In 1907, at the age of sixteen, Frederic Clare Underhill (Clare) travels to Montreal to attend McGill University. He graduates as a Civil Engineer in 1911.^[8]

Clare graduates as a Civil Engineer in 1911.^[8] J.T. graduates from McGill University College, Vancouver as a Civil Engineer.^[4] McGill University College was the predecessor to UBC, which wasn't established until 1915. Following University, the brothers enter their articles to become Land Surveyors in BC. Clare articles to E.H. Cleveland, PLS, of the firm Cleveland & Cameron, established in 1910. Mr. Cleveland went on to be the first Chief Engineer of the Greater Vancouver Water District from 1926 to 1952. The Cleveland Dam on the Capilano River, in North Vancouver, was named after him.^[5][6] J.T. articled first under G.H. Dawson, PLS, and then M.W. Hewitt, BCLS, when Mr. Dawson was appointed Surveyor General.^[7] Dawson and Hewitt were both from the firm Elliott & Hewitt, which at that time was located at the Williams Building, 413 Granville St., Vancouver. That firm was founded in 1886 as Williams Bros. & George Dawson and continues to operate today as Chapman Land Surveying Ltd. in West Vancouver.^[7]

At the time of final exams, Clare travels up to the Stikine River country. To get to Victoria, he hikes out 50 miles alone along the Dominion Telegraph Trail. He frequently detours to avoid the grizzly bears fighting over the remains of pack horses that have died in the harsh winter conditions.^[8] (pictured - Clare Underhill, 1913 in Ground Hog or McEvoy Flats)

Underhill &Underhill was founded in the late fall of 1913 by Frederic Clare Underhill (Clare) and James Theodore Underhill (J.T.) - Pictured above.^{[1] [2]}  The brothers obtain their commissions as British Columbia Land Surveyors on 22nd October 1913. Later that fall, they form a business partnership. They name the partnership Underhill & Underhill. The tiny office is located in the Lumberman's Building, 811 - 509 Richards St., Vancouver. Their father, Dr. Frederick Underhill, advances them money from time to time to help them along in their fledgling venture. Dr. Underhill was the City of Vancouver's first full time medical health officer. Starting in 1904, he served the City for some 26 years. He organized the first regular garbage collection in Vancouver, pushed for improvements in the Lower Mainland's water supply, and instituted better inspection of foodstuffs. He was recognized for his role in the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918. In 1938, the City of Burnaby named Underhill Avenue in his honour.^[3]

Probably on the Ground Hog M.T.’s, 1913.

From left: Fred Mansell, C.W. Spence, W. Losee with Cariboo, 1913.

While Clare works up in the mountains north of Vancouver on the Britannia Mines mineral claim surveys, WWI breaks out in Europe. Canada is at war.

J.T. travels to England and enlists in the East Yorkshire Regiment of the Imperial Forces. He serves with his regiment from 19th March 1915 to 5th October 1916, seeing action both at Sulva Bay, Gallipoli, (where he was wounded, with shrapnel in his heart that remained there until he died) and in France where he is wounded again. On 5th October 1916, Jim is appointed to the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Artillery. He is discharged with the rank of Captain in April of 1919.^[9]

Clare is commissioned as Lieutenant, Canadian Field Engineers. He serves overseas in France as a Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, Canadian Pioneers and Lieutenant and Captain with the Canadian Heavy Artillery until the end of the war. Between the wars, he serves as a Major in the Canadian Field Artillery Reserve.^[8]

Clare, J.T. and three of their brothers—Capt. Reginald R. Underhill, Lt. Charles B. Underhill, and William (Bill) L.L. Underhill—all served in WWI (1914–1918). Brothers Reginald and Charles were killed at the Battle of the Somme in France.^[3]

J.T. marries Florence Ruth Hermon, the sister of James William Hermon, BCLS (#213), and James Ernest Hermon, BCLS (#332), and the daughter of Ernest Bolton Hermon, DLS, LS.^[10][11][12] The survey firm of Garden, Hermon & Burwell is established in Vancouver in 1886. It operates to this day as Hermon & Oke.^[13]

Clare Underhill marries Irene Anna Creery.^[11] The Underhill office is at the Metropolitan Building, 312 - 837 W. Hastings, Vancouver.

Clare and J.T. are designated as Professional Engineers Civil with the new Association of Professional Engineers of BC. The office is located at the Metropolitan Building, 314 - 837 W. Hastings, Vancouver.

