1. The Government of Canada Digs into Damage Prevention
Toward a GC Standard for the Protection of Underground Infrastructure
Canadian Common Ground Alliance Damage Prevention Symposium
October 2019

2. Purpose
To provide an update on the activities of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to protect underground infrastructure on or adjacent to Government of Canada (GC) assets.

3. Objectives
Enhance the management of underground infrastructure information as an integral part of PSPC real property stewardship.
PSPC model serves as a blueprint for a common approach and process for enhanced protection of workers and infrastructure within the federal government.

4. Definition Two types of underground infrastructure:
Underground Structures includes tunnels, underpasses, facilities, bridge foundations, and foundations for above ground facilities or other underground built structures. 
Utility Infrastructure includes underground lines, facilities or systems for transmitting or distributing underground commodities or substances such as electricity, heat, lighting, data, communications, gas, oil and petroleum products, water, storm water or sewage,
wireless, or other similar
underground commodities
or substances.

5. Context
The GC consists of over 100 departments and agencies, 23 of which are custodians of real property assets. This also includes regulatory departments and agencies such as Transport Canada, National Energy Board (NEB), and Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED).
PSPC has the largest portfolio of assets located in urban areas, over half are located in the National Capital Area (NCA).
Custodial departments are owners/operators of various types of assets including office buildings, engineering assets, laboratories, prisons, detachments, border crossings, wharfs, etc. They often exercise their responsibility for effective stewardship through real property services provided by PSPC.
PSPC engagement activities generating a growing recognition that UI on or adjacent to their assets are integral to their stewardship role.
Sound stewardship processes incorporate all available mechanisms that reduce the possibility of physical damage to UI assets, minimize service interruptions critical to government operations, and increase both public and worker safety for projects involving ground excavation.

6. Drivers 1
Digging Safely - Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources (Dec 2014) 2
Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act (enacted via Bill ) 3
Underground Infrastructure Safety Enhancement Bill S (Third reading 2 May 2017) 4
Fulfill our collective requirement for good stewardship

7. Addressing the Intent of S-229
That buried facilities on federal land be registered with a provincial or territorial one-call service; and that the federal government require anyone undertaking construction or excavation on federal land to call a one- call service, where one exists.
That the federal government require all owners of federally regulated buried infrastructure to become members of a provincial or territorial one-call service, where one exists.
Note: Ontario passed Bill 8 in 2012; Alberta had proposed
damage prevention legislation with Bill 211; other provinces
are also considering legislation.

8. Achievements to Date
PSPC has registered its assets on the Ontario side of the NCA with Ontario One Call and continues to refine the process and boundaries of their areas of interest.
PSPC sharing their process and lessons learned with client
custodial departments through national and regional engagement.
Geomatics community in regions assessing the status of
their information on UI and state of readiness to register
with local one-call centres.
PSPC regions engaging local one-call centres
(see Annex A) on how to:
Share information on Areas of Interest
Receive notifications
Respond to locate requests
Leverage process to obtain better geospatial information
Enhanced process and standard for PSPC to serve as model
for sound stewardship and to accumulate better geospatial information over time.

9. Identification of an “Area of Interest”
PSPC Property Boundary
Federal Building
PSPC Bldg
Private Property
Private Property
Federal Property
PSPC Water Line
Public Roadway
PSPC Communication Line
Identification of an area of interest is based on property boundaries and the location of UI
Accurate and complete information regarding UI is needed to ensure appropriate identification of areas of interest

10. Communicating the “Area of Interest” to One-Call Centres
Public Roadway
To avoid revealing sensitive information:
Communication of an area of interest will exclude specific details related to the asset and UI
The outline of an area of interest could be extended or redrawn.

