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Land Descriptions and Where They Come From
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, prior to the implementation of the new Land system in 2001, 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 it 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.
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 thirty-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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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).
Exceptions to a Legal Land Description
Sections, Quarter Sections and/or Legal Subdivisions could have a Metes and Bounds, or a Railway or a Roadway crossing its surface. Prior to the implementation of the Land system in 2001, these ‘missing’ portions were called ‘exceptions’ (note ‘exceptions’ to land descriptions were eliminated under the new Land system).