Vault Records

Who: LTSA is a publicly accountable, statutory corporation formed in 2005 responsible for operating the land title and survey systems of BC.

LTSA delivers secure land titles through timely and efficient registration of land title interests and survey records. These services are an essential underpinning to BC’s private property market and the civil justice system, and to BC’s civic governance, taxation and Crown land management frameworks.

What: LTSA manages records created by or for LTSA and records transferred by the Province to LTSA.

These records include plans, maps, letters, field books, certificates, registers, indices and more. They exist in a variety of formats, including paper, linen, leather-bound books, mylar and microfilm.

When: Land and survey records owned by LTSA date from the earliest days of colonization and settlement in BC today.

These records were created by different colonial and government agencies over time, as the responsibility for land title and survey systems shifted and new legislation and technologies were introduced.

Why: LTSA vault records are integral to the land registry and cadastral fabric of BC.

Vault records are accessed regularly for information about land titles, plan or other reference numbers, names, boundary descriptions and descriptions of rights granted or reserved. Much of the information in these records is not available elsewhere.

Where: LTSA manages secure, climate-controlled records vaults in its offices in Victoria and New Westminster.

The vaults provide optimal conditions for the long-term storage of records, including stable temperature and relative humidity settings; protection from water, fire and dust; and archival-quality containers and enclosures.

How to Access

Digital Access

Processing and digitization reduces damage to fragile originals by enabling digital access for employees and registered users. Digitized images are linked to their analogue originals and information about them tracked in databases. Every day, vault records are indexed, digitized and made available through an LTSA online account or an on-site digitized image repository called DocuWare.

A selection of Surveyor General vault records are freely available through two University of Victoria Libraries Digital Collections: Early British Columbia Maps and Indian Reserve Maps.

Direct Access

People with an identified need to access vault records in person can apply for a Direct Access pass. Direct Access passholders are subject to LTSA’s Direct Access to Operational Records Policy.