1912 - 2012 Celebrating a Century of Progress
One hundred years ago, a young man named A.G. Stewart arrived in Alberta and began laying the foundation of this company, Stewart Weir. Today, we celebrate a century of growth, change, and progress, and we invite you to explore where we have been and what we have done.
1912 - 1944 A.G. Stewart, founder of the company, sets a course
In 1912, Ontario-born A.G. Stewart, a Dominion Land Surveyor (DLS), earns his ALS (Alberta Land Surveyor) commission, and begins practicing with J.F. Pringle, under the name Pringle and Stewart. Stewart spends the next three decades engaging in landmark survey projects that shape western Canada and form part of the political, geographical, and cultural history of the entire country. These projects include the Alaska-Yukon Boundary survey, the 141st Meridian Line survey, the survey of the Alaska Highway, and the CANOL ("Canadian Oil") project.
1944 Seizing opportunity, in the wake of war
Overseas, the Allies are making headway to bring an end to World War II. Upon finishing his work on the CANOL project (an American initiative to build a pipeline from Norman Wells to Whitehorse), A.G. Stewart, perceiving that there will be work for surveyors in western Canada for years to come, opens an office in the basement of his home at 10542 - 128 Street in Edmonton.
1946 The Cold War begins
For the next 45 years, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Cold War dominates the political and economic climate of developed countries. A.G. Stewart's company will soon find itself working on two rather unique surveying projects, the Pinetree and Mid-Canada Early Warning Lines, which focus on the defence of North America against the "perceived" threat of a Soviet invasion. Photo by John H. Webb
1947 Leduc No.1 strikes oil, heralding Alberta's first "boom"
Imperial Oil's Leduc No.1 well strikes oil, setting Alberta's economic destiny on a new course. This is the beginning of an era of unprecedented prosperity for the province, and the discovery of oil also launches A.G. Stewart's company, which is commissioned to survey Leduc No.1, on a unique trajectory of success in the oil and gas industry. A.G. himself does the survey.
1948 A town is born: Devon Townsite Survey
The company conducts subdivision and engineering surveys for the Devon townsite. Incorporated in 1950, Devon is the first town in Canada to be approved by a regional planning commission, and is dubbed "Canada's Model Town."
1951 The first partners, Earl Little and John Stewart
Earl Edward Little and John Stewart (A.G. Stewart's son) become partners in the company. Little will work extensively on road surveys and cadastral surveys, and his last project with the company, before he leaves in 1957, will be the Mid-Canada Early Warning Line. John Stewart, with a Bachelor of Science in Geology, will conduct mainly well site and pipeline surveys, and in the years before he retires in 1983, will be the "unofficial" office manager.
1952 The maverick Charlie Weir becomes a partner
Charles Henry Weir, known to most as Charlie Weir, will take Stewart Weir in many new and profitable directions, and will become the company's first CEO. Credited with building the engineering and transportation arms of the company, and with moving it into corridor/right-of-way planning, this iconic figure is one of the most memorable players in Stewart Weir's history. He will retire from the company in 1990, only to continue working for the surveying profession in consulting and volunteering capacities.
1953 - 1955 Highway projects abound, and a new partner comes and goes
The company completes 28 highway projects during this short time period, as the province injects vast amounts of capital into improving and expanding infrastructure. Don Williams becomes a partner in 1955. He remains with the company for only a few years, managing the Red Deer office.
1955 - 1957 Cold War Projects: Early Warning Lines
Contracted by the Bell Telephone Company, Stewart Weir surveys detector sites on the Pinetree Line and Mid-Canada Early Warning Line. These lines, along with the DEW line in the far north, comprised a defence system designed to detect air attacks by Soviet bombers. This defence system is today an all but forgotten Cold War relic, as a Soviet air attack never took place. Photo by John H. Webb.
1957 Bitumont: The tar sands are calling
Stewart Weir conducts a mineral lease survey, immediately east of the Bitumont site, for the Athabaska Sands and Oil Company, which is hoping to cash in on the opportunity to conduct research in this area. Located about an hour's drive north of Fort McMurray, on the banks of the Athabasca River, Bitumont, from about 1930 through to the end of the 1950s, was the location of a series of plants that used experimental processes to extract bitumen from sand and refine it.
1960 Swan Hills Surveys: A town is born from oil
Stewart Weir conducts a variety of surveys-an airstrip, well sites, and the townsite itself-in the Swan Hills area, where oil was discovered in the late 1950s. Located about 200 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, this is an area that, in 1960, has not yet been "mapped out," so the company's survey crews use the sun and the stars to determine meridians and baselines.
