Richard Groot · 1979
Groot's programmatic account treats the 1974 fourth edition of The National Atlas of Canada as the current product while arguing that its users are hard to classify and its benefits hard to quantify. He reports that an EMR attempt to identify users and measure benefits was only partly successful, and he lists documented uses of the fourth edition's maps: research on the last ice age, a pipeline-route submission, pre-investment studies, illustration of Canadian economic potential, geography textbooks, public inquiries, tourist literature and specialized atlases.
Claire Gosson · 2006
In her historical account, Claire Gosson describes the fourth edition, published in 1974 under the new title The National Atlas of Canada. She reports that distributing map folios before the bound volume prompted a reassessment of national geographical information needs, and that a continuing national atlas program was officially adopted and supported at this time. The physical geography section combined maps, diagrams and explanatory notes on physiography, geology, hydrology, soils, vegetation and climate. Human geography covered exploration and development, territorial changes, population, education, religion, languages, and Indigenous populations identified as Indian and Inuit. The largest section addressed the Canadian economy, from primary resources and production to communications and retail trade.
