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Accurate Boundaries - Clear Decisions
Serving homeowners, developers, and construction professionals, Spade Geomatics offers professional Land Surveying services across mainland Nova Scotia.

🍄 Fungus Friday: Roommates!Apparently, even mushrooms have neighbours!Our field crew spotted these two sharing a little ...
10/16/2026

🍄 Fungus Friday: Roommates!

Apparently, even mushrooms have neighbours!

Our field crew spotted these two sharing a little patch of moss during a recent survey.

The larger white mushroom may be a type of milkcap, a fascinating group of fungi known for producing a milky liquid when damaged.

And its little neighbour? Well, we're still working on that introduction! 😂

Fun fact: Many woodland mushrooms have an underground partnership with nearby trees, helping them absorb nutrients and water in exchange for sugars.

Just another reminder that there's a whole lot happening beneath our feet while we're busy surveying what's above them!

10/14/2026

🦌🍎 Wildlife Wednesday!

Richard was out surveying when he spotted this little opportunist in the woods behind the house, helping itself to a crab apple.

No permission. No grocery bill. No shame. 😂

At this point, we’re starting to think Richard’s survey equipment doubles as some sort of wildlife beacon - because the animals just keep finding him.

Thankfully, this one was only interested in the free snacks. 🍎🦌

Most subdivision issues don’t show up in design… they show up after design.And that’s where projects start to slide.We s...
10/13/2026

Most subdivision issues don’t show up in design… they show up after design.
And that’s where projects start to slide.

We see it all the time:
• Lot frontage doesn’t meet requirements
• Easements cut through buildable area
• Boundaries don’t match assumptions
• Setbacks reduce usable land

At that point, you’re not solving problems - you’re reacting to them.
👉 Redesign
👉 Delays
👉 Lost lot yield

The misconception:
Surveying is something you do to finalize a plan.

The reality:
Surveying is what determines whether the plan works in the first place.

The strongest projects we’re involved in all follow the same approach:
✅ Property research done up front
✅ Boundaries confirmed early
✅ Constraints identified before design
✅ Layout optimized before submission

It’s a simple shift: Survey first. Design with confidence.

📍 Proudly serving Halifax and surrounding areas
Spade Geomatics Ltd.

🍄 Introducing Fungus Friday! 🍄Move over, Wildlife Wednesday - there's a new series growing on us! 🍄Our field crews come ...
10/09/2026

🍄 Introducing Fungus Friday! 🍄

Move over, Wildlife Wednesday - there's a new series growing on us! 🍄

Our field crews come across all kinds of interesting things while working in the woods, and we figured the fungi deserve a little spotlight too!

We're kicking off our first Fungus Friday with this colourful little find! Believed to be a type of Amanita mushroom, it's certainly not shy about standing out on the forest floor!

Beautiful to look at, but best left untouched - some Amanita mushrooms can be toxic!

Who knew surveying could be so spore-tacular? 😉

Wildlife Wednesday!Look who was keeping an eye on things! This beautiful barred owl was spotted by our field tech and ph...
10/07/2026

Wildlife Wednesday!

Look who was keeping an eye on things!

This beautiful barred owl was spotted by our field tech and photographer, Richard while our surveying. It perched quietly in the trees, watching the world go by before eventually taking off.

Just another amazing encouter from a day in the field!

ONLINE MAPPING IS NOT THE PROPERTYGIS = Get It Surveyed.ViewPoint, MLS, and Property Online all include disclaimers that...
10/06/2026

ONLINE MAPPING IS NOT THE PROPERTY

GIS = Get It Surveyed.

ViewPoint, MLS, and Property Online all include disclaimers that their mapping isn’t accurate.
- That’s not just legal fine print. That’s the truth.

These tools are built for reference - not to define boundaries.
Lines are often generalized, shifted, and sometimes just wrong.
We see it every day.
Clients do their homework, run the numbers… then the survey shows:
• The parcel is smaller
• Boundaries move
• Usable land is reduced

Not because the land was bad - but because the assumptions were.
A boundary isn’t just drawn - it’s resolved.
A professional survey reconciles deeds, plans, and neighbouring properties - based on field evidence - to define what’s actually there.
👉 Don’t rely on mapping.
👉 Know what you’re buying.
GIS = Get It Surveyed.

