Historical Planimetric Maps of Alberta from 1949 to 1952

1949 to 1952 aerial photography forms the basis for this historical map series covering parts of Alberta. The Government of Alberta provides the maps, which display features like the Alberta Township System, hydrography, roads, and pipelines. Maps are available in PDF, TIF, and some geo-referenced PNG formats, but coverage for the province is incomplete.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical land use and infrastructure changes based on depicted roads, pipelines, and transmission lines.
• Studying the evolution of hydrographic features in Alberta based on the mapped water bodies.
• Referencing historical municipal boundaries and the Alberta Township System for cadastral research.
• Creating historical map overlays for specific regions, contingent on the available map sheet coverage.

Strengths

• Maps are derived from aerial photographs taken during a defined period from 1949 to 1952.
• Series includes multiple feature types such as hydrography, roads, pipelines, and municipal boundaries.
• Available in multiple formats including PDF, TIF, and some geo-referenced PNG files.

Limitations

• Provincial coverage is incomplete and it is not known if further coverage will be added.
• Some geo-referenced PNG files are only roughly georeferenced with a few control points.
• Maps are not available as GIS-ready data, requiring manual processing for spatial analysis.

Provenance

Source

Government of Alberta

Collection Method

Derived from aerial photographs and printed as part of the Planimetric Series.

Time Range

1949-1952 (aerial photography), with some maps updated after initial publication.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-17 14:37:42.938038; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Alberta, Canada (incomplete coverage)