A Chain Of Surveyor Stories

Nova Scotia Land Surveyors have experienced many diverse circumstances in their efforts to define and maintain the land tenure system of the Province. In the course of their survey work they all have reminiscences and anecdotes of unique experiences, distinctive characters, historical discoveries, bizarre deed descriptions, involved technical surveys, out of the way locations, differing opinions, etc. that have cropped up over time.

Many are the tales told during evenings in a wilderness survey camp or wherever surveyors gather at their leisure. This anthology is just a small collection of surveyors' stories gathered from the authors.

Here are some photos from Dave's early surveying career, to help set the scene:

Making tea for lunch on survey line, St. Anns Mountain, summer 1962

Mike Milner, Ron Wallis, John Covert, Ken MacDonald, Bob Fulton, Carleton Warner, parking lot of NSLSI, 1961

Hydrographic survey launch, Harbour Breton, NL, 1960

Ron Wallis, NSLSI, 1961

Dave Clark, turning angles for resection exercise, Clarence, NS, 1960

Nova Scotia Land Survey Institute building, Lawrencetown, NS

Axemen, Crown Land survey crew, Kelly’s Mtn., 1962

Dave Clark on winter survey, western Quebec, 1959

Dave Clark setting up transit on woodlot survey, 1959

Dave Clark, turning angles for resection survey, Clarence, NS, 1960

Dave Clark, survey for hydro transmission line, Poltimore, PQ, 1959

Survey crew, Gatineau Power Co, western Quebec, 1959

Instrumentman, set up over cedar corner post near Notre Dame de Salette, PQ, 1959

NS Dept. of Lands and Forests survey crew, Victoria County, Cape Breton, 1962

Land Survey Class of 1962, NSLSI

Photo of 1900s Haskett-Smith survey crew on proposed Earltown Railway

Surveyor's staff compass, 66 foot surveyor's link chain and chainage pins

Section of DesBarres Grant at Tatamagouche, redrawn from of 1827 survey by James McNab, Dep.Sur.

A modern photo of a surveyor's chain

A Chain Of Surveyor Stories (volume 1) - now available in both softcover and Kindle edition

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