Integrates Best Available Data in Support of Improved Decision-Making

WINNIPEG, Esri Canada User Conference – May 30, 2012 – Utilities need an accurate and consistent basemap of property data to support numerous processes including network planning, design, construction, operation and facility retirement. While federal, provincial and municipal governments provide parcel information, these datasets have varying schemas, degrees of accuracy and data lineage. To address this challenge, Manitoba Hydro, the province's major energy utility, created a consistent, high-quality, province-wide parcel fabric from best available data using Esri's geographic information system (GIS) technology. This significantly improves the utility's mapping applications and supports improved decision-making across business units. Esri Canada presented an Award of Excellence to Manitoba Hydro today for this outstanding GIS application.   

“This project is an important milestone in mapping in Manitoba,” says Alex Miller, president, Esri Canada. “This seamless parcel fabric enables Manitoba Hydro to more effectively design power transmission networks and improve service delivery. It also provides a foundation for collaborating with other organizations to build upon this basemap and add authoritative spatial data to help improve mapping applications throughout the province. It's the first time an organization in Manitoba has developed such an integrated and high-quality provincial parcel fabric, and we commend Manitoba Hydro for their leadership and initiative.”

Manitoba Hydro has been creating, acquiring and integrating parcel mapping data for more than 20 years. This data is used as a basemap for various GIS and computer-aided design (CAD) applications to give staff a reference to what parcel fabrics exist in their work areas. The utility recently embarked on a new GIS project to improve the management of their transmission facilities and identified a need for a seamless, province-wide parcel fabric.

Without one available, they worked with Esri Canada and Martin Newby Consulting to design and create a parcel layer that would integrate more than 850 datasets from disparate sources. They restructured the data sources to work in an extended version of the Parcel Editor tool in Esri's ArcGIS for Desktop solution and developed a repeatable process for updating individual parts or the complete dataset without recreating the basemap from the original data source. The result is a structured, homogenous and seamless representation of the Dominion Government Survey and provincial property parcel fabrics.

The utility plans to work with other organizations to improve the content and accuracy of their property parcel fabric. As a shared resource, the basemap will reduce duplication of parcel mapping efforts and costs for government and non-government organizations, as well as provide valuable information for surveying and mapping applications throughout the province.

For more information on Esri's ArcGIS solution, visit esri.ca/products/arcgis.

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About Esri Canada
Founded in 1984, Esri Canada provides enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solutions that empower businesses, governments and educational institutions to make timely, informed and mission-critical decisions by leveraging the power of geography.  The company distributes the world's leading GIS software from Esri, Telvent, Cityworks – Azteca Systems, Inc. and other technology partners.  Headquartered in Toronto, the company serves over 10,000 customers from 16 regional offices across Canada and has been named as one of the top 250 Canadian IT companies and top 25 IT professional services providers in Canada by the Branham Group.  Information about Esri Canada can be found at esri.ca.

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