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Hi Jane. I note from Cobb's Guide to US Map Resources that U. of Iowa is a depos
itory for Canadian topo maps.
If you look at 1: 250,000 scale map no. 62F, you'll be able to find E 1/2 of S15
,T8, R33 WPM. Unfortunately, this is nowhere near Last Mountain Lake, but since
it is a precise description, I'm presuming that it's the right area. Looking at
the left side of the map will show you the township and range numbers in the
margins of the map. The sections are overprinted in a grey grid. The Canadian
system numbers the sections from the LOWER right corner of the twp., whereas
the USPLS starts at the upper right corner. Thus a theoretical Section 15 in
Canada would be a Sect. 22 in the US.
If you have 1: 50,000 sheets in your collection, the appropriate map is 62F/12.
Section 15 is immediatelt to the west of the Antler River. It's bounded to the
south by a grey line just above "oil wells", on the east by a grey line concea--
led by a brown contour line, and on the north and west by dashed orange lines.
 
Note also that a 160 acre parcel of land would normally be designated NE or SE,
rather than East. East would refer to 2 qtr. sections, or 320 acres.
 
Explanations of the Canadian system, known as the Dominion Lands Survey, can be
found in the following:
     McKercher, Robert & Wolfe, Bertram.  Understanding Western Canada's Dom-
     inion Lands Survey System.  Saskatoon: Univ. of Saskatchewan Division of
     Extension & Community Services, 1986. CDN $10.00  ISBN 0-88880-164-5.
 
     Nicholson, N.L. & Sebert, L.M. The Maps of Canada: a guide to official
     Canadian maps, charts, atlases and gazetteers. Hamden, Conn.: Archon
     Books, 1981.  ISBN 0-208-01782-8
 
As well, the Canadian Dept. of Energy, Mines & Resources publishes a base
map entitled Prairie Provinces, at the scale of 1: 2,000,000. It's available
from the Canada Map Office for $8.65, plus $3.50 handling charge. The stock
no. is MCR 27. This map clearly shows the meridians, ranges and townships.
You can use it to identify the appropriate area if you have a legal desc-
ription expressed in meridians, ranges and townships, and then go to the
standard index to western Canadian topo maps to select the right 1: 50,000
and/or !: 250,000 sheets.
 
                                                    - Tim Ross
                                                      Univ. of British Columbia
                                                      Vancouver