The Atlas of Canada Project

Summary

The Atlas of Canada, published by the Federal Government in December 1958, represents a landmark national cartographic reference. This paper traces the atlas’s historical development, from initial proposals in 1905 and the 1915 revised edition, through renewed calls in the 1930s culminating in a 1945 Canadian Social Science Research Council report that recommended federal production. Following a governmental decision, an interdepartmental advisory committee was established, with sub-committees from multiple federal departments and input from provincial and private experts. Planning was completed by 1954. Production began with the creation of base maps employing the Lambert Conformal Conic projection (standard parallels 49° and 77°, modified north of 80°N). Four primary scales were adopted—1:10,000,000, 1:20,000,000, 1:5,000,000, and 1:2,300,000—maintaining simple numerical relationships for national, multi-map, sectional, and regional coverage. Material compilation and cartographic design proceeded until the first sheet went to press in 1956. The atlas’s 110 plates are arranged sequentially to narrate Canada’s internal development and international linkages: early exploration routes and historical maps, contemporary topographic and aeronautical charts, physical geography, human resources, economic resource use, and the spatial distribution of institutions, settlements, and political evolution from colonial times to the mid‑20th century, including international political affiliations. This structure offers a holistic spatial narrative of Canada’s evolving geographical identity.