Throughout the 1920s, J.T. Underhill spent his summers doing triangulation surveys along the mid-coast and in the mountains of BC. In the early 1920s, J.T. named numerous geographic features (Islands, Bays, Inlets, Channels, etc.) in BC after family members, crew members, and others. Many of the names are officially in use today, including Underhill Island, Clare Island, and Lewall Inlet. Both of the Underhill brothers were heavily involved in mineral claims and mining surveys during this period. Pictured are various Triangulation surveys created throughout the 1920s. More information on Underhill Island and this triangulation survey is here.

Clare and J.T. Underhill obtain their commissions as Dominion Land Surveyors (DLS).

Horace McNaughton Fraser obtains a commission as a BCLS (#228). Horace started his survey career with William Bolton Rimmer, BCLS (#156) in Atlin.^[56] He was articled to Edward Stephen Wilkinson, LS.^[56][57] Horace was a professional mining engineer who grew up in Atlin and Vancouver, BC.^[14] His father (J.A. Fraser) was the Gold Commissioner and Government Agent (1902–1922) for Atlin after the Atlin gold rush.^[15][16] Horace goes into partnership with Clare and J.T. The company is renamed Underhill, Underhill & Fraser. The office moves to the Williams Building (pictured), 27 - 413 Granville St., Vancouver.^[17]

Horace McNaughton Fraser operates an office in Atlin, BC.^[17] Clare occasionally travels north over the Dominion Government Telegraph Trail by horseback from Telegraph Creek on the Stikine to work with Horace in the summers.^[18]

Jim Underhill trigonometrically levels the Mystery Mountain during a triangulation survey of the Klinakline River Valley. The height he surveys of 13,260 feet establishes it as the highest peak in British Columbia.^[19] Following this, it is named Mount Waddington.

The first recorded ascents of Whitecap Mountain (2918 metres) and Birkenhead Peak (2506 metres) are credited to a J.T. Underhill topographic survey. In October, the stock market crash on Wall Street brings an end to the Roaring Twenties and the beginning of the Great Depression.

The collapse of world markets and the solid price of gold during the Great Depression positively impacted mining investment in BC and the Yukon. During the 30s, Underhill surveyed extensively in the Bridge River area on various mineral claims and related mining projects (Bralorne, Pioneer, Little Gunn, etc.). Another major mine project surveyed at this time was the Hedley Mascot Mine. Surveys were also completed at Zeballos on Vancouver Island.

J.T. Underhill is elected president of the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10]

After completion of his articles with J.T. Underhill, A.T. Holmes obtains his commission as a BCLS (#256). He becomes the second youngest person to obtain their BCLS (age 21).^[10]

Clare's wife Irene Anne Underhill passes away. She is survived by Clare, daughter Anne and sons Ronald, David, Ken and Peter.

WWII ushers in the end of the Great Depression for Canada. Ronald, David and Ken Underhill (sons of Clare Underhill) all serve in the war. Ken is a navigator in the RCAF and flies thirty missions over Germany. Peter Underhill serves in the army of occupation after the war. On return from surveying in the remote north of the Rocky Mountains of BC, Arthur T. Holmes, BCLS, enlists in the Royal Canadian Artillery and is assigned to the Survey Regiment. He takes part in the invasion of Europe and the battle up to VE day. He returns to Vancouver with the Rank of Captain.^[25]

During the Second World War, business interests again took a back seat to national ones. J.T. Underhill served in the West Coast Rangers with the rank of Captain; the task was the defense of the 66 coastal defense batteries on Point Grey.^[9] Clare Underhill served as Lieutenant-Colonel with the Canadian Field Artillery Reserve.^[8]

Clare Underhill is elected president of the Corporation of Land Surveyors.^[10]

Clare's son Sgt. Ronald C. Underhill is killed in action in Italy.^[21] Photo credit: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Clare Underhill marries Helen Blair Herapath Warden.^[22] They have a daughter, Patricia, and a son, Bruce.

The Germans surrendered to the Allied forces on May 8, 1945, the Japanese on September 2, 1945.

Horace Fraser retires from the partnership.^[23] The firm again trades under the name Underhill & Underhill.

