Migrating from ATS77 to NAD83(CSRS) in Nova Scotia

February 5, 2018

The installation of 40 ACSs across Nova Scotia between 2012 and 2015 enables the Province’s surveying and mapping Community to migrate to NAD83(CSRS) by addressing ongoing accuracy and accessibility needs.

With this geodetic infrastructure now in place, there is a need to share knowledge and offer up methodologies to facilitate surveyors to transition into full use of this new system. A 2017 article written by Dr. Jason Bond (Government of Nova Scotia’s Coordinate Control Officer) “Migrating from ATS77 to NAD83(CSRS) in Nova Scotia”, Geomatica, vol. 71, no. 2, 2017, pp. 75-87, provides surveyors and mappers two options to aid in migrating data from older ATS77 system to currently NAD83(CSRS).

The first approach utilizes a newly developed grid shift file intended for transforming mapping data and aiding surveyors in relocating boundary evidence, so that it can then be remeasured in NAD83(CSRS).

A detailed discussion is provided on the development of the grid shift file. The second approach is based upon the derivation of a set of local transformation parameters using a one-to-one sampling of the control monuments used in the historic survey.

Download Migrating from ATS77 to NAD83(CSRS) in Nova Scotia (PDF)