Bulletins and By-laws

The Association of Ontario Land Surveyors has several by-laws that deal with administrative and financial affairs. It also provides bulletins to its members to provide further interpretations from Council on a variety of issues.

AOLS By-laws

By-laws are made pursuant to Section 8 of the Surveyors Act (see below) and deal with items that primarily impact running and financing the Association.

NumberDescription
    88-04Procedures for Making, Amending or Revoking Bylaws
    88-05Survey Records Index
    88-06Section A Members in Other Associations, Section B Research and Development
    88-08Miscellaneous Fees
    93-01Compensation Fund
    94-01Miscellaneous Fees
    94-02Miscellaneous Fees
    94-03Miscellaneous Fees
    94-04Survey Review Department Fees
    2004-01General Bylaw addressing Deeds, Transfers, banking and financing, renumeration,
meetings and duties of Council, Meetings of the membership, seals and crests, officer
of the Association, Regional Groups
    2004-02Privacy and Access Code
    2006-02Professional Liability Insurance Miscellaneous Fees
    2008-01Survey Review Department Plan Log
    2012-03Survey Review Department Fees
    2012-04Survey Field Notes Bylaw
    2015-01Fees Payable to the AOLS
    2015-02Annual Increase in Fees Payable to the AOLS
    2018-01Fees Payable to the AOLS
    2018-02Annual Increase in Fees Payable to the AOLS
    2019-01Provincial Wide Survey Records Index Fees
    2020-01Fees Payable to the AOLS
    2020-02Survey Review Department Plan Submission Fees
    2020-03Moving to an Electronic Era 
    2021-01Survey Review Department Plan Log
    2021-02Fees Payable to the AOLS
    2023-01Survey Review Department Sticker Usage
    2023-02Fees Payable to the AOLS
    2023-03Late Fee Penalty

By-laws are made under Section 8 of the Surveyors Act as follows:

8 (1)  The Council may pass by-laws relating to the administrative and domestic affairs of the Association not inconsistent with this Act and the regulations and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing,

  1.    prescribing the seal of the Association;
  2.    providing for the execution of documents by the Association;
  3.    respecting banking and finance;
  4.    fixing the financial year of the Association and providing for the audit of the accounts and transactions of the Association;
  5.    respecting the calling, holding and conducting of meetings of the Council and the duties of members of the Council;
  6.    providing for meetings of the Council and committees, except in a proceeding in respect of a licence or a certificate of authorization or a certificate of registration, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and a member of the Council or committee participating in a meeting in accordance with such by-law shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting;
  7.    providing that the Council or a committee may act upon a resolution consented to by the signatures of all members of the Council or the committee except in a proceeding in respect of a licence or a certificate of authorization or a certificate of registration, and a resolution so consented to in accordance with such a by-law is as valid and effective as if passed at a meeting of the Council or the committee duly called, constituted and held for that purpose;
  8.    respecting the calling, holding and conducting of meetings of the membership of the Association;
  9.    prescribing the remuneration of the members of the Council and committees, other than persons appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, and providing for the payment of necessary expenses of the Council and committees in the conduct of their business;
  10.  delegating to the Executive Committee such powers and duties of the Council as are set out in the by-law, other than the power to make, amend or revoke regulations and by-laws;
  11.  prescribing the positions and qualifications of officers of the Association, providing procedures for their selection and the filling of vacancies in the offices of the Association, and prescribing the duties of officers of the Association;
  12.  providing for the appointment of inspectors for the purposes of this Act;
  13.  prescribing forms and providing for their use;
  14.  providing procedures for the making, amending and revoking of the by-laws;
  15.  respecting management of the property of the Association;
  16.  providing for the appointment, composition, powers and duties of additional or special committees;
  17.  respecting the application of the funds of the Association and the investment and reinvestment of any of its funds not immediately required, and for the safekeeping of its securities;
  18.  respecting the borrowing of money by the Association and the giving of security therefor;
  19.  respecting membership of the Association in other organizations, the payment of annual assessments and provision for representatives at meetings;
  20.  authorizing the making of grants for any purpose that may tend to advance knowledge of professional surveying education, or maintain or improve the standards of practice in professional surveying or support and encourage public information and interest in the role of professional surveying in society;
  21.  respecting scholarships, bursaries and prizes related to the study of professional surveying;
  22.  prescribing the amounts of and requiring the payment of annual fees by members of the Association and holders of certificates of authorization and by students and members of related classes recognized by the Association, and fees for licensing, certification, registration, examinations and continuing education, including penalties for late payment, fees in respect of the Association’s quality control program for plans of survey and fees for anything the Registrar is required or authorized to do, and prescribing the amounts thereof;
  23. providing for the entering into of arrangements by the Association for its members and holders of certificates of authorization respecting indemnity for professional liability and requiring the payment and remittance of premiums in connection therewith and prescribing levies to be paid by members of the Association and holders of certificates of authorization in respect of professional liability;
  24. respecting the Compensation Fund and prescribing the amount of the levy to be paid to the Association for the Fund and exempting any class of members from all or any part of such levy;
  25. providing for the payment to the Association by any member of the cost of any investigation or audit of the member’s books, records, accounts and transactions;
  26.  providing for the establishment of group insurance plans, other than for professional liability, in which members of the Association may participate on a voluntary basis;
  27. respecting the policies and practices of the Association with respect to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, including specifying any limitations or controls on the collection, use and disclosure of such information and providing that the policies and practices be set out in a code;
  28.  regarding such other matters as are entailed in carrying on the business of the Association and are not included in section 7.  R.S.O. 1990, c. S.29, s. 8 (1); 2009, c. 33, Sched. 22, s. 11 (12, 13).