Contina AG Mauren of Liechtenstein begins producing the Curta portable, hand-crank, mechanical calculator. This device was designed by Curt Herzstark while he was imprisoned at Buchenwald Concentration Camp, during WWII. Designing the Curta probably saved Mr. Herzstark's life and was the envy of all land surveyors until the introduction of electronic calculators in the 1970s.^[24]

Numerous electrical power development projects were undertaken for the B.C. Electric Co. (now BC Hydro). These included:

• The Wahleach Power Development: survey of the 3½ mile tunnel, damsite, penstock control and legal surveys.
• The Cheakamus Power Development: triangulation control for a seven mile tunnel, Bridge River (2) Power development—a four mile tunnel.
• The Clowhom Power Development.^[23]

Charles David (C.D.) Underhill, P.Eng., BCLS, obtains his commission as a BCLS and becomes a partner. C.D. is the son of Clare Underhill.^[10]

For the second time, Clare Underhill is elected as president of the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[25]

A.T.(Art) Holmes, P.Eng., BCLS, joins the partnership after national service and after obtaining a degree in Engineering Physics from UBC.^[25]

W.G. (Bill) Robinson, P.Eng., CLS, BCLS, obtains his commission as a BCLS.^[10]

K.K. Wong (articled to Clare Underhill) obtains his commission as a BCLS, becoming the first Land Surveyor in BC of Chinese-Canadian decent.^[26]

W.G. (Bill) Robinson, P.Eng., CLS, BCLS, becomes a partner in the firm.^[23]

From 1955 to 1959, the firm completed over 500 electrical utility related projects for BC Engineering Co. and BC Electric Co. These included major rights-of-way, easements, topographic mapping, tunnels, penstocks and dams throughout British Columbia. Other clients of note in the 50s include

• School District 44 (North Vancouver)
• School District 39 (Vancouver)
• Imperial Oil Ltd.
• CMHC - Vancouver Fraserview Subdivision
• Standard Oil Co. of BC, Shell Oil of Canada
• Burrard Inlet Tunnel & Bridge Co. Ltd. (2nd Narrows Bridge), Dominion Construction Co. Ltd.
• BC Packers Ltd.
• Canadian Pacific Railway
• CN Rail^[23]

K.K. (Ken) Wong, BCLS, sends a letter of introduction to his old master, Clare Underhill, introducing a very earnest young man who is J.W.(Jim) Sharpe. Jim enters articles with Bill Robinson.^[23]

C.D. Underhill is elected as president of the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10] Survey and mapping of the Harbour Headline of the North Fraser Port Authority (now Port Metro Vancouver) is completed.

T.L. (Terry) Jones obtains his commission as a BCLS.^[10]

J.M. (Jack) Parnell and Jim Sharpe obtain their commissions as BCLS's.^[10]

The 1960s marked the start of great technological change in the Surveying field and Underhill was there. Electronic distance measurement (EDM) instruments and computers forever changed how surveys would be done. Computations, once arduous, could be completed quickly and accurately. Massive distances could be measured in minutes instead of days and at unheard of precision. As an early adopter of the new technology, Underhill provided EDM services and computation services to dozens of Land Surveyors throughout BC and Alberta into the 1970s. Additionally, a number of lower mainland bridge crossings were surveyed with the new Geodimeter technology including Port Mann, New 2nd Narrows, Arthur Lang and Mission. Numerous BC Hydro transmission line surveys were also conducted. Major developments surveyed included Bentall One and Bentall Two at Bentall Centre and Granville Square – Project 200. See full descriptions of the images shown and more images from the 60's here.

A major project during the 60s was the survey of the Kaiser Coal Development from Fernie to Sparwood and through to Elkford. Legal surveys of all of the coal lands took twenty to thirty people two years to complete.

Former employees, J.M. Parnell and J.W. Sharpe, leave Underhill and form Sharpe & Parnell Land Surveyors.

Underhill purchases a Geodimeter Model 4 electronic distance measurement (EDM) instrument. The first in Western Canada, it weighs 35 lbs and runs off a car battery. It can measure a distance of up to three miles in ten minutes (plus additional calculation time).

Clare and Jim retire from the partnership they founded and are awarded Life Membership in the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10] They also become Life Members in the Association of Professional Engineers of BC.

Underhill & Underhill and Sharpe & Parnell merge to practice as Underhill & Underhill. Image shown: J.M. Parnell measuring distances with a Tellurometer MRA3 for a control survey in the Lower Mainland of BC. The MRA3 was a long range microwave instrument. Little Mountain, Vancouver.

Geodimeter introduces the Model 6 EDM.

A.T. Holmes is elected president of the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10]

Underhill Engineering Co. Ltd. is incorporated. The office moves to 597 Burrard St., Vancouver, in a building shared with Dominion Construction Co. Ltd.

