10. The Survey Instrument Captain Cook Wanted to Learn – The Plane Table and Alidade

The plane table and alidade has been used for mapping topographical features for centuries.

09. Is it a Theodolite or Transit? Early Open Vernier Theodolites and Transits

What is the difference between a theodolite and transit? The term “theodolite” can be traced...

08. The Topley Company – a Canadian Supplier of Survey Instruments

The Topley Company – a Canadian Supplier of Survey Instruments

07. Chaining – an Art and a Science

Steel band tapes, when introduced, were called chains and the act of measuring using a...

06. The Gunter’s Chain is Replaced by the Steel Band Chain

When the first township surveys in Western Canada were carried out, the Gunter’s chain was...

05. Surveys were to be Astronomical

It was common to use magnetic bearings for surveys during the 19th century using a...

04. Manuals of Instruction for the Dominion Lands Survey

In 1871, the survey of public lands commenced in what was then called Manitoba and...

The Survey of the Alberta-British Columbia Boundary 1913-1924

Part of the boundary between Alberta and British Columbia that followed the continental divide of...

03. Gunter’s Chain – a legacy of three centuries

Imagine designing something that would be used for three centuries. That is what Edmund Gunter...

02. Circumferentors – Made in Canada before Confederation

Circumferentors were used to survey Canadian settlements and international boundaries during the 1800s. They were...