Notice to Canada Land Surveyors - Notice 2010-1

Amendments to the General Instructions for the Survey of Canada Lands, e-Edition

I am pleased to inform you of two updates to the General Instructions for the Surveys of Canada Lands.

• Amendments to Chapter B1-2 and Chapter D5 affecting Registration Plans on Reserve Lands;
• Publication of an agreement with the Yukon Land Titles Office, said agreement providing instructions and guidelines for the production of "Compiled Plans of Consolidation" in the Yukon (Appendix E6);

The amendments to Chapter D5 become effective March 1st, 2010.

Registration plans on Reserve Lands

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (INAC) have revised their interdepartmental agreement respecting Land Transactions on Reserve Lands.

The Agreement contains Specifications and standards of land descriptions for reserve Lands to be registered in the Indian Lands Registry ("ILR"), First Nations Land Registry ("FNLR") and Self-Government First Nations Land Registry ("SGFNLR"). The following changes highlight the key differences with regard to the previous agreement:

• a survey is required when any new lots created have an area of less than 0.2 of a hectare (0.5 of an acre) (chapter D5, section 18);
• the agreement clarifies that an official survey confirmed under section 29 of the Canada Lands Surveys Act may be used for internal allotments if circumstances warrant it (chapter B1-2, schedule A, section 2.4);
• Chart "A" was expanded to allow the use of a "Registration Plan with survey" to deal with exclusions under section 7 of the First Nations Land Management Act. (chapter B1-2, schedule A, chart A);
• The specimen plans were updated accordingly;

The Agreement and Chapter D5 - Registration Plans are available at:

http://satc.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/clss/standards-normes/chaps?chap=b1-2&v=4

http://satc.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/clss/standards-normes/chaps?chap=d5&v=5

Compiled Plans of Consolidation (Yukon)

SGB and the Yukon Land Title Office entered into an agreement in March 2007 regarding the development of instructions and guidelines for the production of "Compiled Plans of Consolidation" in the Yukon. These instructions and guidelines have been put in practice but were only distributed to the Yukon Regional Group. Their publication in the General Instructions provides wider access to the requirements.

Appendix E6 - Compiled Plans of Consolidation is available at:

http://satc.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/clss/standards-normes/chaps?chap=e6&v=1

Copy - Original signed

Peter Sullivan
Surveyor General
Surveyor General Branch
Natural Resources Canada
Edmonton, Alberta

February 10, 2010