Underhill purchases its first computer—a Control Data LGP-30. It is a vacuum tube monster with a mere 4096 word, magnetic drum memory. Today, this same computer is on display at MacDonald Dettwiler in Richmond. Decades before the advent of the Internet, field data were being entered and sent via Telex to Vancouver where paper tapes of the data would be fed from the Telex into the LGP-30 for processing. The results would be printed onto paper tape and Telexed back to the crews in the field. Underhill also provided computing services to numerous survey firms and local governments in BC and Alberta. Learn more about Underhill's computing services in the 1960s here.

Underhill Engineering Co. Ltd. becomes a partner in CANCON Engineering Services Ltd., a consortium of Western Canadian consulting engineering firms set up to execute overseas engineering assignments. T.L. Jones, BCLS (#376), becomes a partner.

T.E. Koepke, P.Eng., and D.T. Simmons obtain their commissions as BCLS.^[10]

The fuel crisis, inflation, and interest rates all contributed to the recession of the 70s. Canada converts to the metric system. Underhill surveyed many major developments:

• Pacific Centre Mall including the Four Seasons, Vancouver
• Three Bentall Centre, Vancouver
• Four Bentall Centre, Vancouver
• Granville Square, Vancouver
• Royal Centre, Vancouver
• Vancouver Centre
• Buildings at UBC
• False Creek Development of CPR Lands
• South Shore of False Creek
• Arbutus Village
• Crown Life Place
• 1200 Burrard, Vancouver
• Crestwood Business Park, Richmond
• Willowbrook Mall, Langley
• BC Telephone Building
• Brentwood Mall, Burnaby
• BCIT/Discovery Parks, Burnaby
• Lougheed Mall, Burnaby
• Mayfair Industrial Park, Coquitlam

This also included lease surveys of many of the above mentioned projects. Vancouver office moved to 1646 West 7th Avenue.

W.G. Robinson serves as the Secretary of the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10]

T.L. Jones retires from the partnership. T.E. Koepke and D.T. Simmons become partners in Underhill. Tim Koepke moves to Whitehorse, Y.T., to open a new office—he is told it is for two years!

W.G. Robinson is elected president of the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10]

Some of the photo control surveys done during this period included CP Rail through the Rogers Pass and BC Rail at Table River. Monitoring started at Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, North Vancouver. It continues to today. More photos from the 1970s can be found here.

F. (Bruce) Underhill enters articles to become a Land Surveyor with W.G. Robinson. Jim Sharpe tells him his wages will be different from what's in the appointment letter. T.D. Connolly starts working at Underhill.

Hewlett Packard (HP) produces the HP 35 scientific calculator.^[27] Image courtesy: HP Museum.

A.T. Holmes completes Underhill's first strata plan (VR 61). By 2011, Underhill has completed over 190 strata plans. (Pictured: J.M. Parnell, and programmer, at the Wang WCS/20. The Wang had 32Kb of memory, and dual 250Kb floppy drives (one for the software, and one for data). Survey/plotting software (TRIAX) was developed in-house. ca. 1975-1985. )

C.D. (Dave) Underhill consults on Underhill's first overseas project in Yemen for CANCON.

HP produces the HP 45 scientific calculator.^[27] New functions important to surveyors: polar–rectangular conversions, and sexagesimal–decimal conversions.

Air Space Plan 1 of the Capitol 6 Theatre bridge. It was the first Air Space Parcel in B.C. and surveyed by C.D. Underhill.

HP introduces the HP 65, the first programmable calculator.^[27]

Like the previous decade, numerous transmission line surveys were conducted for BC Hydro throughout BC – Mica Dam, Downey Dam Site, Revelstoke, and McGregor Reservoir Mapping. Work was completed at Peace River sites C and E, Kootenay River Diversion, Columbia River Revelstoke Project, McGregor River, Duncan River, Iskut, Liard, and Stikine and Skeena Rivers. (Pictured: D. LaPaturel on rim of Stikine Canyon, BC Hydro Stikine Investigation, 1978)

F.B. Underhill, DLS, (son of Clare Underhill) obtains his commission as a BCLS and joins the partnership.^[10]

The company opens a new office in Langley, BC. The office is managed by D.T. Simmons, BCLS.

T.D. Connolly obtains his BCLS.^[10] He does the photo control survey for the aerial mapping of the Table River and Sukunka Valleys. This a prelude to the development of the BC Rail Tumbler Ridge Brnch Line.

A.T. Holmes retires from the partnership. He is awarded Life Membership in the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC the following year (1978).^[10]

The Stikine/Iskut Development mapping for BC Hydro is commenced. Pictured is I. Royan in the Stikine area.

