Some elements in the development of the national atlas of Canada

Summary

This article examines several key elements in the early development of the National Atlas of Canada. It notes that the first reference atlases of Canada were published in 1906 and 1915, both in English, and that by 1937 the need for a new edition reflecting Canada's bilingual character in national affairs was increasingly felt. In December 1948, the federal government decided that the Geographical Branch of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys should prepare such an edition. Since no records of earlier editions survived, this was essentially an entirely new project. An Atlas Committee, composed of representatives from major governmental agencies, was established to consider broad project issues, including the atlas's purposes, physical format and basic scales, the organization of subject matter (topical, regional, or both), and whether the atlas should be bilingual. Actual production was exclusively handled by the Geographical Branch, covering compilation, layout, design, drafting, and liaison with the printing agency. The article systematically presents the core decisions faced during the planning and production phases, offering valuable insight into the early development of a national atlas project.