1960 - 1961 The age of microwave telecommunications begins
Contracted by Alberta Government Telephones (AGT), the company surveys approximately 15 sites for the installation of microwave relay stations. Stretching from the Whitecourt area to Fort McMurray, and on to Hay River in the Northwest Territories, these stations will, for many years, connect the northern regions of Alberta with the rest of the world.
1962 Surveying Pyramid Mountain
Canadian National-Canadian Pacific (CN/CP) contracts the company to survey Pyramid Mountain, located 10 kilometres from the townsite of Jasper in the Alberta Rockies, for the installation of a microwave station. The survey crew endures bone-chilling temperatures and winter-like storms at the summit of 2763 metres (9065 feet) while the town below enjoys balmy summer weather. This microwave station will operate for 40 years, until it becomes obsolete due to advances in telecommunications technology.
1964 New partner: Reginald Watson
During his time with the company, Reginald (also known as R.J.) Watson will conduct several subdivision surveys-Millwoods and Riverbend, for example. He will also conduct control surveys in the Brooks area, and will be involved in monitoring the performance of Imperial Oil's arctic pipeline test section at Inuvik. His last project, before retiring in 1992, will be the Caroline Sulphur Pipeline Project.
1966 The Rainbow Pipeline: Transporting oil across Alberta's north
Stewart Weir maps the pipeline routing and manages the site survey for the Rainbow Pipeline, which will be the first major transmission pipeline in Alberta, transporting crude oil from Rainbow Lake in northwestern Alberta, all the way to Edmonton, a distance of just under 1000 kilometres. Almost half a century later, Stewart Weir will be involved in the upgrading of this pipeline.
1969 New partner: Arthur Heinrichs
Arthur Heinrichs will spend over a decade with the company, specializing in the areas of drafting technology and survey computations. He will work on projects such as the road study of Northern Alberta, the ring road acquisition of Edmonton, power line right-of-ways for TransAlta Utilities, the Clearwater and Old Man River dams, and numerous well sites.
1973 - 1974 Athabasca Tar Sands Corridor Study: Mammoth project
This high profile project is headed by Charlie Weir, the company's corridor-planning expert. The end result will be a comprehensive set of recommendations regarding the combining of pipelines carrying oil, gas, and other products in the same corridor as utilities as well as transportation systems (highways, roads, railways), in order to link the Athabasca Tar Sands with its terminals, supply centers, and markets.
1973 The company marks a unique first
Jarmilla Marie Satra begins articling under Charlie Weir. In 1976 she will earn her ALS (Alberta Land Surveyor) commission, thereby becoming the first woman to do so. Satra remains with the company until 1982, when she is laid off due to the recession.
1975 The company "goes even further" with its first EDM
The company acquires its first EDM (Electronic Distance Meter), an HP-3800, which has a range of approximately two miles, resides in a huge suitcase, and requires a heavy battery. An EDM works by sending out a light of a particular wavelength, which is reflected back to the EDM, which then measures the difference in wavelength between the outgoing and incoming light waves to calculate the distance from the EDM to the point where the light was reflected back.
1975 - 1978 TUCs take centre stage in urban Alberta
As a result of partner Charlie Weir's successful lobbying of the Alberta Government to embrace the concept of TUCs (Transportation Utility Corridors), Stewart Weir is contracted to plan the corridors around both Edmonton and Calgary. TUCs maximize the use of land to incorporate vehicular transportation routes as well as routes for all types of utilities (petroleum pipelines, power transmission lines, water lines, sewer lines, etc.), while at the same time conserving land for other urban and recreational uses. Images courtesy of Alberta Infrastructure.
1976 Saying farewell to the founder
A few months short of his 90th birthday, A.G. Stewart passes away. In a letter of condolence written to Charlie Weir by Donald W. Thomson, respected author of the Men and Meridians book series, Thomson writes, "I wish to express to you, Charlie, and through you, to others in the firm, my sympathy on the passing of one who was not only revered in his profession, but regarded as a splendid human being by all who had the privilege of knowing him."
1977 New partner: Brian Dixon
Brian Dixon already has many years of experience with the company when he is made partner in 1977. He has, for example, worked on the Swan Hills townsite survey, and has left his name there, on Dixon Crescent. Over the years he will work on a variety of projects, including several bridges, such as the Beverly Bridge, the Peace River Bridge, and the Smoky River Bridge. From 1990 until his retirement in 2003, he will serve as CEO.
