File:Map of the Red River Territory (1870) (2086983828).jpg

Lionais, E. H. Charles. Map of the Red River Territory [map]. 1,584,000. Montreal: Dawson Bros. Roberts, Reinhold & Co., 1870.

Dated 1870, this is one of the earliest maps to show the Province of Manitoba. It appears that the lithographer had already prepared a lithographic stone for this map with the name Red River Territory on it, at the time the new Province was created, so he simply inserted the new provincial boundaries and a new name of the area on the stone and printed another run. We can infer this from the fact that the boundary symbols, and the word Manitoba, were placed crudely over other lines on the map. In addition, an earlier version of this map without the boundaries and the name Manitoba has been found, giving substance to this interpretation. If my guess is correct, it reveals the haste with which maps of the new Canadian West were rushed to print. It appears that Lionais was heavily, and unfortunately, dependent upon S.J. Dawson, and to a degree upon Thomas Devine. He used the same hachure technique for the hills as Dawson and repeats the same errors. It must be admitted that on a small map like this the hachure technique certainly represents convincingly the felling of relief, erroneous though the relief is in many places. The height of land, for example, still marches boldly and incorrectly across the eastern half of the map, just as it did in Devine's map of 1857. Since this is a general purpose map the situation of Manitoba had to be shown, and this does show the three main entries into the Province, via York Factory, Lake Superior, and St. Paul. The less said about the depiction of the lakes the better. (Warkentin and Ruggles. Historical Atlas of Manitoba. map 94, p. 238)

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