MEN WHO MADE THE SURVEY

Abstract

This article, by the senior official of the largest surveying and mapping organization in Canada, establishes a perspective view of surveying history in the country by reviewing the careers of some of the outstanding personalities who contributed to the development of the organization. The list of personalities begins with David Thompson, the famous geographer, who served as astronomer and surveyor with the International Boundary Commission and who provided the information for the very accurate maps that were later used by the Geological Survey. One of the users of these maps was W. H. Boyd, under whom the Topographical Division in the Geological Survey of the Department of Mines and the aerial mapping unit from the Topographical Surveying Branch of the Department of the Interior were first combined, as the Topographical Survey Division of the Department of Mines and Resources. Another prominent surveyor who worked on the International Boundary Commission was William Ogilvie, much of whose life has been described in writings by Pierre Berton. Mentioned among the Dominion Land surveyors whose work contributed materially to the development of the present Legal Surveys and Aeronautical Charts Division of the Surveys and Mapping Branch of the Department of Alines and Technical Surveys are Lt. Col. J. S. Dennis, first Surveyor General of Dominion Lands, Lindsay Russell, Dr. E. DeVille, A. O. Wheeler, Dr. W. F. King, Dr. Otto Klotz, and R. D. Davidson, one of the pioneers in aerial surveying. The founders of the Canadian Hydrographic Service were John Boulton, an officer of the Royal Navy who conducted the first hydrographic surveys carried out, in Georgian Bay, for a department of the Canadian Government, and William Stewart, the first Chief Hydrographer, who had first served on the Great Lakes surveys as Boulton’s assistant. The growth of the Army Survey Establishment has been closely related to the work of the brothers Captain W. B. and Captain T. V. Anderson, both of whom later became generals, “Pa” Phelan, R. D. Davidson, and Major, now General, E. L. M. Burns. The founding both of the Dominion Observatory and the Geodetic Survey of Canada are attributable largely to Dr. W. F. King, who also rendered valuable service as Inspector of Surveys and as Commissioner for various sections of the International Boundary. One of his successors as Dominion Geodesist was J. L. Rannie, “the apostle of the optical theodolite.” Although the Map Compilation and Reproduction Division was officially formed only in 1947, its roots lie in many departments of government and its work really started with the printing of township plans for the Department of the Interior in 1872. The various survey organizations of the Federal Government have benefited greatly by co-operation with the National Research Council and the Royal Canadian Air Force.