1977 Growth in Alberta's Industrial Heartland: The Redwater Fertilizer Plant
The company conducts the site survey of this plant, operated by Agrium Inc., and located nine kilometres south of the town of Redwater, along the North Saskatchewan River. The first major development in Alberta's Industrial Heartland, and the largest fertilizer plant in both Canada and North America, this 372-hectare complex today includes 22 kilometres of rail track, and produces six major agricultural nutrients.
1978 Dickson Dam: A major hydroelectric project
Stewart Weir conducts the survey for this hydroelectric dam located west of the town of Innisfail, near the hamlet of Dickson, on the Red Deer River in central Alberta. This is a major project for the company, as it involves negotiating land purchases and carrying out flooding operations. The dam will provide a stable year-round water supply to the communities in the area.
1981 Cold Lake Pipeline: Transporting crude oil
Alberta Energy contracts Stewart Weir for the surveying and construction of the western leg-Cold Lake to Edmonton-of its Cold Lake crude oil pipeline system. A major project for the company, this involves the planning and laying of a 24-inch blend pipeline (to carry blended bitumen) along with a 12-inch diluent pipeline.
1982 - 1983 Economic recession hits hard
Following closely on the heels of the National Energy Program (NEP), the recession hits Alberta hard. This places all companies involved in the oil and construction industries in a tough position. Stewart Weir lays off approximately half of its staff and survey crews during this period.
1982 - 1984 The Total Station arrives
The company purchases its first total station, a Wild Heerbrug TC1, for $65,000. It weighs approximately 30 pounds (13.5 kilograms), runs on a 12-volt battery, and has a data recorder that uses cassette tapes. A total station is an electronic transit or theodolite combined with an electronic distance meter (EDM). A built-in calculator uses trigonometric functions to turn the readings into highly accurate measurements of both distances and angles. Still used today, the total station is an indispensable surveying instrument.
1983 Now a "Surveyor's Corporation"
On January 31st of this year, the partnership receives a permit to operate as a surveyor's corporation under the name Stewart Weir & Co.
1985 AutoCAD enters the scene
Stewart Weir begins to use AutoCAD, the revolutionary 2D and 3D drafting and design software that essentially takes simple shapes such as lines, circles, and arcs, and creates complex objects out of them. The company no longer has to design structures with paper and pencil.
1986 Oil prices crash, but the company forges ahead
As a result of the "Oil Crisis" of the 1970s, precipitated by the oil embargo of OAPEC (Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries), there is now a glut of oil in the world, with a decreased demand for it. The price of oil drops to almost half of what it was in the 70s, and with the Alberta oil industry in a slump, Stewart Weir moves into new territories-cadastral surveys, land claims surveys, national defence surveys, power line surveys, etc.
1986 Bangkok Land Information System: The company's first overseas project
The Bangkok Metropolitan Association of the City of Bangkok (Thailand) selects Stewart Weir-in competition with companies from other countries-to submit a proposal for the creation of a Land Information System. The project involves taking aerial photographs, performing a ground survey, and collecting information about existing infrastructure. Unfortunately, the resulting multi-year contract is awarded to an Australian company, but this nonetheless marks Stewart Weir's first foray into overseas projects, and builds the company's growing expertise in the area of Land Information Systems.
1987 Yellowknife to Snare River Power Line: Working in the rugged north
Northern Canada Power Corporation contracts Stewart Weir to survey 140 kilometres of rugged northern terrain from Yellowknife to the Snare Hydro Dam, for the construction of a new power line to replace an old line built in the 1950s. The Stewart Weir team utilizes a wide range of equipment-GPS, digital mapping, AutoCAD, total stations, helicopters, etc.-to create an accurate digital profile and propose the locations of the steel structures (transmission towers) that will support the new power line.
1988 Nestor Chorney comes on board, raising the company's profile
Charlie Weir recruits Nestor Chorney from Alberta Transportation and Utilities (ATU), and Chorney brings with him not only a strong technical background, but also numerous connections. Chorney will grow the Highways Engineering arm of the company, recruiting other outstanding individuals from ATU to come on board. He will build what informally becomes known as the SWAT (Stewart Weir Alberta Transportation) team, because of the caliber of expertise offered by this department of Stewart Weir.
