Registered Interest on Titled Land (RITL) Benchmark Project:

MNC Delivers Proof of Concept for Spatial Mapping of Registered Land Interests in Alberta

Rural landscape with a red grain elevator, farm buildings, and fenced grassland

See the Various RITL Initiatives

Watch In Alberta, a range of interests, such as Caveats, Rights-of-Way and Easements, mapped on privately owned land.

Project Overview

In Alberta, a range of interests, such as Caveats, Rights of Way and Easements, exist on privately owned land. These interests are recorded on Alberta Land Title certificates, but they typically lack a spatial representation unless tied to a registered survey plan. This absence of spatial context poses challenges for land management, planning, and decision-making, particularly across government and industry sectors that rely on accurate geospatial data.

Recognizing the need to visualize these interests in a spatial format, Alberta Data Partnerships (ADP) worked with MNC (Martin Newby Consulting Ltd.) to undertake the RITL Benchmark Project in 2017. The goal was to assess the feasibility of creating a spatial dataset representing these land title interests, offering a starting point for broader engagement and future development.

Challenge

Although these registered interests are legally documented on land titles, there is no standard spatial dataset for interests such as Caveats, Rights of Way, and Easements, unless they appear on registered plans of survey. This limits how effectively stakeholders, including industry, municipalities, and government, can assess, manage, or plan for these interests on private lands.

Side-by-side aerial map images displaying land boundary overlays and highlighted geographic features

Key Limitations Included:

No spatial representation for non-surveyed title interests.

Lack of tools or data to support informed engagement with industry and government stakeholders.

Need for a foundational model to initiate discussions and gauge industry and government interest.

The Solution

To evaluate the potential for spatially representing title-based land interests, MNC conducted a focused Benchmark Project within a single Alberta township. MNC used coordinate geometry (COGO) methods to map a comprehensive set of interests, including caveats, utility rights of way, and easements, based on available land title records.

Map inset highlighting an area of interest in Alberta beside an aerial image with property boundary overlays and marked locations

Key Steps in the Solution:

Targeted Mapping Scope

Selected one Alberta township as a pilot area for focused mapping.
Included multiple interest types commonly found on land titles to demonstrate a variety of scenarios.

Mapped Spatial Interest Extents

Mapped interests based on available documentation and parcel references.
Created a visual baseline that accurately represented the spatial extent of registered interests.

Stakeholder Engagement Enablement

Designed the output as a tool to support engagement with both government and industry stakeholders.
Used the mapped dataset as a conversation starter to explore the utility and potential future development of a broader RITL dataset.

The Results

The RITL Benchmark Project successfully demonstrated that spatial representation of land title interests is both feasible and beneficial. It provided ADP with a practical foundation for conversations among stakeholders and has since been used to support engagement and strategic discussions with government, municipal, and industry partners.

Two people seated across from each other in an office meeting, with one person listening thoughtfully

Key benefits included:

Proof of Concept for Spatial RITL Data

Demonstrated the ability to map diverse land title interests in a geospatial format.

Stakeholder Engagement Catalyst

Enabled more informed discussions with decision-makers by providing a tangible, map-based dataset.

Model for Future Expansion

Created a template that can be replicated or scaled to other regions, supporting long-term geospatial data strategies.

First Township-Level

TOWNSHIP-LEVEL MAPPING OF LAND INTERESTS

New Spatial Dataset

SPATIAL DATASET WHERE NONE EXISTED BEFORE

Foundation

FOR PROVINCE-WIDE ADOPTION & COLLABORATION

About MNC

The Cadastral and Parcel Mapping Experts

MNC is a trusted leader in cadastral and parcel management with 25+ years of experience delivering GeoAI-ready datasets, modernizing parcel fabrics, and automating GIS workflows. As an Esri Gold and Cornerstone Partner with Parcel Management and State and Local Government Specialties, MNC provides scalable advanced GIS, ArcGIS Pro, FME automation, MicroStation, AutoCAD and cloud-ready geospatial systems that improve data quality and support government land administration modernization across Canada, the USA, and the Caribbean.

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