Ivan Royan, QLS, obtains his commission as a BCLS.^[10]

Underhill opens an office in Fort Nelson managed by Phil Asher and Dave LePatourel, BCLS.

S. Thorne designs the Underhill logo, still in use today. It has two U letters, for the founding brothers, and a plus-sign, for 'and' (as well as sighting cross-hairs).

W.G. Robinson, in association with H.C. Engler of W.D. Usher & Associates in Edmonton, survey a portion of the BC–Alberta border near the Crow's Nest Pass from 1979 to 1981.

The early to mid 1980s were tough times financially. With the recession of the late 70s still going on, the Company struggled to keep active. Revenue was dominated by government-funded mega projects

• North East Coal, Tumbler Ridge
• BC Place, Vancouver
• Expo'86, Vancouver
• The BC Government's TRIM Mapping Program

These projects kept Underhill and many other survey firms active during this period. By the middle of the decade, the economy was picking up. First Nations Land Claim surveys in the North West Territories finally got underway with the first contracts for the Inuvialuit Agreement coming out in 1985. Underhill won its first Inuvialuit contract in 1986. By the end of 1989, Underhill had completed seven contracts in the Paulatuk, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk Land Selections. BC Hydro projects included Stikine–Iskut River Development, Forrest Kerr Diversion, More Creek Dam Site, Homathko River Development, Liard River Development, and the Wahleach Tunnel Revitalization. Major developments surveyed included the following: Discovery Parks at Simon Fraser University, Cambie Bridge, Oakridge Shopping Centre, Canada Place, Terminal City Club, BC Place, Four Bentall Centre, BC Pavilion at Expo'86, 800 Burrard St. CPR Front Yards Base Plans, Granville Island, Granville Mall, Buildings at UBC, North and South Shore of False Creek development, Bridgeport Harbour Market, BC Packers Celtic Island Development, Price Waterhouse Building, CP Station - 601 W. Cordova, Willowbrook Shopping Centre, Block 32 - Pacific Centre, Champlain Mall, Concord Pacific Developments work on BC Place Lands, Woodfibre Pulp Mill Refit, Abbotsford Airport, Cranbrook Airport, Dunsmuir Tunnel for ALRT, Port Mellon Pulp Mill, and 1000 Beach Ave. The 1980s were also a decade of great technological change. The IBM Personal Computer was introduced in 1981. Total station survey instruments and GPS positioning also revolutionized the industry. In 1986, Underhill had one PC, shared by everyone. Four years later, the offices were full of PC's including local area networks, laser printers and high speed plotters. AutoCAD was fast becoming a viable alternative to manual drafting.

J.W. Sharpe retires from the partnership.^[10]

The Fort Nelson office closes and T.L. Bidniak, CLS, joins the partnership. A new office opens its doors in Hay River, NWT. D.T. Simmons retires from the partnership. See full descriptions of the images shown here.

I.J. Royan manages surveying for the Tumbler Ridge Branch Line for the N.E. Coal Project Tumbler Ridge Branch Line. The project includes two of the longest railway tunnels in BC (Table and Wolverine) and is one of the last major mountain triangulation and trilateration control networks in BC for tunnels prior to the GPS era.

J.M. Parnell is elected president of the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10]

Major projects for BC Hydro are initiated including further sounding, topographic, and control work on the Stikine, Iskut and Liard River Developments; the Forrest Kerr Creek Diversion; the More Creek Dam Site; and the Homathko River Development (back to Mystery Mountain).

A.T. Holmes, retired partner, is awarded Life Membership in the Association of Professional Engineers of BC.

I.J. Royan becomes a partner. W.G. Robinson is awarded the Meritorious Service Award by the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10] C.D. Underhill becomes a retiring partner for the next five years.

Surveys are completed of the CP Rail Dunsmuir Tunnel for Dominion Construction as part of the Advanced Light Rapid Transit project (ALRT)—now the Expo Line—as well as the Canada (Canada Place), B.C., Ontario, and Japan Pavilions.

Expo '86 is held in Vancouver. Pictured: Morgan Stewart surveying during the construction of World Expo'86 in Vancouver.

T.E. Keopke retires from the partnership and management of the Whitehorse office to join the Federal Government's Land Claim negotiation team. He figures that if negotiations go quickly, he could be back with Underhill in a couple of years. (Note: in 2011 they are still negotiating claims!) F.B. Underhill takes over management of the Whitehorse office.

I.J. Royan manages first major GPS photo control survey completed in BC along Kootenay and Slocan Lakes for the Ministry of the Environment.

The Vancouver office moves to 207 - 1682 West 7th Ave.

