Geographic Information Systems - Fernow Forest Cover

In 1912, the Canadian federal Commission of Conservation published, "Forest Conditions of Nova Scotia", written by B.E. Fernow and assisted by C.D. Howe and J.H. White. The report was based on information gathered from a reconnaissance forest survey of the Province, carried out under the direction of Dr. B.E. Fernow, then Dean of the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto. The expense for the survey was paid for by the Government of Nova Scotia.

The GIS Section has digitized the original maps accompanying the report, and they are available for download below as shapefiles. PDF files of the original report and accompanying maps are also available below.

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Downloading Instructions

To download the self-extracting archive (*.exe) containing the Fernow shapefile, select it from the table below. Save the file to the desired location on your hard drive. Execute the downloaded file on your local computer to decompress the shapefiles - you will be offered the opportunity to select an output folder. You must be using Microsoft Windows. NR&R accepts no liability for any errors or deficiencies on this map.

Adobe Acrobat Reader *.pdf files of the original report and maps are also available for download, by selecting the appropriate link in the table.

Projection: UTM Zone 20N NAD83
Self-extracting archive contents:

  • fernow.shp (shapefile)
  • fernow.avl (ArcView 3.x legend)
  • fernow.lyr (ArcMap 9.x layer file)

PDFs of Original Regional Maps