Dominion Land Survey - History

History

The survey was begun in 1871, shortly after Manitoba and the Northwest Territories became part of Canada. Covering about 800,000 square kilometres (309,000 sq mi), the survey system and its terminology are deeply ingrained in the rural culture of the Prairies. The DLS is the world's largest survey grid laid down in a single integrated system.

The inspiration for the Dominion land survey system was the plan for Manitoba (and later Saskatchewan and Alberta) to be agro- economies. With a large amount of European settlers arriving Manitoba was undergoing a large change, so grasslands and parklands were surveyed settled and farmed. The Dominion land survey system was developed because the farm name and field position descriptions used in northern Europe were not organised or flexible enough, and the township and concession system used in eastern Canada was not satisfactory. The first meridian was chosen at 97° 27’ 28.4” west longitude and was established in 1869. Another 6 meridians were established after.

There are a number of places that are excluded from the survey system. These include federal lands such as first nation reservations, federal parks, and air weapon ranges. The surveys don’t encroach on reserves because that land was established before the surveys began. Some parcels of land were held in reserve for school lands, rail roads and for the Hudson’s bay company. Sections 11 and 29 of every township were set aside for schools. Although schools were not always built on these sections, because there was a generally accepted rule that no student should have to walk more than 4 kilometers to school. These lands could be sold to fund the building of a school or given to a farmer who would then dedicate their time to the building of a school house. All odd numbered sections excluding 11 and 29 were earmarked for selection as railway grants. Again these were primarily used as funding for building railroads the main recipient was the Canadian pacific railway received over 26 million acres while other companies land grants totaled almost 6 million acres. When the Hudson’s bay company relinquished their title to the Dominion on July 15 1870, via the deed of surrender it received section 8 and all of section 26 excluding the north east quarter, these lands were gradually sold by the company and in 1984 they donated the remaining 5,100 acres to the Saskatchewan wildlife association.

The surveying of western Canada was divided into 5 basic surveys, The surveys layout was slightly different from one another. The first survey began in 1871 and ended in 1879, it covers some of southern Manitoba and a little of Saskatchewan. The second and smallest survey, 1880, was used in only small area’s of Saskatchewan this system differs from the first survey because rather than running section lines parallel to the eastern boundary these tried running them true north south. The largest and most important of these surveys was the third which covers more land than all the others surveys put together this survey began in 1881. That method of surveying is still used in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The fourth and fifth survey the fourth and fifth survey were only used in some townships in British Colombia.