Permit Connect B.C. - Connectivity

Application:

Archaeology Permit Tracking System online portal (APTS)

Legislation:

Heritage Conservation Act (HCA)

Authorization types:

• Section 12.2 (HCA) Inspection Permit
• Section 12.2 (HCA) Investigation Permit
• Section 12.4 (HCA) Alteration Permit

Engaging a professional:

Section 12.2 permits are held by qualified consulting archaeologists. Section 12.4 permits are held by project proponents, with qualified consulting archaeologists acting as a co-permit holder. A qualified consulting archaeologist can be found through the BC Association of Professional Archaeologists, or by searching for a firm/individual online.

Important information:

All archaeological sites within provincial jurisdiction, whether known or unknown, are protected under the Heritage Conservation Act (HCA) and may not be impacted in any manner without an HCA permit. More information and permit guidance can be found on the provincial Archaeology permits page

Archaeological information about specific sites/routes can be requested using the BC Archaeological Information Request Form. This tool also allows for GIS files to be uploaded for review 

Please reach out to Archaeology@gov.bc.ca with any questions regarding the HCA and Archaeological permitting.

Applicable activities:

• Evaluating the archaeological presence or potential of a specified project area
• Ground disturbing activities occurring within archaeological sites
• Conducting research or other activities related to the discovery, documentation, and/or evaluation of archaeological material
• Removal of residual archaeological deposits once the inspection and/or investigation are complete

Application:

Apply for Crown land authorization

Legislation:

• Land Act

Permit types:

• Licence of Occupation
• Temporary Licence
• Lease
• Statutory Right of Way

Engaging a professional:

• Qualified environmental professionals are recommended to provide guidance on the specific impacts or overlapping values that relate to the project. Involving professionals early on (pre-application) can be beneficial
• Engineers may be needed where potential geotechnical concerns exist (See: Engineers and Geoscientists BC)
• If your application has a medium-to-high risk of impacting an archaeological site, you will need to engage an eligible consulting archaeologist. A registered professional consulting archaeologist can be found through the BC Association of Professional Archaeologists

Important information:

• B.C. operates within a framework of strategic and operational policies and procedures that govern the disposition, administration and management of Crown land
• Regarding connectivity projects, policies guide the use of Crown land for the following purposes which may be applicable to your project:
  • Utilities (PDF, 210KB)
  • Roadways (PDF, 238KB)
  • Communication Sites (PDF, 216KB)
• It is recommended that you review and understand the applicable policies when preparing to apply
• A statutory right of way is the standard tenure for all linear utility uses, including electrical transmission and communications lines
• Please see the Crown Lands Fees Regulation for the application fees for Lands authorizations
  • Please note that for linear utility applications 25km or longer, the application fee is $50 for each hour of staff time, which will typically be drawn from an initial deposit. However, additional charges may apply if the deposit does not cover the required staff time

Applicable activities:

• Building infrastructure on Crown land
• Using Crown land for construction laydown or access purposes during infrastructure construction

Application:

• Special Use Permit (SUP) Application Form (PDF, 406KB)
• SUP Plan Companion Guide (DOCX, 74KB)
• Private Timber Marks
• Occupant Licence to Cut

Legislation:

• Forest Act
• Forest and Range Practices Act

Permit types:

• Occupant Licence to Cut
• Special Use Permit
• Timbermark

Engaging a professional:

•  A professional forester is required to prepare harvesting authorizations on Crown land in British Columbia
• A Registered Professional Forester (RPF) or other qualified professional may be needed to prepare the necessary documentation and conduct studies to support the permit application
• A professional may also be needed to ensure that the proposed activity complies with applicable regulations and laws, and to ensure that the proposed activity will not harm the environment, wildlife, or other resource values

Important information:

• Completing connectivity projects may require that Crown timber be harvested while installing communications infrastructure. Authority to cut and destroy Crown timber may be given through an Occupant Licence to Cut. Stumpage fees will apply. For further information on managing B.C. forests and the types of permits available, please review the timber tenures brochure
• The right to occupy Crown land in a provincial forest is authorized under a Special Use Permit (SUP). The SUP is a non-exclusive right to occupy Crown land for the purpose described in the permit. The SUP does not provide any rights to timber. The right to cut and remove timber is authorized by an Occupant Licence to Cut

Applicable activities:

• Cutting and removing timber on Crown land
• Establishing communication sites, drainage structures, et cetera, within a provincial forest site

Application:

Forest Road Use Permit

Legislation:

• Forest Act
• Forest and Range Practices Act

Permit types:

