The Power of Data.
The Strength of Community.
ICI Society is a one-of-a-kind, made in BC model founded on collaboration, expertise, and trust.
With over 300 members, we strive to foster relationship-building and collaboration in support of our vision:
“Building collaborative networks to facilitate innovative, location-based solutions that support the economic, social and environmental well-being of British Columbians.”
We are well-known for our success in bringing people together – local, provincial, and federal government, First Nations, utilities, and the private sector. Members of the Society gain unique opportunities for networking, communication, and collaboration on geospatial information.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
Provincial Government members value Society connections with leading utility providers, local governments and provincial government ministries and organizations in the broader public sector.
The Society is trusted by members, respected by associated organizations, and admired in other jurisdictions.
Membership allows Provincial Ministries and Agencies to directly affect the future of data-sharing across industry and government, locally and provincially and gain a distinct advantage in the efficient, effective and economical delivery of services to the citizens of British Columbia.
Provincial Government members recognize the value in Society membership:
“I greatly appreciate my collaboration with the ICI Society as LTSA’s working partner in advancing awareness of the benefits of ParcelMap BC data. Their customer outreach efforts and their ability to customize the data to meet the specific needs for their subscribed members are of significant value.”
Irshad Amir Jamal, Parcel Fabric Technician, Land Title Survey Authority
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Local Government members of the ICI Society value the unique opportunities for networking, communication and collaboration with leading utility providers, other local governments and the provincial government.
The Society provides a robust ‘one stop’ platform to access data and work with other local governments, member utilities and the provincial government as well as a mechanism to voice perspectives and inform local government decisions
Membership provides Local Government with a centralized source of uniform data to allow timely information for important decision-making and solutions.
Local Government members recognize the value in Society membership:
“ICI Society membership is a one-stop shop for LGA’s needing to source and leverage geospatial data from various external agencies. It is our sole source of authoritative data for third party utility networks. ICI’s spearheading of province wide data aggregation has proven invaluable with initiatives like NG9-1-1. But more than a smorgasbord of data, ICI Society cultivates a community of mutual participation for the benefit of all. If I need to know who’s who in the zoo, I know my ICI folks will be able to point me in the right direction. They provide leadership for members on critical initiatives common to all and act as communication liaisons to connect dots and ease pathways.”
Douglas Sauer, Geographic Information Systems Analyst, Strathcona Regional District
FIRST NATIONS
First Nations from across the province see value in Society membership:
“ICI Society is actively advancing reconciliation by including First Nations as an equal partner. First Nations communities have historically experienced challenges being recognized as constituents of local, regional and provincial communities due to the complexity of being under Federal jurisdiction. This has often influenced inadequate services and delays in emergency response that pose risk to health and safety; initiatives like AddressBC and Next Generation 9-1-1 are significantly improving safety for First Nation communities. ICI Society is facilitating smarter and safer communities through its seamless integration of geospatial data from diverse members that is secure, accessible and re-defining informed decision making.”
Tanner Timothy, Manager, Heritage, Referrals & GIS, Kwantlen First Nation
“GIS is a modern-day technology that we will continue to use at Cowichan Tribes to improve many aspects of our operations; perhaps the most important use of this technology is to provide maps and data in support of planning projects and developments occurring on-reserve.”
Brenda Underwood, GIS Technician, Cowichan Tribes
The ICI Society is committed to respecting and upholding the OCAP® principles (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) in all aspects of working with First Nations data.
Our staff have completed OCAP® training to ensure we follow best practices in data governance, recognizing that First Nations have the right to own, control, access, and steward their data according to their priorities. We strive to build strong, respectful partnerships by supporting data sovereignty, transparency, and meaningful collaboration.
UTILITIES
Utility members of the ICI Society value the unique opportunities to increase efficiency and cut operational costs through the Society’s data sharing and networking infrastructure.
The Society is a key collaboration hub for GIS expertise, data services and relationship building across industry and within all levels of government.
Society members have been instrumental in developing innovative solutions to complex data sharing and integration needs over the past 20 years.
Through these initiatives, members share data, industry standards and best practices, gaining operational efficiencies and cutting costs associated with time-consuming data sourcing and data-inquiry responses.
Membership in the Society supports:
- efficient communication between utilities,
- safe operations and emergency response,
- optimized infrastructure planning and operational service delivery,
- shared spatial reference data for engineering and survey work.
Utility members recognize the value in Society membership:
“The ICI Society provides a high value to cost ratio for BC Hydro. It allows us to share our data with hundreds of organizations across our service territory through a single mechanism, eliminating the need to set up individual data sharing agreements and integrations with each organization. Similarly, we get easy access to data from other utilities and municipalities. The relationships that the ICI Society maintains have come in handy as well when we need GIS focused contacts from other members.”
Evan Schwab, Information Technology Advisor, BC Hydro
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Associate members of the ICI Society value the efficiencies of a data-sharing hub that provides access to the best available geospatial data across government and industry.
Associate members include:
- The Federal Government of Canada
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- Port Authorities
- Surveyors
- Organizations aligned with the purpose of the Society
Membership in the ICI Society can bring great value to your organization by providing access to a collaborative network of organizations throughout BC, dedicated to working together to create innovative, location-based solutions.