💛 Wildlife Wednesday: What the heck is THAT?Another day in the woods, another weird little discovery. 😂This bright yello...
09/30/2026

💛 Wildlife Wednesday: What the heck is THAT?

Another day in the woods, another weird little discovery. 😂

This bright yellow blob is a slime mold - and despite looking like a fungus (or something that escaped from a science experiment), slime molds aren't actually fungi at all.

They thrive in damp environments and feed on microorganisms associated with decaying plant material, making an old tree like this prime real estate.
Between mystery tracks, mushrooms and slime molds, our field crews are developing a pretty impressive side career in "things we found in the woods." 😂

Before you buy the land… know what it can actually become.One of the biggest risks in land acquisition isn’t the purchas...
09/29/2026

Before you buy the land… know what it can actually become.

One of the biggest risks in land acquisition isn’t the purchase price. It’s buying without fully understanding:
👉 what’s possible
👉 what’s restricted
👉 and what’s actually approvable

At the early stage, most investors are working with limited information:
• You may not own the property yet
• You may not have access to the site
• You don’t want to spend money upfront on field work
👉 But you still need answers

That’s where pre-acquisition evaluation comes in. We use a combination of:
• GIS analysis
• LiDAR terrain data
• Provincial mapping
• Planning and title information
👉 to evaluate properties remotely

This allows us to:
✅ Identify environmental and planning constraints early
✅ Assess subdivision potential and lot yield
✅ Evaluate topography and buildable areas
✅ Flag risks before they impact approvals

The result:
• A realistic understanding of development potential
• Clear visibility on constraints and limitations
• Better decision-making before committing capital

Most importantly:
You avoid spending money blindly on field work when the project doesn’t make sense to begin with.

When a property moves forward:
👉 We then verify assumptions with field survey
→ boundaries
→ site conditions
→ layout feasibility

At that stage, the survey confirms the plan - instead of discovering problems too late.

Better information. Less risk. Stronger returns.

📍 Proudly serving Halifax and surrounding areas
Spade Geomatics Ltd.

09/23/2026

Wildlife Wednesday: Struggle Bus Edition 🐦🚌

Richard came across this little bird stuck in the tree, while out surveying, and it appears the struggle bus had made an unscheduled stop in the woods. 😂

After the rescue, Richard stayed nearby and kept an eye on it while it rested and caught its breath. After a little downtime, it eventually flew away on its own. ❤️

Surveying takes us to some pretty interesting places - and sometimes puts us in the right spot to keep watch over a tiny neighbour who just needs a minute.

Same Property. Same Frontage. Same Area.Very different outcome. This is where a lot of subdivision concepts fall short.O...
09/22/2026

Same Property. Same Frontage. Same Area.
Very different outcome.

This is where a lot of subdivision concepts fall short.
On the surface, the math looks simple:
- 134.2 m of frontage
- Divide it evenly
- Create lots
👉 Done.

But that’s not how real projects work. In the example shown:
• The typical layout creates 4 large lots
• The optimized layout creates 7 compliant lots
No added land.
No added frontage.
👉 Just a better understanding of what’s allowed.

Lot yield isn’t limited by land alone. It’s limited by:
• What is permitted
• What is understood
• And how the land is approached

Where projects go wrong:
• Assuming basic frontage requirements
• Designing before reviewing applicable bylaws
• Missing opportunities for exemptions
• Not considering shared access solutions

The better approach is simple:
✅ Understand the rules first
✅ Confirm what your property qualifies for
✅ Design with those constraints in mind

Small details. Big difference.
Understand the rules. Maximize the potential.
Your project, your return.

📍 Proudly serving Halifax and surrounding areas
Spade Geomatics Ltd.

Address

44 Orion Court, Unit 1A
Dartmouth, NS
B2Y4W6

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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