Reference System Modernization: Canadian plans and timelines

Product Description

Presented live December 7th, 2023.

1. Berg¹; G. Banham²; M. Craymer³; G. Cross⁴; B. Donahue³*; M. Fortin³; J. Huang³; R. Messier Paquin⁵; C. Robin³; M. Walker³

¹ Ministry of Transportation, Ontario; ² Ministry of Environment and Parks, Alberta; ³ Natural Resources Canada; ⁴ Service New Brunswick; ⁵ Direction de la référence géodésique du Québec

Abstract

The United States National Geodetic Survey (NGS) plans to adopt new geometric reference frames in 2025; for the continental USA it will be the North American Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2022 (NATRF2022). To ensure continued datum compatibility, the Canadian Geodetic Survey (CGS) plans to adopt NATRF2022 federally in parallel with the US. Also in 2025, NGS will adopt a new geoid-based height system, called the North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022 (NAPGD2022), moving from their current leveling-based datum. Canada has had a geoid-based height system since 2015, called the Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum of 2013 (CGVD2013). CGS plans to adopt a new realization of CGVD2013, realized by an updated geoid model being developed in collaboration with NGS.

In this presentation and panel discussion, we will review the latest plans and timelines for the release of CGS products and tools leading to federal modernization in 2025. We will also present recent efforts towards unified reference frame adoption across jurisdictions, including provincial migration options.

Presenter: Brian Donahue

Brian Donahue has been working with the Canadian Geodetic Survey (Natural Resources Canada) for the past 25 years and is currently the team leader of the Geodetic Services Unit. He is also the chair of the Canadian Geodetic Reference System Committee (CGRSC), a Federal-Provincial-Territorial working committee of the Canadian Council on Geomatics (CCOG), which is responsible for planning geodetic reference system improvements in Canada.