Standards, specifications and guidelines for the practice of surveying have changed greatly during the transition from terrestrial to satellite based measuring systems. Table 1 provides a list of selected standards documents prepared by geodetic agencies in various Canadian jurisdictions over the past 50 years.  While terrestrial measurements are now being made with automated total stations and digital spirit levels, standards from the 1980’s on observing methodologies for different orders of levelling, triangulation and trilateration surveys are still available and relevant.  With the advent of GPS, a number of new standards documents have been created by different agencies to support the exchange of GNSS data and products that enable geodetic quality positioning.

Table 1 Summary of standards, guidelines, and recommendation documents from federal and provincial agencies

Agency	Documents	Year
DFO	Hydrographic Survey Management Guidelines Canadian Hydrographic Service Fisheries and Oceans Canada	2021
NRCan/CGS	Guidelines for RTK/RTN GNSS Surveying in Canada NRCan Surveyor General Branch	2015
AB	Standards, specifications & guidelines for GPS surveys of Alberta survey control	2010
BC	British Columbia Specifications and Guidelines for Control Surveys using GPS Technology.	2010
	Province of British Columbia Standards, Specifications and Guidelines for Resource Surveys Using GPS Technology	2008
	Province of British Columbia Guidelines for RTK GPS Surveys	2009
	Specifications and Guidelines for Control Surveys using Conventional Survey Technology	2009
MB
NB	Standards Manual for New Brunswick Land Surveyors	1998
	New Brunswick Control Monument Database Information	2002
NL
NS	Best Practices for GNSS NRTK Service Providers Operating in Nova Scotia	2016
NU
NW
ON	Ontario Specification for GPS Control Surveys (gov.on.ca)	2004
PEI	PEI Survey Monuments	2005
QC
SK
YK