• Forest Road Use Permit
• FSR Works Permit
• Road Use Agreement with a Road Permit holder ​

Engaging a professional:

• A professional engineer may be needed to assess the suitability of the road for the intended use and to make recommendations for any necessary upgrades or maintenance to ensure safe and efficient use of the road
• A professional would also be responsible for designing infrastructure that is safe for the public and will not negatively impact the road or other existing infrastructure
• Any changes to these roads are likely to be completed through the existing road use permit holder and may require paying a maintenance fee​

Important information:

• Connectivity projects being installed along a public resource road or which require a resource road to access may require a Forest Road Use Permit
• Prior to working on forestry roads, consider familiarizing yourself with information on resource road permitting. If the road is designated a highway, further information can be found in the Highway Use Permits and Approvals Manual (PDF, 1.2MB).

Applicable activities:

• Creating or changing access off a provincial highway
• Cutting timber within the road’s right of way
• Completing projects along resource road right of way
• Using forestry roads for industrial purposes

Application:

New Park Use Permit Application

Legislation:

• Park Act
• Environment and Land Use Act
• Protected Areas of British Columbia Act
• Ecological Reserve Act

Permit types:

Park Use Permit

Engaging a professional:

At the direction of a BC Parks Area Supervisor. ​​

Important information:

 BC Parks has statutory authority to adjudicate permits in respect of all categories of land for which it has statutory responsibility: provincial parks, protected areas, conservancies, recreation areas and ecological reserves.

More information on what BC Parks considers during application review can be found in the BC Parks Impact Assessment Process.

BC Parks has limited jurisdiction to authorize industrial activities in certain types of protected lands. A legislative boundary adjustment may be requested in cases where protected lands cannot be avoided and the government of B.C. does not have the authority to issue a permit for the activity.

Early discussion with BC Parks staff can assist with identifying the feasibility of permit applications and whether the initiation of a boundary adjustment proposal (to be reviewed concurrently) may be advised to manage project risk, based on the specific lands and activities that may be covered in your application.

Contact the BC Parks Regional Offices to identify the BC Parks Regional Planning Section Heads for individual parks: BC Parks Regional Office Contact List.

For projects requiring a boundary adjustment, the application package should include the following:

• Land Status Report outlining any existing conflicts within the proposed area
• A PDF map showing the parks and proposed areas to be used
• A shapefile of the proposed area
• A project proposal including:
  • A brief description of the boundary adjustment proposal, the location of the areas to be removed, the approximate size of the parcels, etc.
  • Rationale for the need to remove the areas from the parks and for the proposed footprint/width/size of the areas proposed
  • Assessment of alternatives that would avoid the use of the parks and the reasons those alternatives are not considered feasible
  • A description of the economic, social, cultural, recreational, and environmental impacts and benefits of the project. For consideration as a Category 2 boundary adjustment project (alleviates a health and safety concern), clearly outline the health and safety concerns and the improvements from this project
  • Project timing, scheduling constraints, and implications of delays to park boundary adjustment

Applicable activities:

Proposed land use or occupation within protected lands or waters managed by BC Parks.

Application:

Highway use permits

Permitting agency:

For inquiries related to roads/highways and connectivity permitting, please contact dshousing@gov.bc.ca

Legislation:

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Transportation Act

Permit types:

• Highway Access Permit
• Highway Works Permit

Engaging a professional:

A professional engineer should be retained for works involving:

• Creating or revising design drawings and documents

• Design of highway construction and/or remediation of highways which have been disturbed by the installation

• Works occurring within travelled lanes of a highway must be accompanied by traffic plans designed by a professional traffic engineer

• Trenching, installing poles, or other works that may impact the movement of surface or groundwater which could potentially destabilize the highway infrastructure

• Applications for significant projects are expected to include design/installation plans created by a professional engineer

•Projects lacking appropriate levels of design plans will not be reviewed (i.e., automatic rejection)

• Local district staff can be made available in advance of submissions to discuss what requirements are likely necessary

Important information:

Please review the Underground Communication Lines Application Checklist (PDF, 74KB).

Important information is included on Highway use permits.

It is also recommended that you review the Highway Use Permits and Approvals Manual (PDF, 1.2MB).

Review the Telecommunications services master agreement page.

The Utility Policy Manual (PDF, 3.9MB) includes further important information and applicants must review the entire guide.

Works which do not conform with the standards set out in the manual require a variance, which are assessed on a case-by-case basis, dependent on site characteristics and ROW availability. The ability to safeguard, operate and maintain government assets is paramount. As such, variance approval is not guaranteed. Additional time considerations should be factored into the application process where variances are requested and should be avoided where possible.

