Alignment between the Aboriginal Lands data theme and other GeoBase themes

In most cases, users will find that the alignment between boundaries of Aboriginal Lands and other GeoBase features such as the National Hydrographic Network (NHN) and the National Road Network (NRN) fits well and falls within the accuracy of the data.

Example of proper alignment between limits of Aboriginal Lands and NHN data.

Example of proper alignment between limits of Aboriginal Lands and NRN data.

However in some cases, users will notice misalignments between boundaries of Aboriginal Lands and other features (e.g. river edge, road segment, etc.). These misalignments may be the result of various circumstances. Misalignment issues should always be verified with appropriate authorities and confirmed using legal documents and official survey plans. An hyperlink, which allows access to more detailed information, is provided with each Aboriginal Lands (See webReference descriptive attribute). The misalignment should never be assumed to be the simple result of inaccuracies in the data.

Road allowance

In the example below, the road allowance is excluded from the Aboriginal Lands and does not coincide with the NRN road segment. The parcel framework information shows that the road segment follows a road allowance which forms part of the Aboriginal Lands.

Example where road allowance is excluded from the Aboriginal Lands and does not coincide with the NRN road segment.

Previous example with parcel information as background.

Flooded lands

This case occurs when the Aboriginal Lands were granted before the dams, controlling the water levels, were built. In such cases, parts of the Aboriginal Land become flooded as shown in the example below. The parcel framework information shows that the parcel fabric follows the current water level but also that portions of the Aboriginal Lands are covered by water.

Example where a portion of land are flooded.

Example where a portion of land are flooded, but the limits correspond to the parcel informations.

Shore allowance

In some cases, a shore allowance is reserved and excluded from the Aboriginal Lands to allow for changing the water level to produce hydro-electricity. The example below shows a strip of land between the boundary of the Aboriginal Lands and the shore of the lake.

Example where a shore allowance is reserved and excluded from the Aboriginal Lands.

Extract from survey plan CLSR 80168 clearly shows the shore allowance excluded from the Aboriginal Lands.

Erosion (natural and imperceptible or sudden)

Erosion, whether it is sudden or natural and imperceptible, may, over time, affect the limits of Aboriginal Lands. Differences appear when comparing data collected at various periods (i.e. the Aboriginal Land limits and NHN shore lines). Both representations are good but only a new survey will confirm if the two are coincident or not.

Example where the limit of Aboriginal Lands and the river shorelines do not match.

Bed of water body granted

In some cases, the Aboriginal Lands include portions of water bodies. This case is different than the case of flooded lands described in the above example. These lands were always covered by water and it is the bed of the water body that was granted and forms part of the Aboriginal Lands.

Example where the bed of the water body was granted and forms part of the Aboriginal Lands.

Enlarged view of the previous example.

Inaccurate alignment

From time to time, the limits of Aboriginal Lands are inaccurately placed as a result of insufficient positioning information. As new more accurate information becomes available, some themes get improved while other data themes do not benefit from the same improvement. Any issue related to Aboriginal Lands alignment problems should be reported using the report a data observation section.

Example of incorrect alignment of the limits of Abotriginal Lands.