Historical Topographic Maps: 1:50,000 Index

This topographic map index is a finding aid for map sheets of the 1:50,000 series of the National Topographic System (NTS) Historical Topographic Maps of Canada. Production on this series began in 1950 and continues today.

This digitized collection includes over 2700 individual topographic map sheets for the Province of Ontario produced between 1950 and 2011, and over 2000 individual, 1st edition topographic maps for urban areas across Canada. Maps cover mostly populated and border regions, and show both natural and man-made features such as relief, spot heights, administrative boundaries, secondary and side roads, railways, trails, wooded areas, waterways including lakes, rivers, streams and rapids, bridges, buildings, mills, power lines, terrain, and land formations.

Once this index is added to the map, clicking on the index tiles will indicate the topographic map coverage. This allows early topographic maps to be found based on regions of interest. When a tile is selected, this search box will populate with all relevant maps that include coverage of the selected area, in chronological order. Maps can then be viewed on the map sheet, downloaded, or explained in greater detail.

Content advisory: The topographic maps on this site are historical documents that reflect the time and environment in which they were created. Some maps may contain place names and other terms that may be racist, offensive, or derogatory. Many of these place names have been officially rescinded in the years since the creation of the maps, and the Geographic Names Board of Canada, along with provincial naming authorities, continue the ongoing work of removing offensive place names from the Canadian Geographical Names Database (CGNDB). For historical and research purposes, we offer access to these maps in their complete original and unchanged form with the intention of representing Canada’s history of racial and colonial discrimination, and the ensuing legacy of this harm. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us at topomaps@scholarsportal.info.