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Manual of Instructions for the Survey of Dominion Lands, 1st to 10th Editions

This section contains the general instructions of the Surveyor General published in the 1st to 10th editions of the Manual. All editions are available online as scanned images only. The publications were only printed in English. French versions were never produced. Consult the Guide to Standards for Surveys, Survey Plans & Survey Records of Dominion and Canada Lands (in preparation) for further historical details.

The Supplement to the Manual of Instructions contains information that at one time formed part of the Manual of Instructions. It contains directions for determining the astronomical and magnetic meridians, on the use of instruments, and on problems connected with surveying the various township systems of Western Canada. In particular, it contains a number of tables specially adapted to these township surveys.

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Availability of Manuals of Instruction for the Survey of Canada Lands 1-3 editions
Manual Date in Force File format
1st Edition 1871 PDF
Amendments 1880 PDF
2nd Edition 1881 PDF
3rd Edition 1883 PDF
4th Ed. First Part - Preliminary 1890 PDF
4th Edition 1892 PDF
5th Ed. First Part 1902 PDF
5th Edition 1903 PDF
Amendments 1904
6th Edition 1905 PDF
Amendments 1906 PDF
Amendments 1908 PDF
Resurvey Instructions 1908 PDF
7th Edition 1910 PDF
Maps and Specimen Plans 1910 PDF
8th Edition 1913 PDF
9th Edition 1918 PDF
Maps and Specimen Plans 1918 PDF
10th Edition 1946 PDF
10th Edition (Reprint) 1956 PDF
Amendment (sec. 118) 1982 PDF
Supplements to the Survey of Dominion Lands
Supplement Date in Force File format
Gen. Report of Operations 1869-89
(2nd Section - DLS System Theory)
1892 PDF
1st Edition 1908 PDF
Amendments (Table XVII) no date
2nd Edition 1917 PDF
Amendments (Table XIII) no date

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