members in arranging their acquisition plans.