Underhill, along with 11 other BC legal survey firms, forms a consortium called Geodetic Pacific Surveys Ltd (GPS Ltd.). GPS Ltd. is successful at obtaining several contracts for TRIM GPS mapping control and cadastral ties with the BC Provincial Government from 1987 to 1991.

C.D. Underhill is awarded Life Membership in the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC. C.S. Cryderman obtains his BCLS.^[10] More photos from the 1980s here.

G.C. Friesen obtains his BCLS.^[10] He is awarded the Gold Medal. He is a nephew of J.W. Sharpe, BCLS. G.C.

G.C. Friesen and C.S. Cryderman become partners in Underhill.

Underhill Geographic Systems Ltd. is incorporated. In addition to the existing Underhill & Underhill partners, UGLS brings in two new directors:

• S.B. Mah, B.A.Sc (Eng.) (senior programmer with U&U since 1984)
• B.K.R. Clifford, CLS.

UGLS (working with GeoTechnology International of Medina, Ohio, and Kilborn Engineering of Vancouver) wins a multimillion dollar electrical distribution data conversion contract with BC Hydro (for their GIS)

Underhill dominated the First Nations Land Claims surveys north of 60. Approximately 40% of all contracts let on these surveys by Natural Resources Canada were won by Underhill. Inuvialuit surveys carried on from the 80s. Additionally, the Gwich'in, Sahtu, Nunavut, and Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) claims surveys were started. A total of 54 major contracts were completed in the 90s in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. The 90s also saw the company expand into GIS (utility and cadastral mapping) as well as international geomatics consulting services through IGS and UGL. International projects were undertaken in Chile, T'Chad, Spain, USA, Thailand, Turkey, Yemen, Sudan, Puerto Rico, and Barbados. These projects involved either GPS or GIS consulting.

• Pacific Place for Concord Pacific Developments, Vancouver
• St. Georges School, Vancouver
• YWCA and Bentall Tower V, Vancouver
• CP Rail – BC Transit Commuter Rail Project, Vancouver to Mission
• Hudson's Bay Mining & Smelting: Mine Survey Audit
• BC Packers Development, Steveston
• Infinity on Robson, Vancouver
• Developments on Alberni, Vancouver
• First Proposed New Convention Centre, Vancouver
• Champlain Mall Subdivision, Vancouver
• Abbottsford Airport.

The biggest technological change in the 90s was the introduction of the Internet. More photos from the 1990's can be found here.

G.C. Friesen moves to Whitehorse to co-manage the office with F.B. Underhill. UGSL establishes a new office in Vernon, BC, and two new directors join the company, D.L. Simpson and R.C. Power. At its peak, 50 staff are involved in the Hydro mapping. The entire electrical distribution network for Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of BC, comprising 1.5 million facilities (poles, conductors, transformers, switches, etc.) and 5,500 map sheets, is digitally mapped in two years.

C.D. Underhill, retired partner, is awarded Life Membership in the Association of Professional Engineers of BC. J.W. Sharpe (former partner in Underhill & Underhill) is elected president of the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10] Precise monitoring surveys are completed on the Lions Gate Bridge for Buckland and Taylor. Descriptions from the above photos can be found here.

International Geomatics Services Corporation (IGS) is formed by British Columbia Trade Development Corp., Digital Mapping Group Ltd. (DMG Ltd.) and GPS Ltd. IGS is established to internationally market the expertise (in surveying, digital mapping and land information services) of its members, developed during the TRIM Mapping program.

UGSL wins the electrical data conversion project for Florida Power & Light of Dade County (Miami), Florida. The area comprises 1,000 square miles, 459 maps, 800,000 customers and 490,000 parcels. Hurricane Andrew hits Dade, delaying field work and pushes the project into 1993.

Underhill Geographic Systems Ltd. projects continue with work on the BC Hydro GFIS project and further GIS work in Golden, Revelstoke, Lillooet, and Cache Creek, BC. The first application of three dimensional laser scanning is completed while monitoring structures during the excavation for Bentall Tower IV.

W.G. Robinson retires from the partnership and is awarded Life Membership in the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10]

Underhill Geographic Systems Ltd. is wound down. Underhill starts the production of digital descriptive map plans for the Nunavut Land Claim Settlement.

Underhill works on its first international survey assignment since the 1960s on IGS's mapping contract for Novacorp International Inc. Underhill provides part of the GPS control for mapping for a gas pipeline from Mendoza, Argentina, to Santiago, Chile. That same year, Underhill supplies GPS expertise for MWH Geo-Surveys Ltd. on a gravity survey in T'Chad, Africa, for ESSO.