1990 Al-Pac Spur Line: A rail project for CN
The company surveys a rail spur line (a branch of the main railway line) that will provide one of the North America's largest kraft pulp mills, located approximately 40 kilometres north of Boyle, and owned by Al-Pac (Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc.), with an efficient means of transportation. The project involves laying out the boundaries of the right-of-way for the spur, laying out the centre line of the railroad, setting grade elevations, and laying out reference points for a new rail bridge.
1990 The company's first subsidiary
USW Surveys Ltd. becomes a subsidiary of Stewart Weir, and will strengthen the company's ability to provide engineering and surveying services in Alberta's Industrial Heartland and beyond.
1992 Transition to a limited company
Stewart Weir & Co. makes the transition from partnership to limited company. It officially becomes Stewart Weir & Co. Ltd., and Charlie Weir becomes its first CEO.
1993 The CN rail line from Edmonton to Vancouver
By using high level orthophotography and low level imagery, and also by capturing ground-based images of all assets along the corridor, Stewart Weir creates a GIS (Geographic Information System) for CN's railway line from Edmonton to Vancouver. The project involves the creative utilization of GPS, video cameras, ski boats, helicopters, and trains to collect the information and images, with the end result being hundreds of CDs of data.
1993 - 1994 Eastern Canada project: Ontario Hydro Power Lines
Working with Usher Canada Ltd. (today the MMM group), Stewart Weir conducts a survey for a power line in southern Ontario, establishing control markers along the proposed route. This was still the early days of the GPS, and the crew used the large and unwieldy Wild Magnavox WM 103 GPS receiver, which used cassette tapes and ran on car batteries.
1993 - 1998 Military Bases: DND Project
The company engages in this multi-year cross-Canada task of mapping military bases for the Department of National Defence (DND). Using GIS (Geographical Information System) technology, which essentially involves capturing and analyzing data about "location," Stewart Weir maps out the bases of Esquimalt and Comox in British Columbia, Cold Lake and Wainwright in Alberta, Dundurn in Saskatchewan, Meaford and Borden in Ontario, and Valcartier in Quebec.
1995 - 2001 Prosperity in Alberta once again
The recession ends and Alberta enjoys a huge budget surplus thanks to Premier Ralph Klein's cuts to public spending. Oil and gas prices rise and there are plenty of projects in all industry sectors to keep the company busy. Stewart Weir begins a period of intense growth and expansion.
1995 - 1998 A project rife with adventure: Northern Land Claims
The company surveys 175 parcels of First Nations land in Nunavut and the Yukon, for the federal government. The purpose is to locate previously negotiated land claim boundaries-boundaries that were based on the natural topographical features of the land-and to demarcate them with survey monuments. The project is unique in many ways. For example, all Stewart Weir staff are licensed to carry and use firearms because wild animals pose a potential hazard in these remote northern locations.
1998 - 2009 Branching out with 4 new offices
The Grande Prairie office opens in 1998. It's an 8-foot by 12-foot space, with a desk, fax machine, and telephone. By 2012, it will have just under 50 staff and will be generating a substantial portion of Stewart Weir's revenues. The Bonnyville office opens in 2000, followed by the Calgary office opening in 2003, specializing in upstream oil and gas projects, land surveying, and power transmission lines. The Lethbridge office opens in 2009.
2000 - Present Albian Mine Site: A colossal project
In the early phases, the company provides surveying, mapping, grading, construction, engineering design, data storage, and excavation permitting services for the development of this site, located 75 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, and operated jointly by Shell Canada Ltd., Chevron Canada Ltd., and Western Oil Sands Inc. Today, the Athabaskan Resource Company, Stewart Weir's joint venture with the Fort McKay First Nation, provides ongoing 3D scanning, excavation permitting, and survey services for construction and mining activities at the site.
2001 - 2002 Technology marches on: 3D scanners
In 2001, Stewart Weir purchases its first 3D laser scanner, becoming the first survey company in western Canada to own one. A year later, it purchases a more sophisticated model-a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 3D scanner. The technology involves capturing the physical form of an object such as a bridge or building or even a land formation, and transforming it into digital data-a "point cloud" made up of millions of dots-that can be used in a wide range of applications.
2003 Forming an innovative partnership with First Nations
The company partners with the Fort McKay First Nation to form the Athabaskan Resource Company. With its head office in Fort McMurray, this company will provide a broad range of consulting services-engineering, surveying, project management, geomatics, and mapping-to the oil sands and to the Wood Buffalo region of the province.
