A Map Made by Surveyors

Canada Centre for Mapping. (1966). Gleichen (West), Alberta [Map]. 1:50,000. Edition 1 ASE. Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. Canadiana, https://www.canadiana.ca/view/qmma.19978/1

This artefact did an important job of displaying the geographic composure and elevation around Gleichen in Western Alberta. Surveyors would design maps for other people who were also working on the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) who would decide which places the terrain would be most suitable for a set of train tracks. Factors like incline, if there were any unstable rocks above or unstable grounds below, and distance to water were all considered when deciding where the best place to put train tracks on would be. People in charge of building these tracks also had to keep in mind distances between where was best to put tracks and where tracks already were from previous building. The CPR could not afford to be built on tracks that came back around to utilize more favourable terrain every few kilometres, so bridges would be constructed to assist in keeping the CPR project as efficient as possible.