K.K. Wong (who articled under Clare Underhill) is awarded Life Membership in the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10] He is also the first Land Surveyor in BC of Chinese-Canadian decent.

J.M. Parnell retires from the partnership. J.M. Parnell is awarded Life Membership in the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC the following year.^[10]

Underhill provides GPS consulting services on IGS's Cadastral Reform project in Bursa, Turkey.

F.B. Underhill works on Tulsequah Chief mineral claims in Northern BC for Redfern Resources Ltd. In doing so, he retraces the surveys done by his father, F.C. Underhill, in the 1920s.

In 1998 Underhill was contracted by BC Hydro to provide a field computer system to reconcile their GFIS GIS and customer services databases, prior to migration to a new enterprise GIS (EGIS) in SmallWorld. The field work was necessary to support the implementation of an outage management system. The system was based on Underhill's electrical GIS core technology Distribution Circuit Builder— and called Copan FM–Electric. It ran on Fujitsu pen computers, and integrated L1 12-channel OEM GPS sensors. The system provided

• data import/export via IBM IFF and DB2,
• compatibility with BCH 's overhead–underground service to transformer model,
• full connectivity and attribution tools,
• full data editing capabilities),
• database reconciliation,
• display of BCH GIS data to BCH graphic standards,
• note taking capabilities, and
• GPS positioning and map location functions.

Underhill also provided full training and documentation. Read our paper Field Inventory Approach to Data Conversion presented at CIRED'02.

Underhill Engineering Ltd. is renamed Underhill Geomatics Ltd. to better reflect the area of practice.

Underhill Geomatics, Inc. opens in Reno, Nevada. It conducts residential and commercial engineering survey work for clients such as RBF Consulting in Phoenix, Arizona.

This decade was dominated by infrastructure development projects and then by build-up projects for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics:

• RAV Rapid Transit (now Canada Line): control, construction, legal
• P&O Ports (DP World) Centerm: construction, leases, topographic
• Westshore Terminals: machinery alignment, precise as-built
• Fraser Surrey Docks: topographic, soundings, leases
• GVRD Seymour Capilano Twin Tunnels: control and scanning
• Ashlu Creek Run of River Penstock Tunnel: control
• Terzaghi Dam, BC Hydro: control and hydrographic
• Pitt River Dam: control and hydrographic
• Williston Lake: control and hydrographic
• Wareham Dam, Mayo, Yukon Energy: sounding and laser scanning
• King Edward Village: air space & strata
• The Vancouver Olympic Village (now Village on False Creek): topography, consulting, construction and legal
• Chevron Refinery, Burnaby
• Canada Place Pier Extension
• Champlain Mall, Vancouver
• School District 44, topographic, construction, scanning and legal
• Bentall Tower V, Vancouver
• UBC TEF 3, Vancouver
• GVRD HPN 1st-order vertical control network
• Scotch Fir Point Estates, Powell River
• Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver

Again, Land Claims dominated the work north of 60. The volume of contracts completed in this decade was equal to the previous decade (54). Claims worked on included:

• CYFN
• Tlicho
• Nunavut
• Sahtu
• MARR Land Claims start up in BC.

Engineering (construction) survey work continued in Phoenix, AZ. With higher prices and world demand for minerals on the rise, mining took off in BC and the Yukon. Major engineering survey work was undertaken in the Yukon on mine infrastructure (access roads, mine sites, etc.). Tunnel control surveys were completed at the Ekati Diamond Mine in the NWT for BHP Billton Diamonds Inc. and for Hudson's Bay Mining & Smelting Co. in Manitoba. Underhill expanded services to provide three dimensional laser scanning. This technology allows for the collection of millions of 3D positions, in seconds, to millimetre accuracy and revolutionized topographic, architectural, structural, mechanical, and as-built surveying. Projects included:

• Chevron Canada Oil Refinery
• Wareham Hydro Electric Dam, Yukon
• Tunnels: Seymour–Capilano Twin Water Tunnels, North Vancouver and Dunsmuir Tunnel, Vancouver
• Heritage schools seismic upgrade, North Vancouver and Vancouver.

International Geomatics consulting tapered off. Two GPS–gravity surveys were conducted in Eritrea and Anchorage, Alaska; two GPS photo control projects were done in California and Wyoming; and a GPS mine control survey for Strata Gold in Guyana was performed.

W.G. Robinson, retired partner, is awarded Life Membership in the Association of Professional Engineers of BC.

