Navigation/Maps
From PCSAR
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Topo Maps
The best available maps PCSAR has for the back country are topographic maps published by the Government of Canada.
These are called
- Formal Name: National Topographic System 1:50,000
- Military Designation: Series A 741
- Common Name: Topo Map
Advantages
- They are detailed
- They show the shape of the land and natural features
- They provide a UTM grid
- They cover all areas PCSAR is likely to respond to (and most of Canada)
- They are produced as quality map sheets
Disadvantages
- They are dated. Depending on the map, they were last updated in the 1970s. Which means man-made features such as roads, buildings, pipelines, cutlines may have been added.
- Map Datum is typically NAD 27. Most other sources are NAD 83/WGS 84.
- Elevation is typically shown in feet, rather than meters.
Locations
The 1:50,0000 maps cover a quarter degree of latitude north/south, about 28 km. East/west they cover half a degree of longitude, which in our area is about 36 km.
Each map is given a name which refers to a prominent feature on the map. But the maps are also given an alphanumeric designation, which is how you order them. For instance, 82 G/8, is the Beaver Mines map.
You can read an online description of how these designations are numbered.
To figure out which map you need for an area.
- Use an online tool, like Map Town's.
- Pick up an "index" map. (download)
- Look on the bottom right of an existing map for a diagram showing the designations of adjacent maps
The most common maps PCSAR uses:
- 82 G/8, "Beaver Mines": most of the forested and mountainous areas south and west of Pincher Creek
- 82 G/1, "Sage Creek": the south end of the South and West Castle valleys, west end of Waterton Park, SE corner of BC, to the US border
- 82 G/9, "Blairmore": Lee Lake, east end of Crowsnest Pass
- 82 H/4, "Waterton Lakes": east end of the park, to the US Border
- 82 H/5, "Pincher Creek": areas east and south of Pincher Creek
- 82 H/12, "Brocket": Beaver Creek in south east Porcupine Hills
- 82 G/10, "Crowsnest": west end of Crowsnest Pass, Sparwood, Corbin
Purchasing Cautions
The maps have been updated in a sequence of numbered "editions", shown in the lower right corner. The latest edition is usually Edition 2 or Edition 3. It's unusual to find an outdated edition being sold.
For a few locations, especially national parks and the adjacent areas on the same map, a new edition has been created where the map elevations have been converted to metric. These are typically Edition 4. Unfortunately when redrawing the contour lines, they have been computer interpolated, rather than replotted from the original (or new) aerial photographs. As a result there is less detail when examining the shape of the land. These maps have also been converted to WGS 84 (a good thing). In total, having the pre-metric earlier edition, if you can find it, would probably be better.
The Government of Canada no longer prints these maps itself. They have allowed private companies to print them. As a result the quality is uneven. Check for:
- Registration issues. We've found some maps where one of the coloured inks is shifted to a different position relative to the other inks. As a result features of that colour are shown in the wrong position. Check the edges of the map where colours of area features should all reach to but not cross the map borders.
- Single sided. The maps should have a key of symbols (legend) on the back side. Each map has its own legend including any unusual symbols on that map.
- Folded. Maps may be sold folded instead of rolled. The folding will make it harder to use the maps on a map table. If you're going to use the map in the field instead, you'll probably want the creases in different places, and the original creases will make handling the map difficult.
Make sure you're clear you're asking for the 1:50,000 maps. There's a separate series that is 1:250,000 which covers more area but has less detail.
Sources
- downloadable topo maps
- 82G/8 (Beaver Mines)
Local outdoor stores tend to stock these map.
In Pincher Creek, you can get them at the museum (Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village).
Mountain Equipment Coop stocks them, but they are sold folded, not rolled.
In Calgary, Map Town is a good supplier.