2003 Ron McGaffin becomes CEO, leading the company through more growth
Having been on staff since 1975, Ron McGaffin has many years of experience when he becomes CEO in 2003. But, he will step down from the position in 2010 because he wants to get back into the projects. In 2012, as Director of Pipeline Operations, McGaffin fondly looks back at a rich career encompassing literally dozens of projects including road widenings, right-of-ways, dam sites, well sites, mine sites, remote weather stations, Department of Defence bases, land claims... the list goes on.
2003 - 2004 Laser Scanning of Compressor Site for Shell Canada
Stewart Weir conducts a scanning survey for Shell Canada, of the compressor station site in the Caroline gas field in south-central Alberta. The complete and accurate 3D model resulting from the scanning work proves invaluable in assisting the engineering firm responsible for designing modifications to the site.
2004 Laser Scanning: Highway 627 Realignment at Highvale Mine
The company, contracted by Alberta Transportation and Utilities, provides surveying and engineering services for the realignment of Highway 627 which, years before, was built over a rich bed of coal in the Highvale Mine area, making it difficult for TransAlta Energy Corporation, owner and operator of the mine, to carry out its operations. Utilizing an ILRIS-3D laser scanner, Stewart Weir plans out the highway realignment so that it will run through an already-mined area north of the mine.
2006 A smart move
Stewart Weir's Edmonton office relocates to Sherwood Park, where it enjoys 27,138 square feet of space.
2008 Alberta Industrial Heartland GIS
Stewart Weir creates a GIS (Geographic Information System) for Alberta's Industrial Heartland, one of the world's largest petrochemical, chemical, oil, and gas regions in the world. The GIS tracks the region's infrastructure, facilities, products, environmental impact, land use, employment, plant ownership, and plant boundaries, and is an invaluable industry tool in terms of planning and development.
2009 Another subsidiary: Land Data Technologies Inc.
Land Data Technologies Inc. becomes a subsidiary of Stewart Weir, specializing in the utilization of photogrammetry to develop land information solutions.
2009 Another partnership: Stewart Weir Bennett Land Surveying Ltd.
Stewart Weir Bennett Land Surveying Ltd., a joint venture of Stewart Weir and Bennett Land Surveying Ltd., opens for business in Fort St. John, British Columbia. Serving clients in central and northern British Columbia, this company will offer a broad ranges of services including legal land surveying, construction layout and as-builts, municipal engineering, mapping and digital orthography, engineering surveys, oil and gas surveys, road and highway engineering, topographic surveys, land development, and industrial services.
2010 Materials and Geotechnical Engineering Lab opens
The opening of this lab enables Stewart Weir to offer even more comprehensive services to its clients. The materials arm analyzes soils and manufactured materials for qualities such as moisture content and compression strength. The geotechnical engineering arm focuses on soil testing for geotechnical projects such as dams, retaining walls, and sewage lagoons-projects that utilize earth materials as engineering components.
2010 Brian Pearse becomes CEO, and begins leading the company into the future
An employee with the company since graduating from the University of Alberta in 1986, Brian Pearse comes to the position of CEO with a wealth of experience and expertise, gained from working on survey crews, working as a Design Engineer, serving as Assistant Manager and subsequently Manager of the Highways Engineering department, and then serving as Vice President of Engineering and finally Chief Business Officer. In 2012, as the company celebrates one hundred years of progress, Pearse is at the helm, leading the company forward.
2010 Bitumont Revisited
Because of its significance in the oil history of Canada, Bitumont is added to the Canadian Register of Historic Places, and Stewart Weir is contracted to return to Bitumont to survey the area and lay the groundwork for the development of what will soon be a tourist attraction. For its high calibre laser scanning and GPS work on this project, Stewart Weir is nominated and becomes a finalist for the David Thompson National Geomatic Award in the "Contribution to Society" category.
2011 Heading "down under": Stewart Weir Australia Proprietary Ltd. opens
Stewart Weir Australia Proprietary Ltd (SWAPL) opens in Brisbane, Australia, in collaboration with the Australian-based company, Schlencker Mapping Pty Ltd. This full service geomatics company will serve the rapidly growing gas industry in Australia.
2012 Stewart Weir & Co. Ltd. celebrates and marches on
One hundred years have now passed since A.G. Stewart came to Alberta and set out on a course that would result in the founding of this company, and that would place it on the path of success. Stewart Weir celebrates how far it has come, and what it has accomplished. The future awaits.
