Historical Planimetric Maps of Alberta from 1949-1952

1949 to 1952 aerial photographs form the basis for this historical map series covering Alberta. The Government of Alberta provides these maps, which display township systems, hydrography, roads, pipelines, and municipalities. Maps are available in PDF, TIF, and some geo-referenced PNG formats, but coverage is incomplete and not GIS-ready.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical land use patterns based on the Alberta Township System (ATS) grid
• Tracking changes in infrastructure like roads and pipelines based on depicted features
• Studying historical hydrography and water features from the map overlays
• Comparing municipal boundaries and development from the mid-20th century

Strengths

• Maps derived from aerial photographs taken during a specific period (1949-1952)
• Displays multiple concrete features: Alberta Township System, hydrography, highways, roads, pipelines, transmission lines, and municipalities
• Available in multiple file formats (PDF, TIF, some PNG)
• Some maps were updated after initial publication, providing more current dates

Limitations

• Coverage for the province is incomplete and further coverage is uncertain
• Maps are not available as GIS-ready data, limiting direct analysis
• Some geo-referenced PNG files are roughly georeferenced with only a few control points
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download

Provenance

Source

Government of Alberta

Collection Method

Derived from aerial photographs and printed as monochrome maps using the National Topographic System (NTS)

Time Range

1949-1952 (photography), maps initiated in 1949

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-17 14:49:02.644343; freshness should be verified

Geography

Alberta, Canada