Project Snapshot
| Category | Details |
| Client | Government of Canada / Inuvialuit First Nation |
| Project Name | Inuvialuit Final Agreement Boundary Survey |
| Location | Western Arctic, Northwest Territories |
| Date | 1985–1994 |
Project Overview
Introduction
Underhill completed 18 surveys between 1985 and 1994 for the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA)—Canada’s first modern land claim treaty. The work marked a milestone in surveying: it was the first use of GPS positioning for a land claim control survey in Canada.
Project Background
Signed in 1984, the IFA was a landmark agreement between the Inuvialuit, the Government of Canada, and the Government of the Northwest Territories. It granted the Inuvialuit:
- 91,000 km² of titled land
- Joint management of land, wildlife, and water regulation
- Exclusive wildlife harvesting rights
- $162 million in financial compensation
- Royalties from oil, gas, and mineral development on Crown Lands
Survey Scope & Innovation
This survey effort was the largest land survey project since the prairie township surveys of the early 20th century. Underhill:
- Surveyed over 2,000 km of boundaries defined by meridians and latitude chords
- Monumented lines at 1 km spacing or less
- Used conventional traversing for early work, transitioning to GPS control by 1992
- Located natural features intersecting the claim boundary
- Managed both community- and camp-based field operations
Sunrise Helicopters of Inuvik provided air and logistical support. Underhill also compiled two-thirds of the Final Atlas Plans, producing a comprehensive visual record of the surveys.
Project Impact
- Pioneered GPS use in large-scale legal surveying
- Supported the first modern treaty under Canada’s land claim framework
- Contributed to long-term land ownership and environmental stewardship
- Delivered technically sound, legally recognized survey plans used in formal land titling
