iFamily History: Dominion Land Survey (DLS) and Public Land Survey System (PLSS)

Differences between Dominion Land Survey (DLS) and Public Land Survey System (PLSS).

The DLS is based on the American PLSS with some distinctive differences. Two main differences between PLSS and the DLS are:

The Public Land Survey System [PLSS] used in USA system starts numbering the townships with 1 at the east as the Canadian but the 1 is at the top right-hand corner. The DLS starts the 1 at the south-east corner, starting at the border.

Canadian DLS Township layout. Section 34 highlighted

United States PLSS Township Layout. Section 36 in orange.

The PLSS did not include road allowances. DLS includes road allowances which add to the grid which gives problems to accuracy.

The PLSS has multiple meridians that do not go from North to South from the Canadian border to the Mexican border. They are not uniform.

The Canadian Meridians

Canada and US Meridian maps from Wikipedia.

About Lianne Kruger

Genealogy

I researched my paternal grandmother's line to the first three white landowners of Canada in the 80's. I began genealogy going on genealogy trips in Ontario, England, and Scotland at graveyards with my mother starting at age 7 on. As a teenager, I sat in front of a microfilm reader with a list of names every Saturday at an FHL while my mother volunteered helping others.

I have spoken at Genealogical conferences and sessions at RootsTech (UT), FamilyRoots (UT), The Genealogy Show (in Birmingham, UK) as well as in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ogden, and Ontario.

Click on My Speaking Experience for session titles.

I have articles published on BYU Studies Quarterly magazine website and FamilySearch as well as AGS Relatively Speaking and Tree Climber.

Click on My Publications for complete list.