Across Canada, billions are being invested in infrastructure renewal and development — but serious challenges remain underground. Inconsistent utility data, outdated standards, and fragmented responsibilities continue to put workers, projects, and the public at risk. The need for safer, smarter, and more coordinated subsurface practices has never been greater.

That’s the focus of AEC Geomatics: Chaos to Clarity, a dedicated program at GoGeomatics Expo 2025, Canada’s premier national event for the geospatial, location technology, and geomatics community, and scheduled to take place November 4-6, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta.

Chaired by Steve Slusarenko, Director of the Subsurface Utility Map Data Exchange (SUMDEx), and Peter Srajer, Chief Scientist at ProStar Geocorp, the program brings together industry leaders and practitioners to address how Canada can improve its approach to utility data, infrastructure standards, and digital transformation — starting from the ground up.

Rethinking the Chaos

Underground utility data in Canada remains a major point of vulnerability. It is often:

Fragmented and poorly maintained
Managed through incompatible or outdated systems
Siloed between jurisdictions, agencies, and private contractors

The consequences are significant. Utility strikes can lead to serious injuries, fatalities, and millions of dollars in delays or damages. Despite advancements in mapping and sensing technologies, Canada still lacks the national alignment and leadership required to reduce this risk at scale.

As noted in a recent GoGeomatics article on the risks posed by aging underground infrastructure, Canada is grappling with an outdated network of buried assets — pipelines, cables, and conduits — that are increasingly prone to failure. From stormwater flooding in urban cores to catastrophic utility strikes on major projects, the downstream consequences of poor data and insufficient planning are no longer theoretical.

The Chaos to Clarity program aims to create a new foundation — one that emphasizes safety, accountability, and actionable standards across the industry.

Unlocking the Value of SUE Work

One of the session’s core themes is the untapped potential of SUE (Subsurface Utility Engineering) data. This data, gathered during construction or design projects, often goes underutilized or disappears entirely once a project ends.

The program encourages a shift in how this information is treated. Rather than being discarded or seen as project-specific, SUE data should be recognized as a valuable long-term asset — essential for:

Enhancing future project planning
Supporting more accurate asset records
Reducing duplication and cost overruns
Improving public safety and environmental resilience

Greater data stewardship and consistent handoff practices can dramatically improve how municipalities and utility owners manage underground assets.

Bridging the Digital Transformation Gap

While terms like AI, BIM, and GIS have become common in the infrastructure sector, adoption across Canadian engineering firms remains limited. Many organizations are hesitant to scale digital tools, often due to uncertainty, fragmented leadership, or lack of demonstrable value.

The Chaos to Clarity program will feature a keynote focused on practical applications of AI and machine learning in infrastructure, followed by a panel of senior executives discussing:

What’s preventing wider digital transformation
How safety and risk mitigation can be compelling drivers for innovation
What leadership is required to move from concept to implementation

The session will offer strategies for aligning technology with organizational goals—not as abstract innovation, but as a means of improving outcomes on real-world projects.

Infrastructure and Public Safety

With Canada’s commitment to allocate 5% of its GDP to defense and infrastructure, including 1.5% to infrastructure specifically, there’s a renewed urgency to modernize how critical assets are planned and maintained.

This program will explore how Canada’s geospatial and engineering communities can contribute to more resilient infrastructure by focusing on:

Underground safety and liability reduction
Integration of proven digital tools for asset mapping
More consistent, nationwide utility data protocols

Speakers will highlight international case studies—such as the Colorado Department of Transportation’s approach to subsurface mapping—and explore how major Canadian construction, infrastructure, and utility companies can take a leading role.

Clarity Through Collaboration

Beyond safety and technology, this program also addresses a deeper structural issue: how Canada recognizes and supports its geospatial and utility workforce.

As explored in a previous GoGeomatics Magazine article, “Canada’s Blind Spot: The Government Can’t See Its Own Geospatial Sector”, outdated federal classifications have left key roles in geomatics and engineering underrepresented—or invisible—within national frameworks like the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system.

To tackle this, a special nomenclature initiative will be launched as part of the Chaos to Clarity program. It will include:

A national survey to gather input from across the geospatial, engineering, and utility sectors
A live panel and audience debate at the Expo
Proposed recommendations for how the NOC can better reflect the skills, roles, and realities of today’s workforce

Rather than seeking consensus for its own sake, this activity aims to surface difficult but necessary conversations — and invite diverse voices to help shape a modern, accurate classification system that reflects the contributions of this evolving sector.

Get Involved: Speak, Sponsor, or Lead the Conversation

Are you working at the intersection of geomatics, engineering, or underground infrastructure?
We’re actively looking for:

Speakers to share practical insights, real-world use cases, and lessons learned
Panelists with perspectives on digital transformation, safety, and policy gaps
Workshop leaders to offer hands-on guidance around tools, standards, or workflows
Sponsors who want to align their brand with advancing infrastructure resilience and public safety

Whether you’re from industry, government, academia, or a utility, this is your chance to contribute to a national dialogue—and help shape the future of subsurface data, safety, and standards in Canada.

To propose a session or learn about sponsorship opportunities, contact: Jonathan Murphy at [email protected]>

About the Expo

GoGeomatics Expo 2025 takes place November 4–6, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta, and is Canada’s premier national event for the geospatial, location technology, and geomatics community. Organized by GoGeomatics Canada, the Expo brings together professionals from government, industry, and academia to explore innovations in infrastructure, remote sensing, AI, BIM, digital twins, and more. With workshops, panels, keynotes, and co-hosted programs, it’s a platform for knowledge-sharing, networking, and national collaboration.

Details: https://gogeomaticsexpo.com/