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Management of Survey Control Operations and Tasks (MASCOT)

Last updated on June 27, 2024

This page provides information about B.C.'s MASCOT system. The system allows users to access, search, and transform geodetic control data for accurate geographic positioning in British Columbia.

Launch MASCOT Map Viewer

On this page

About the MASCOT system

The Management of Survey Control Operations & Tasks (MASCOT) system consists of a network of over 50,000 survey control monuments in the valleys and mountains of British Columbia. This network was established from mapping and control surveys conducted over the last century.

History

In the 1960s, through a partnership between the B.C. provincial government and local governments, the physical control system was extended to developing areas. MASCOT is a database of the provincial control survey's physical system. It provides:

  • Published coordinates
  • Elevations
  • Related data for public access and use

At the national level, Natural Resources Canada maintains the Canadian Spatial Reference System, Canadian Active Control System and other geodetic tools.

Get access

Access the Management of Survey Control Operations & Tasks. A MASCOT account is required.

Launch MASCOT Map Viewer

How to use the MASCOT system

Search methods

You can search for a geodetic control monument to get its final coordinates using three different methods:

Text queries

Spatial queries

KML layer for viewing in Google Earth

Sketch cards

Sketch cards, also known as marker location diagrams, provide detailed drawings of the survey markers' locations. These cards help users visually identify and locate geodetic control monuments.

Sketch cards are available as downloadable GIF files via the MASCOT queries.

Transform coordinates

Datums are reference systems that define a geodetic network. Two different datums are used in North America:

  • North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27)
  • North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)

The National Transformation Version 2 (NTv2) software and data package provides a national standard for transforming coordinates between NAD27 and NAD83.

NTv2 software is provided by Natural Resources Canada. There is no cost to use NTv2.

Technical details

Update cycle

A daily update occurs when any attribute of a Geodetic Control Marker (GCM) is changed. This attribute may be:

  • Horizontal coordinates
  • Elevation
  • Marker location description, or
  • Marker condition

Any change to a GCM is reflected in all textual and graphical data access the day after the change. The daily update ensures that data is always up-to-date.

Survey utilities

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Computation on the ellipsoid

 

Mapping plane computations

 

Transformations with grid and geographic coordinates

 

Observation reductions to/from the ellipsoid

 

Convert coordinates from NAD27/NAD83 to versions of NAD83

Sample files and download formats

Contact

The MASCOT system and geodetic data are managed by GeoBC.

General enquiries: GeoBCinfo@gov.bc.ca 

Deliveries Courier
3rd Floor, 3400 Davidson Ave
Victoria, BC V8Z 3P8

Mailing Address
PO BOX 9375 STN PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC V8W 9M5