Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan
Measuring Land In Saskatchewan
Measuring Land in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan’s provincial boundaries are in the shape of a trapezoid. As such, the
titles to the land are ideally suited to a quadrilateral grid creating large parcels of
land each consisting of 36 mile square townships. Each square parcel within the
township is known as a "section" each being one mile square and consisting of 640
acres each. Title to each section may be further subdivided either into half-mile
square 160-acre "quarters" and 40-acre sixteenths ("legal subdivisions" or LSD's).
Urban lands and smaller parcels may then be created either by survey plans or by
metes and bounds description.
Western Canada’s Meridians
The first Dominion survey of the West began in 1871 and the grid system required
that a Meridian be chosen. The First or Prime Meridian was established at 97
degrees 27'28.4" west longitude. It passes just west of Winnipeg.
The events surrounding the choice of the First Meridian constitute a colorful chapter
of western Canadian history. The location of the First Meridian was chosen
because marked the western limit of settlement.
Since 1871, surveyors established 2 new Meridians within Saskatchewan's
boundaries: Part of the Prime or First Meridian, and all of the Second and Third
Meridians.
N
60°
118°W
114°W
110°W
REGINA
106°W
102°W
AN
ERIDI
IME M
OR PR
RIDIAN
SECOND ME
122°W
CALGARY
SASKATOON
THIRD MERIDIAN
KAMLOOPS
FIFTH MERIDIAN
EDMONTON
FIRST
SASKATCHEWAN
FOURTH MERIDIAN
VICTORIA
MANITOBA
ALBERTA
SIXTH ME
RIDIAN
VANCOUVER
SEVEN
TH ME
RIDIA
N
BRITISH
COLUMBIA
97°27
Saskatchewan’s
Meridians
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Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan
Measuring Land In Saskatchewan
Townships and Ranges
Using the principal Meridian as a reference line for East and West direction and
using the 49 degree parallel of latitude as a reference line for the North and South
direction, the basic grid system took its form.
The numbers that run North and South count the Township lines and the numbers
that run East and West count the Range lines.
One “square” on the Saskatchewan Grid Map is called a Township.
A full Township consists of 36 Sections and is approximately six miles square in
size.
The basic grid is formed by the intersection of Township lines running East and
West and Range lines running North and South.
West 3rd Meridian (W3M)
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West 2nd Meridian (W2M)
W1M
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Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan
Measuring Land In Saskatchewan
Township Grid System
Counting along the 49th parallel (which is the US Border) the first Range in the
diagram is Range 30. West of Range 30 is Range 31 and so on until you reach the
2nd Meridian.
In the Second and Third Meridians the Ranges begin at 1 and continue westward to
Range 30.
The description for the highlighted square in the diagram is Township 1,
Range 30, West of the 1st Meridian.
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Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan
Measuring Land In Saskatchewan
Township to Section
Townships are divided into Sections.
A full Township consists of 36 Sections and is approximately six miles square in
size. Sections are numbered beginning with 1 in the South East corner of the
Township and ending with 36 in the North East Corner.
Every Section contains 640 acres of land and is approximately 1 square mile in
size.
Section 36
N
T H IR D S Y S T E M O F S U R V E Y
The number 36 in the
diagram refers to the
Section Number of that
Township.
31
32
33
34
35
36
30
29
28
27
26
25
19
20
21
22
23
24
W
E
18
17
16
15
14
13
7
8
9
10
11
12
6
5
4
3
2
1
S
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Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan
Measuring Land In Saskatchewan
Quarter Section
A Section is made up of 4 Quarter Sections. The Quarters in a Section are
described as the North East (NE), North West (NW), South East (SE) and South
West (SW) Quarters.
Each Quarter Section is approximately 160 acres (65 hectares) and is described by
its compass direction. For example, North and West = NW ¼.
NW
NE
2
SW
SE
Legal Subdivisions
Every Section is divided into 16 Legal Subdivisions of approximately 40 acres (16
hectares) each. 4 Legal Subdivisions make up one-quarter section
The highlighted portion in the diagram below shows that the North East Quarter of
Section 15, is made up of the Legal Subdivisions numbered 9, 10, 15 & 16
13
14
NW
12
16
15
NE
11
10
9
7
8
15
5
6
SW
4
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SE
3
2
1
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Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan
Measuring Land In Saskatchewan
Quarter Legal Subdivisions
Although infrequent, legal subdivisions may be further divided into quarters that are
described by compass direction. Each of these small areas is one quarter of a legal
subdivision and 10 acres (4 hectares) in area.
The 1st legal subdivision in the diagram below has been divided into quarters.
The 2nd and 8th legal subdivisions have been divided into halves (2 quarters).
13
14
NW
12
NE
11
7
SW
8
Each half is twoquarter LSD’s
SE
N 1/2
4
9
E 1/2
6
10
W 1/2
5
16
15
3
NW
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Quarter LSD
1
2
S 1/2
NE
SW
SE
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Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan
Measuring Land In Saskatchewan
Exceptions to a Legal Land Description
Sections, Quarter Sections and/or Legal Subdivisions may have a Metes and
Bounds, or a Railway or a Roadway crossing its surface. These “missing” portions
are called ‘Exceptions’.
95R52398
NW
NE
NW
NE
Canadian National Railway
2
1
C of T
SW
SE
Part Parcel
Water not granted by the
Crown is also considered
to be an “Exception” to
the parcel of land.
SW
Roadway/Right of Way
NW
LAKE 2
NE
16
SW
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SE
Road
SE
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