J.W. Sharpe (a former partner in Underhill & Underhill) is awarded Life Membership in the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC.^[10]

Underhill offices move to 210A - 3430 Brighton Ave., Burnaby, BC. More pictures from this decade can be viewed here.

On May 1st, 2002 Underhill aquires the firm of Bartell & Fiedrich Land Surveying Inc. I.J. Royan moves to Kamloops to manage the operation. The business operates as Bartell, Fiedrich & Underhill for some time. The firm has its origins in McWilliam, Whyte & Goble, first established by Al McWilliam on May 1st, 1952. The Underhill aquisition occurs 50 years to the day from when Al McWilliam started the business.

R.A. Lee becomes a partner. He is in charge of managing engineering survey operations for Whitehorse, YT, and UGI in Phoenix, AZ.

C.J. deHaan obtains his BCLS.^[10] C.J. deHaan becomes a partner and moves to Kamloops to co-manage that office with I.J. Royan.

Underhill Whitehorse is involved in preparations for the Canada Winter Games. Whitehorse hosts The Canada Winter Games in 2007. This the first time that the Canada Games are hosted in one of Canada's territories. Image courtesy of canadagames.ca

F.B. Underhill does the first survey under the BC Mineral Tenure Act of Geographic Cell Claims.

Underhill worked with MWH Geo-Surveys, Inc. to develop the G-Control Software. While the majority of the work has been providing GPS consulting support for their precise gravity surveys, software development work has been done for field data collection and processing of gravity data. G-Control is a Windows Mobile software package developed for MWH Geo-Surveys, Inc. for intelligent logging of gravity meter data. The software communicates with the meter via Bluetooth and is used to monitor and record the gravity meter data. It integrates GPS positional data to generate tidal corrections and gravity data is displayed graphically in real time. The data stream is saved to the handheld field computer for downloading in the office. The data records may also be viewed and edited in G-Control. Go to MWH GeoSurveys, Inc.

Underhill begins offering free land surveying software on its website. By 2008, the user-base of Copan, Underhill's free COGO tool, reaches 1000 in over 100 countries.

F.B. Underhill retires from the partnership.

C.R. El-Araj obtains his BCLS.^[10]

UGI's operations in Phoenix shut down owing to the financial crisis in the US of 2008–2010.

R.A. Lee retires from the partnership.

Land Claims surveys north of 60 have wound down. By spring 2011, Underhill have completed seven CYFN and three Tlicho contracts. More images from this decade can be viewed here.

Morgan Stewart & Company closes its doors. Morgan R. Stewart, BCLS, merges his survey practice with Underhill. Underhill acquires the records of Morgan Stewart & Company.

Science World was originally constructed for Vancouver's World Expo '86. The structure underwent major renovations in 2011 including seismic upgrades. Underhill performed a detailed as-built survey of the underside of the Science World facility. All surveyed features were then transferred topside and used to determine the precise location of the coring holes. The challenge was to locate a myriad of complex features in a short time frame. The construction schedule was brief, and the area was completely flooded throughout most of the day due to the tides. The space could only be accessed in four hour blocks before and after low tide. At the time of the survey, the low tides were occurring at approximately 11PM. Three dimensional laser scanning was determined to be the most cost-effective, efficient and comprehensive method to survey the underside of the facility. A precise survey control network was established, followed by nineteen laser scans, each containing 40 million data points, with the final "point cloud" containing over 720 million points. It was estimated, at the time, that seven to ten nights of conventional total station surveying would have been required to capture the features. Underhill completed the laser scanning in just two nights. The control survey was adjusted using least-squares and the scan data registered to it. As-built features of concern were extracted from the "point cloud" and precisely surveyed on the top of the deck to insure that coring would not interfere with what was below.

C.R. El-Araj becomes a partner.

T.E. Koepke (a former partner in Underhill & Underhill) is awarded Life Membership in the Corporation of Land Surveyors of BC^[10].

Gabe Aucoin, CLS, merges his operations with Underhill in Whitehorse.

There are now 10,000 users of Copan, Underhill's free COGO tool, in nearly 200 countries.

Underhill & Underhill is in its 100th year of business. The milestone is celebrated in 2013

Sandy Cooke becomes a partner

Chris Cryderman appointed as president of the Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors on March 2019 for a one year term.

Ryan Schuler and Jon Cormier became partners of Underhill on Feb 1, 2020.

Underhill's Whitehorse office celebrates 50 years in the Yukon in March 2020.

Our Comox office was opened on  – September 21, 2020 under the direction of Evan Wind, BCLS