Historical Topographic Map Digitization Project
Preserving Ontario’s Past
The Historical Topographic Map Digitization project was initiated by the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) Geo Community in 2014. It is a 2.5 year initiative to digitize and georeference early-to-mid 20th century historical topographic maps covering the province of Ontario at the scales of 1:25,000 and 1:63,360. The goal is to create and provide access to high-resolution map scans that preserve historical topographic information and meet the needs of current and future users.
The maps on the home page represent a sampling of the over 1000 maps in the historical topographic maps collection. Please select Full Collection below to view more.
Full Collection
To find maps by sheet name or NTS sheet number, use the search box or scroll through the list below. Once you have found a map, select View in GeoPortal to visualize this map in the Scholars GeoPortal. This will overlay the map onto a current base map, allowing you to explore changes over time. It will also provide you with more detailed information about the map itself.
Please note that the map sheet name does not always correspond to the place name. For example, all early maps of London, ON were titled Lucan or St. Thomas. If you are unable to find the place you are looking for by using the search box below, consult Natural Resources Canada’s name search to find the NTS number for that location.
You can also search for maps by accessing the map indexes directly in the Scholars GeoPortal. Consult the Using the Maps section for more information on using the map indexes and searching for maps in Scholars GeoPortal.
Please be advised that the maps on this site are historical documents that reflect the time and environment in which they were created, and they may contain place names that are offensive. The maps are offered in their complete original form for historical and research purposes. You can find more information on the “About the Maps” page.