The Commission

On June 4, 1908, the United States and the United Kingdom (on behalf of Canada) signed a treaty to create the International Boundary Commission. Both countries assigned their own expert geographer or surveyor to serve as Commissioner. Their roles were to accurately define and mark the boundary separating the two countries.

In 1925, a second treaty between the United States and Canada was entered into making the International Boundary Commission a permanent organization and empowered the two Commissioners to maintain an effective boundary line, and to determine the location of any point on the boundary line as needed. The Canadian Commissioner is guided by the International Boundary Commission Act (1960), legislation that coincides with the treaty's purpose of maintaining an effective boundary line between Canada and the United States.

The Commission comprises both an American and a Canadian Commissioner, and each is responsible for his own budget, equipment, and staff. The United States Commissioner is appointed by the President and reports directly to the Secretary of State. For Canada, the International Boundary Commission Act provides that the Surveyor General is Canada's Commissioner. The Canadian Commissioner reports to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on policy matters and is located within the Department of Natural Resources for administrative and operational purposes.

J.T. Moore

Acting Commissioner for the United States

 J. T. Moore, Acting Commissioner for the United States

With the passing of Commissioner Kyle K. Hipsley in March 2025, J.T. Moore became the Acting U.S. Commissioner for the International Boundary Commission, United States and Canada. Mr. Moore has been serving as Deputy Commissioner since 2015. He joined the Commission in 2006 as Lead Survey Engineer overseeing its three U.S. field offices and boundary maintenance projects.

With over 36 years of surveying, he started his career in the private sector in 1989 in Virginia Beach, VA. He began his service with the Federal government in 1992 with the National Geodetic Survey spending seven years conducting high accuracy GPS surveys on airfields in support of FAA programs. From there, he moved on to the Department of Defense for another seven years working for HQ Air Force Flight Standards Agency as a geodesist supporting air traffic control and landing system evaluations.

 

Martin Gingras, QLS, C.L.S.

Commissioner for Canada

 Martin Gingras, Canadian Commissioner

Martin Gingras, QLS, C.L.S., took office as Canada’s Commissioner to the International Boundary Commission on April 24, 2025, by virtue of being appointed Canada’s Surveyor General. As Surveyor General, he is also responsible for the Canadian Geodetic Survey.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Gingras was a Senior Director with the Department of Natural Resources and the Deputy Surveyor General – Eastern Canada Region. His responsibilities included overseeing the operations of the Canadian Section of the International Boundary Commission.

Mr. Gingras holds a geomatics degree from Laval University and holds commissions to practice land surveying in Quebec and on Federal Lands throughout Canada.