From an aerial view, the surveyed portion of Saskatchewan looks like a grid. This grid illustrates how the province has been divided into smaller portions over the years to lay the groundwork for land ownership and development. The grid is the result of Saskatchewan's Land Survey System, which is the basis for describing land to the current day.

The Land Survey System

The original township surveys divided Saskatchewan’s land into a series of smaller, mostly equal portions called townships.  Details about each township are recorded on township plans, available for viewing on our website to anyone with an account. It is common to hear rural Saskatchewan people talk about the land they own according to this grid. You might hear a Saskatchewan farmer say something like this: “My grandfather bought the South East Quarter of Section 2, Township 38, Range 18, West of the Third Meridian in 1909.”

The Land Survey System covers mostly the southern portion of Saskatchewan. Much of the land in northern Saskatchewan is not surveyed.

The Land Survey System

The Land Survey System is based on establishing well-defined boundaries to lands using standardized techniques and the placement of monuments. The System had its beginnings with the Dominion Land Survey System in 1871. Understanding how the Land Survey System was created and has evolved is essential in understanding how land in Saskatchewan is measured today.

Find out more about how Saskatchewan land is measured by clicking on the links below:
The Township System
Western Canada's Meridians