Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.

Archived

This page has been archived on the Web.

Chapter D3 ver. 1

Strata Surveys

Table of Contents

Effective Date

This Chapter is effective January 1, 1997. It was originally published as Chapter D3 of the Third Edition of the Manual of Instructions for the Survey of Canada Lands.

Chapter Sections

General

  1. A strata survey is a legal survey which describes a volume of space, for example:
    1. an apartment in an apartment building;
    2. a store in a shopping centre;
    3. an underground tunnel; or
    4. an overhead walkway.
  2. A strata survey can be carried out to prepare an official plan under section 29 of the Canada Lands Surveys Act or an administrative plan (e. g. an explanatory plan or a plan under condominium legislation) under section 31 of the Canada Lands Surveys Act. In either case the survey requirements will be similar.
  3. Specific survey instructions are required for strata surveys.

Boundary Definition

  1. The volume of space described in a strata plan shall be designated as a strata lot or strata parcel.
  2. Unless otherwise specifically required the boundaries of strata parcels should follow features such as the inner surface, median plane, or outer surface of walls, floors and ceilings.
  3. In the case of irregular shapes such as tunnels, where it would be difficult to locate or describe an actual physical boundary, geometric shapes may be used and referenced to monuments and control survey markers for horizontal location and to geodetic bench marks for vertical location. The geometric shapes forming the boundaries of strata parcels should be limited to:
    1. horizontal, vertical, or inclined plane surfaces; and/ or
    2. cylindrical or portions of cylindrical surfaces which shall have axes which are horizontal, vertical, or inclined.
  4. The strata parcel shall be connected to:
    1. a minimum of two bench marks; and
    2. monuments marking the boundaries of the surveyed parcel in which it lies.

Plan Preparation

  1. Strata plans shall be prepared in accordance with the guidelines in Appendix E3.
  2. The strata plan shall be similar in form to specimen plans SP3- 1 or SP3- 2.
  3. The title of the plan shall read :
    "Plan of Survey of
    Strata Parcel ......."
  4. Provide in the legend of the plan:
    1. a note describing the nature and location of the boundaries of the strata parcel. It should be clear whether the boundary is a physical feature such as the inner surface, median plane or outer surface of a wall, or is a geometric shape the position of which is defined by its relationship to monuments and control survey markers; and
    2. a note stating that all elevations shown are mean sea level and are referred to Bench Mark( s) (official identification names or numbers).
  5. Show in the diagram of the plan:
    1. the location and dimensions of the strata parcel including connections to legal survey boundaries and monuments; and
    2. the elevation, to the nearest 0.1 m,
      1. of the ground floor of each strata parcel; or
      2. of each corner of the strata parcel if the strata parcel is irregular in shape.

Returns

  1. The returns shall consist of:
    1. the strata plan;
    2. field notes, if
      1. an official survey was carried out to prepare the strata plan;
      2. boundaries have been surveyed; or
      3. monuments have been placed, re-established or restored;
    3. a survey report as prescribed in Chapter D15;
    4. copies of control survey marker and bench mark description sheets of existing markers used in the survey;
    5. reproducible copies of plans registered or filed in a provincial land titles or land registry office used to prepare the plan; and
    6. any other information required by the specific survey instructions.

Specimen Plans

Note

The following documents are archived on the web and intended for the land surveying communities. Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.

PDF format