IceStorm 98 Study

The GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Lab at Queen’s University is at the leading edge of digital mapping technology. The Lab trains and employs students; conducts research projects in partnership with government and industry; and provides services to the local community by contributing its expertise to various mapping projects and systems. For example, the Lab has been heavily involved with the local ambulance dispatch system.

The GIS Lab at Queen’s was called upon twice during the Ice Storm.

On Tuesday January 13, 1998 Bart Berman from Ontario Hydro, for whom the Lab had previously done some work, called to ask for assistance in building a GIS data base Hydro could use to assess their infrastructure and keep track of repairs.

A meeting was held with Hydro Officials at their office on Sydenham Road. Four students from Queen’s then worked for several days to set up the GIS data base, which included field work utilizing GPS (global positioning system).

This GIS system allowed Hydro to look at and keep track of their infrastructure, line by line and pole by pole.

The second Ice Storm project started with a call from the City of Kingston as they were preparing to set up a regional call center at the former Pittsburgh Township Office on Gore Road. They required up-to-date digital maps for all of Eastern Ontario.

The GIS Lab didn’t have ownership of the required mapping; permission was obtained from Bell Canada to use their digital map network for the duration of the emergency. Bell has a single line digital road network map for Ontario, which has been produce as part of the 911 system.

The Lab helped load the required software on a computer at Gore Road and trained a staff member how to use the information. It was possible to produce road maps at various scales.

The Lab itself has a UPS (uninterruptible power source) system, but it will only run for several hours once the power has gone out. The Lab lost power for a short time during the Ice Storm.