Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
History and detailed chronology of land districts
General material designation
- textual record
- cartographic material
- multiple media
Parallel title
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Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the series.
Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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[1935-1936] (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia. Surveys Branch
Physical description area
Physical description
6 cm of textual records and maps
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Surveys Branch was created as a unit of the Department of Lands in 1911. The branch took over surveying functions previously the responsibility of the Surveys Branch of the Department of Lands and Works (1871-1908). The branch was known as the Surveyor-General’s Department between 1911 and 1914, as the Surveys Branch between 1914 and 1949, as the Surveys and Mapping Service between 1949 and 1951, and as the Surveys and Mapping Branch between 1951 and 1975.
The branch was responsible for surveying Crown lands; collecting data from surveys of Crown lands done by private surveyors in support of applications for land pre-emptions, timber, mining, and water rights licenses and/or leases; compiling various types of reference maps for the use of the Department of Lands; and, providing public access to maps created by the branch.
The Surveys and Mapping Branch’s divisions were as follows:
1912-1919
Geographic Branch (though it was called a branch, this was a subordinate unit)
1919-1929
Surveys Division
Geographic Division
General Staff
1929-1949
Surveys Division
Geographic Division
Topographic Division
1949-1973
Legal Surveys Division
Geographic Division
Topographic Division
Air Surveys Division
Administration
1973-1975
Legal Surveys
Field Operations
Map Production Division
Administration
Chief Officers of the Surveys and Mapping Branch:
1908-1912 E.B. McKay
1912-1917 G.H. Dawson
1917-1930 J.E. Umbach
1930-1946 F.C. Green
1946-1950 N.C. Stewart
1950-1951 F.O. Morris
1951-1968 G.S. Andrews
1968-1975 A.H. Ralfs
Custodial history
Scope and content
This series consists of notes, maps, reports and descriptions of various land districts in British Columbia. This includes a hand written report titled "Report on the gazettings of land districts" by C.E. Tildesley, Legal Surveys, Dept. of Lands and Forests. The majority of the records appear to have been created in the 1930s, and cover the history of land districts from the 1860s to 1930s.
These records were created as an attempt at creating formal descriptions of every land district in BC. Previously, land districts had been created in an ad hoc manner, and the term "land district" had been used to describe any area in the province that had an official land register, which at the time of writing, applied to 83 land districts. Many of these districts never had an official description of their extent or boundary locations. Only some districts had been described through the use of an official survey map, and even fewer had a gazetted description with formal boundaries.
Extensive research was conducted on BC Gazettes and Dept. of Lands records to determine a chronological history for each district and what land districts did, or did not, have official maps and previously gazetted boundaries. Research was also conducted on the terminology used to define land districts over time, and potential overlap with mineral districts, electoral districts, school districts and other official boundaries. The terms land district, land recording district, lot district, land recording division, and land division had often used interchangeably until around 1909.
Records may relate to the following land districts: Alberni, Barclay, Bright, Cameron, Cariboo, Cassiar, Cedar, Chemainus, Clayoquat, Coast Range 1, Coast Range 2, Coast Range 3, Coast Range 4, Coast Range 5, Comiaken, Comox, Cowichan, Cowichan Lake, Cranberry, Douglas, Dunsmuir, Esquimalt, Goldstream, Helmcken, Highland, Kamloops, Kootenay, Lake, Lillooet, Malahat, Metchosin, Mountain, Nanaimo, Nanoose, Nelson, Newcastle, New Westminster, Nootka, Osoyoos, Otter, Oyster, Peace River, Quamichan, Quatsino, Queen Charlotte (Haida Gwaii), Renfrew, Rupert, North Saanich, South Saanich, Sahtlam, Sayward, Seymour, Shawnigan, Similkameen, Somenos, Sooke, Victoria, Wellington, Yale and various Gulf Islands.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Accessioned in 1983.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no access restrictions.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): G83-047
General note
Location note: These records are kept in offsite storage and must be specially ordered. Please write to request that they be ordered in at least five business days prior to your visit.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- British Columbia. Surveys Branch (Subject)