Please note that every application has different considerations and a design that was approved in one area may have different considerations in another.

 Any proposed underground works outside of the road prism will benefit greatly in saving time, money and effort over proposals within the road prism. The road prism is generally defined as the portion of roadway from the centerline of one ditch to the other (on the opposite side of the road). In the absence of ditches, a setback of 2m from road shoulder will be considered centerline of the ditch.

If trenching is proposed, the applicant may need to perform a test section(s) to prove that the method of installation is appropriate.

Please note that a Highway Works or Highway Access Permit may not give expressed approval to close or alter travelled lanes of a highway. Separate lane closure approval processes are necessary in these cases and it is expected that project teams will discuss individual lane closure and traffic plans with local staff.

Information specific to lane closure is covered on the Traffic management for works on roadways page.

Depending on the size and/or complexity of a given project it may be expected that all proposed installations are appropriately flagged or surveyed for field review.

An Irreversible Letter of Credit (ILOC) may be required for works within B.C. government right-of-way to ensure long term infrastructure integrity and/or a quality control/quality assurance plan to be included as part of the contractor’s submission.

 Additional considerations that should be considered before applying include:

• Quality control/assurance measures to ensure compliance with the Utility Policy Manual Requirements
• Processes for field testing/ground truthing projects to determine the feasibility of the proposal
• Processes to plan or arrange for certified traffic management and work notification 
• How and when the installation methodology is determined by the applicant and/or its subcontractors
• Plans to address unforeseen emergencies and/or unexpected job costs (for example, contingency funding)
• Processes to hold subcontractors accountable for meeting the terms and conditions of approval
• Sound and reasonable rationale to support the proposed route and proposed method of installation

 For additional guidance on design for buried fibre optics, please see the Buried Fibre Optics Guidelines (PDF, 830KB). ​

Applicable activities:

• Construct, maintain, or repair a driveway or other access point to a public road
• Construction of telecommunications facilities (both wireline and wireless), supporting structures and/or infrastructure, and/or vegetation removal on or over the highway right-of-way
• Installation of anything on a transportation or transit structure, such as a bridge, or large culvert

Application:

• Change Approval For Work In And About A Stream - Authorization Guidance
• Water Licence - New - Authorization Guidance
• Water Use - Short Term
• Notification of Authorized Changes In and About a Stream

Legislation:

• Water Sustainability Act (WSA)
• Water Sustainability Regulation

Permit types:

• Water Licence
• Change Approval for Works In and About a Stream
• Authorized Change/Notification
• Short Term Water Use Approval

Engaging a professional:

• If the proposed work occurs in a stream or riparian area, or alters the stream in any way, a qualified professional should be engaged
• A professional should be consulted if the proposed use may have a significant impact on the environment or other water users. The qualified professional may be required to prepare the necessary documentation and conduct the necessary studies to support the permit application. Additionally, a professional may be needed to ensure that the proposed use complies with all relevant regulations and laws

Important information:

• Further information on provincial water Licences and Approvals can be found on the Water licenses and approvals page
• For works in and about a stream, there is a list of “Authorized Changes” in s.39 of the Water Sustainability Regulation which can be carried out through a streamlined “Notification” process. More information on this process can be found on the Apply for a change approval or submit notification of instream work
  page. A Change Approval is required for all other works within a stream
• “Stream” is defined very broadly in the WSA and includes rivers, lakes, swamps, ephemeral channels, and springs, among other forms of surface water and wetlands

Please remember to consider Regional terms and conditions and timing windows when planning your work.

Applicable activities:

• Works which will modify or alter (for example, digging, diverting) a stream
• Works in a stream
• Diverting or pumping water for use on the project, including both surface and groundwater

Application:

Fish and Wildlife Application

Legislation:

Wildlife Act ​

Authorization types:

• Wildlife General Permit
• Special Motor Vehicle Access
• Fish/Bird Nesting Window
• Nest Removal Authorization

Engaging a professional:

You may need to hire a Registered Professional Biologist (RPBio) if works overlap with a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) or Conservation Lands.

Important information:

• It is important to be familiar with and follow applicable Natural resource best management practices to help your project meet necessary legislation, regulations and policies
• Please remember to consider Regional terms and conditions and timing windows when planning your work
• Prior to works which may impact nesting birds, please review nesting windows on the Canadian government's nesting periods page
• Also, be aware that all vehicle access is prohibited in WMAs and Conservation Lands under the Public Access Prohibition Regulation of the Wildlife Act

Applicable activities:

• Conduct research or other activities related to the discovery, documentation and/or evaluation of heritage resources
• Conduct activities that may affect wildlife, their habitat, or their use
• Conduct activities in a sensitive wildlife habitat area where vehicle access is prohibited

Application:

Attaching to BC Hydro poles, towers and ducts

Note: Some customers may have their own dedicated application portal.