Confirmation by members

(2)  A by-law passed by the Council is not effective until confirmed by the members of the Association.  R.S.O. 1990, c. S.29, s. 8 (2).

Voting

(3)  The members of the Association may confirm a by-law by a majority of those voting,

    (a)  at an annual meeting;

    (b)  at a general meeting of the Association called for the purpose; or

    (c)  by means of a vote conducted by mail.  R.S.O. 1990, c. S.29, s. 8 (3).

Distribution of by-laws

(4)  A copy of the by-laws made under subsection (1) and amendments thereto,

    (a)  shall be forwarded to the Minister;

    (b)  shall be forwarded to each member; and

    (c)  shall be available for public inspection in the office of the Association.  R.S.O. 1990, c. S.29, s. 8 (4).

Section Amendments with date in force (d/m/y)

2009, c. 33, Sched. 22, s. 11 (12, 13) - 15/12/2009

AOLS Bulletins

The Association of Ontario Land Surveyors has developed a number of Bulletins that provide greater detail regarding surveyor's conduct and standards of survey set out in legislation and regulation that may be found here.

Number Description

NumberDescription
1981-002Quality Control of Survey Work
1981-005Research of Adjoining Properties
1981-006Best Available Evidence
1981-008Written Mortgage Certificates
1982-010Monumentation Intervals
1982-011Written Mortgage Certificates
1982-014Field Note Research
1982-015Misrepresentation of Field Work
1983-017Liability Guidelines
1983-019Surveys for Fencing Purposes
1984-020Use of Surveyor's Plans by Architects
1984-021Slander of Title
1984-022Technical Firms
1985-025Copyright
1985-unnumberedUnresearched estimates
1987-027Criminal Code Protection of Boundary Line Markers
1987-unnumberedAOLS Liability Insurance
1988-031Lack of Research
1990-033Updating of First Application/Certification of Title Act Plans
1990-035Right to Entry Problems
1990-036Sketches
1990-038Surveyor's Real Property Reports
1991-041Condominium Plans
1991-043Surveyor's Real Property Reports
1992-044Consultation Offices and Call Forwarding
1994-045Office Supervision
1995-046AOLS Policy Regarding the Exchange of Cadastral Survey Records
1995-047Member's Use of Seals
1998-048Monumentation in Built-up Areas
2005-01Right of Entry
2007-01AOLS Policy Regarding the Exchange of Cadastral Survey Records
2007-02Guidelines Regarding Distribution of Historical Survey Documents
2007-03Monumentation
2009-01Professional Authority in Property Matters
2011-01Underground Utilities and Monumentation
2020-01Pricing of Field Notes and Survey Records
2021-01Association of Ontario Land Surveyors Policy on Sketches
2022-01Policy on Company Transparency