Celebrating a Legacy in Surveying Innovation
A piece of surveying history has found its home at Caltech’s Grande Prairie office!
Former Caltech employee Dale Impey recently visited the Grande Prairie office to donate a special artifact left behind by his father, Hugh Impey. Hugh is know for playing a huge role in advancing surveying innovation in Alberta.
This photo dates back to Hugh’s surveying days in the 1970s during an arctic mining claim. It captures the equipment he used at the time, an electronic distance measuring device (EDM), specifically the Geodimeter Model 6.
In the 1970s, EDM technology was revolutionary, replacing the traditional chain method of surveying that had been used since the earliest days of surveying. Hugh played a key role in bringing this innovation to Alberta and helping modernize the industry. The EDM featured in this photo was a precursor to today’s RTK systems, which surveyors now rely on for accuracy and efficiency.
While the original device and photo have long been retired, a painting by a local artist depicting Hugh’s first EDM now hangs proudly in Caltech’s Grande Prairie office and a tribute to a remarkable legacy.
Hugh’s career spanned decades and provinces. He was an Alberta Land Surveyor, a Dominion Land Surveyor (DLS were instrumental in laying out the cadastral fabric of land surveying in Canada and the pre-cursor to the Canada Lands Surveyors), as well as a Saskatchewan and Manitoba Land Surveyor. Beyond his professional achievements, Hugh served as mayor of Grande Prairie in the 1980s, making it especially fitting that this piece of history resides in the Grande Prairie office today.
Continuing this legacy, Hugh’s son, Dale Impey, followed in his father’s footsteps as a Quality Assurance Specialist at Caltech. To honor his family’s deep connection to the surveying profession and Caltech, Dale donated a historic artifact that reflects the industry’s rich heritage. Dale retired in 2023, leaving behind his father’s lasting contribution to the profession.
