September 30th marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada (aka Turtle Island)  - a day to honour the survivors of residential schools, their families, and the children who never came home. It is also a time for all Canadians to reflect on the painful legacy of the residential school system and commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation.
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In just one year, Utility Safety Partners’ (USP) Alternate Locate Provider (ALP) program has proven to be a game-changer in Alberta’s damage prevention landscape. What began as a bold initiative to expand locator capacity and reduce damages has exceeded expectations, setting a new benchmark for collaboration, efficiency, and safety.

Across Canada, around 10,000 utility damages are reported every year, the equivalent of more than 40 incidents every workday. The cost of these damages is estimated at over $1 billion annually, spanning both direct costs like repairs and project delays and indirect costs such as service disruptions, environmental impact, and lost productivity. Each strike isn’t just a safety issue; it’s a major business risk that modern land and asset management technology can help prevent.

Beneath our streets, sidewalks, and backyards, lies an invisible network of utility lines that powers our lives. Natural gas, electricity, water, sewer, telecommunications, and fiber optics all run just below the surface, often only a few feet deep. While we rely on these systems without giving them much thought, one wrong move with a backhoe, auger, or even a shovel can cause devastating consequences. Service outages, costly repairs, and even serious injuries or fatalities can result from a single mistake. That’s where line locating - and the human commitment behind it - plays a vital role in keeping people and communities safe.

A Closer Look at USP’s Contact Centre Operations 

While Mother Nature can make it tough to tell when the end of digging season is approaching, we see other signs in the contact centre. One of the best indicators is an increase in rural callers, specifically farmers, with a type of work that seems to catch newer agents off guard every fall. Burying rock piles.

The Operations Advisory Committee (OAC), formerly the Member Resources Committee, is comprised of 14 operations level representatives from each of our Board Member companies. The purpose of the OAC is to review USP’s operational performance, to accept and consider proposed operational changes, to make recommendations to the USP Board of Directors, or to provide feedback to the Board on strategic direction items which impact operations. The OAC also provides oversight for our industry-led working committees.

Ground disturbance is one of the highest risk activities in Alberta’s construction industry. Every year buried utilities such as gas lines, electrical cables, and water mains are struck due to poor planning or lack of communication. The result? Costly delays, serious injuries, and sometimes a very upset utility company. To protect workers, the public, and critical infrastructure, Alberta has strict legislative requirements and best practices that must be followed before any excavation begins.

On September 9, 2025, USP hosted its first charity golf tournament. It was a perfect day, with clear blue skies, warm sunshine, and a light breeze rustling the trees as golfers arrived at the prestigious Hamptons Golf Club in Calgary.

The Facility Notification Centre industry has long been the first line of defense against damages to buried utilities. By connecting excavators, facility owners, and locators, the system helps prevent accidents that can cost lives, disrupt services, and harm the environment. But as excavation activity increases and underground networks become more complex, traditional approaches to damage prevention are being stretched to their limits.

Enter digital twin technology — a tool that could redefine the way the industry manages risk, protects infrastructure, and plans for the future.