11. Process for Notification Services

12. National Project Management System
Ensure that UI facilities being installed are easily locatable
Ensure as-built drawings are provided to geomatics as soon as practicable
Obtain all UI information from geomatic services, property owners, public utilities, etc.
Review and/or include UI in master plans, development or site plans
Inception
Delivery
NPMS
Detailed Design
Identification
Ensure all UI information on or adjacent to planning area is shown on plans
Indicate existing and planned UI on preliminary design plans

13. NCA (Ontario) Status and Next Steps
Summer 2015
August 2018
April 2, 2019
Identified requirements, assessed availability & quality of NCA data
DRAFT future state process map for testing & refinement
ON1Call Launch, adapt and refine business processes based on initial results
Project Initiation
Data Testing & Evaluation
DRAFT Process Map
Organizational Readiness
Launch
Implementation & Continual Improvement
Initiated ON1Call UI data loading testing & evaluation, mapped current state process
New NCA (Ontario) geospatial data ready for upload & organizational readiness
Monitor results and apply lessons learned to fine tune Notification Services process
Summer 2017
September 2018
April 23, 2019
= Meetings with Industry

14. National (PSPC) Status and Next Steps
January 2018
Spring 2019
February 2020
Regions informed of initiative, updated on NCA experience & PSPC desire to register with one-call centres
Initiated Regional assessment of data & developed a draft regional implementation model
Approval of National UI Directive & Standard
Regions Informed
Regional Engagement
Development of National UI Directive & Standard
Regional Readiness
Launch
Implementation & Continual Improvement
National Geomatics Workshop, update regions on NCA progress
Initiated Working Group to refine process, roles & responsibilities and
develop National UI Directive & Standard
Draft UI Directive & Standard under review
National UI Directive & Standard effective; phased implementation across regions
November 2018
April September 2019
April 2020
= Meetings with Industry

15. National (GC) Status and Next Steps
February & April 2018
Oct – Dec 2018
Spring 2019
Spring 2021
Initial meetings with PSPC, OGDs and CCGA
PSPC initiated ongoing meetings/ discussions with key custodial departments (NRCan, DND, Parks)
Ongoing OGD Engagement
Presentations at various OGD fora
Common approach in place; phased implementation across OGDs
Initial
Meetings
Custodial Departments
Regulatory Departments
Engagement
OGD Data Assessment
OGD Launch
Establish Community of Practice to share PSPC experience, tools & processes with custodial OGDs on set up & ongoing implementation of Notification Services
Roundtable with Parliamentarians, CCGA & government officials
Initiate dialogue between regulatory depts (TC, ISEDC, NRCan (incl. NEB)) and CCGA
Meeting with Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS)
re: link to TB Policy & next steps
June 2018
February 2019
July 2019
April 2020
= Meetings with Industry

16. High-Level Overview
Ongoing engagement of PSPC Geomatics community in regions
National Working Group developing PSPC UI Directive & Standard 
Implemented process of Notification Services for PSPC NCA (Ontario)
Refine process based on lessons learned
Protection
of UI
PSPC
PSPC NCA (Ontario)
PSPC National
Custodial Depts
Regulatory Depts
Treasury Board
CCGA
Link PSPC UI Standard to TB Policy Suite for Real Property
Presentation to TBS Advisory Committee
Key custodial departments invited to PSPC/CCGA Workshops
Engagement plan developed to inform/promote registration of assets by custodial departments
Ongoing engagement with GC regulatory departments facilitated by PSPC
CCGA direct engagement with regulatory departments

17. Next Steps Policy Documents Engagement Implementation
PSPC is finalizing National UI Directive and Standard
TB considering PSPC UI Standard as guidance in their Policy Suite on Real Property
PSPC model to serve as blueprint for other custodial departments
Policy Documents
Engagement
PSPC working in partnership with CCGA
Ongoing engagement between PSPC and other custodial departments
Presentation to Inter-departmental DG Advisory Committee on Real Property
Presentation to TBS Advisory Committee on Real Property
Implementation
PSPC for NCA (Ontario) continues to respond to notifications from ON1Call and to refine the process through lessons learned
PSPC National UI Directive & Standard to be socialized within PSPC and implemented in a phased approach across regions
Other custodial departments to be guided by PSPC model in their own implementations
Establish a Community of Practice to share best practices and lessons learned to facilitate implementation

18. Discussion

19. Annex A Notification Centres Notification Centre Province
1. Alberta One-Call Corporation
Alberta
Manitoba
2. BC One Call
British Columbia
3. Info-Excavation
Quebec
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland and Labrador
4. Ontario One-Call
Ontario
5. Sask 1st Call
Saskatchewan
Notification Centres