Permitting agency:

BC Hydro

Legislation:

Hydro and Power Authority Act

Permit types:

1. BC Hydro Specific Permit of Occupation (SPO)

• Distribution Pole Wireline and Box Attachment
• Distribution Mid Pole Wireless Attachment
• Distribution Pole Top Wireless Attachment
• Distribution Fibre in Duct Installations
• Transmission Pole Wireline Attachment
• Transmission Tower Wireless Antennae Attachment
• Microwave Tower Attachment

2.  BC Hydro sub-tenure agreement for low-impact uses as part of a government funded connectivity project within an existing BC Hydro Statutory Right of Way (tenure)

Engaging a professional:

An experienced distribution designer is needed to evaluate system impacts and to design the electrical distribution system when adding infrastructure to existing poles or installing new/replacement poles/anchors.

Use of a Professional Engineer may be required to perform structural assessment, electrical modelling, or geotechnical surveys.

Important information:

• An application form for shared assets can be found in the Master Services Agreement Application
• Information on attachment to existing BC Hydro infrastructure (distribution or transmission structures) can be found at Attaching to BC Hydro poles, towers and ducts
• Further information on timelines for attachment requests can be found at  Attaching to BC Hydro poles, towers and ducts
• Make-ready work may be required prior to connecting to BC Hydro infrastructure. Please apply as early as possible to ensure that BC Hydro has sufficient time to complete the work. Given the combined scope and relatively short timelines of all the Connectivity projects underway, the timelines for make-ready work may be longer than usual
• Any underground infrastructure proposals within BC Hydro ROW must be reviewed and approved. See Underground installations near ROW for more information

Applicable activities:

• Use of BC Hydro passive infrastructure
• Electrification of works

Application:

FortisBC Electric Call Centre: 1-888-436-7848

Permitting agency:

FortisBC

Permit types:

Attachment requests for FortisBC infrastructure

Important information:

• Applicants are to call FortisBC’s electric call center at 1-888-436-7847 to create a reference number
• Call center Agent will set up a reference number and assign the application to FortisBC Design team
• The Design team will need to assess each request individually for feasibility
• By contacting FortisBC for an attachment request, there is no guarantee for attachment as potential customers will need a commercial agreement acceptable to both parties in place prior to any construction, and FortisBC may already have a licensee in place for any specific attachment. All requests will be assessed individually as noted above

Applicable activities:

Use of FortisBC infrastructure

Application:

Telus online portal

Permitting agency:

Telus Communications

Permit types:

Attachment requests for Telus infrastructure

Licensee onboarding requirements:

1.  Support Structure License Agreement: A Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)-approved agreement between Telus and the applying company or city outlining the terms and conditions for using Telus support structures
2. BC Hydro Liability Release Form: A form, duly completed and signed by the applying company or city, indicating their agreement to release BC Hydro from liability for future aerial plant installations on jointly owned BC Hydro and Telus poles
3. Letter of Affirmation as a Canadian Carrier: A formal letter on the company's or city's official letterhead affirming that the organization qualifies as a Canadian Carrier under the Telecommunications Act. Registration with the CRTC as a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) is required. (CRTC Registration Information and Process page)
4.  Comprehensive General Liability Policy: Documentation providing evidence of a valid Comprehensive General Liability Policy with a minimum coverage of $2,000,000. This policy should cover the operation of the cable system and installation of cables for each company or city involved
5. Provincial Government Registration: A photocopy of the company or city registration with the provincial government, demonstrating compliance with the applicable regulations

Important information:

• Once the above requirements are completed, the next step would involve submitting an application through the Telus online portal 
• Documents (for Onboarding Requirements 1 & 2) are available by contacting support@encepta.net
• There will be monthly rental charges for the use of Telus structures once approved, as per CRTC Tariff Notice No. 35, in addition to application fees. Further instructions and guidance will be provided after the documents above have been successfully submitted
• Please indicate that the application is related to a government funded project on the attached engineering drawings (include on the title page and title block, and include the related funded project number) and in the File Number section of the application (use the funded project number and include an explanatory note)
• Delays can be reduced by applying for the maximum area that may be needed and reducing the application scope later on, rather than making the initial application for a smaller area and increasing the scope at a later date. Increases in scope are likely to lead to processing delays

Applicable activities:

Use of jointly owned Telus and BC Hydro infrastructure