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Waterdown to Finch Pipeline Geomatics Support

The Ontario Pipeline Project is more than just a 63-kilometre (39-mile) stretch of steel. It presented an opportunity to apply geospatial intelligence and geomatics to transform complexity into clarity.

The project involved replacing a critical section of pipeline that delivers refined products to the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area¡ªfueling planes, heating homes, and powering businesses. Our client needed to navigate a corridor dense with utilities, easements, and decades of legacy data. They reached out to our Geomatics team to help.

Having an intimate understanding of the corridor, we assembled a foundational blueprint of the project environment. Before a single shovel hit the ground, we had already compiled a geographic information systems (GIS) database of historical survey data, classified utilities to CSA250 standards, and built a custom data dictionary to align every survey point with our client¡¯s expectations.

Leveraging GIS to target survey sites, we accelerated the detailed design phase, reducing field time and disruption. By managing data quality and vintage at the feature level, we were able to get the most reliable information to rise to the top.

But the innovation didn¡¯t stop at design. As we helped our client build their pipeline open data standard (PODS) system, when it came time to capture construction as-built data, we were ready. We populated over 15 asset tables, laying the groundwork for the pipeline¡¯s operational life. This resulted in a project delivered with speed, accuracy, and resilience¡ªdespite the congestion of crossings and the complexity of the corridor.

Our client¡¯s use of geomatics in this project showed that geospatial data can unlock new levels of productivity and cost savings. Today, we continue to manage their datasets in dedicated geodatabases, helping them start every future project with a stronger foundation.