Project Snapshot
| Category | Details |
| Client | City of Coquitlam |
| Project Name | GIS Infrastructure & Rights-of-Way Survey |
| Location | Coquitlam, British Columbia |
| Date | 1995–2002 |
Project Overview
Introduction
From 1995 to 2002, Underhill provided technical and cadastral support for the City of Coquitlam’s GIS system, Q the Map. Our team converted sanitary and drainage infrastructure data, digitized road and utility rights-of-way, and built custom field data tools for streetlight and sign inventories—all delivered in CARIS GIS format.
Project Phases
Sanitary Sewer Conversion (1995–1996)
- Digitized 105 map sheets of sanitary sewer as-builts
- Used AutoCAD for COGO geometry
- Attribution and connectivity via customized Copan FM
- Delivered in CARIS GIS format
Road & Utility ROW Conversion (1997–1999)
- Conducted land title searches for ROW charges and plans
- COGO digitization and attribution using AutoCAD and Copan FM
- Output translated to CARIS GIS for seamless integration
Copan FM Customization (1997–1998)
- Developed Copan FM-Street/Sign, a pen-computer-based field inventory system
- Enabled streetlight and signage data capture
- Provided user training, documentation, and system integration with CARIS
- Delivered full data editing and CARIS compatibility
Drainage Infrastructure Conversion (2001–2002)
- Returned to convert drainage system drawings for 105 map sheets
- Continued workflow using COGO in AutoCAD and attribution in Copan FM
- Exported structured data for CARIS GIS ingestion
Technological Contributions
Underhill’s proprietary Copan FM software was customized to meet the city’s needs, helping streamline their utility infrastructure management. These tools paved the way for Coquitlam’s eventual migration to ArcGIS, ensuring long-term GIS data integrity.
Project Impact
- Improved GIS accuracy for municipal utilities
- Enabled mobile field data capture before it was an industry standard
- Set foundation for Coquitlam’s ongoing use of geospatial data through ICIS
