Wilson-Ford Surveying & Engineering Ltd.

07/30/2026

Many of the main road systems in the areas surrounding us were established as colonization roads historically known with names such as The Toronto-Sydenham Road, the Garafraxa Road, the Durham Road and the Elora Road among others. We are going to focus on The Toronto-Sydenham Road for this post and will follow up with posts regarding the other colonization roads in future weeks.
The Toronto-Sydenham Road, which we now know as Highway 10, roughly follows a 19th century stagecoach route. It travelled north from Dundas Street in Cooksville (Mississauga) through Brampton, Orangeville and Shelburne to Sydenham (now Owen Sound). Surveyor Charles Rankin was ordered by the government in 1848 to survey what would become known as The Toronto-Sydenham Road to attract settlers. As you can imagine, the task of the surveyors in surveying these colonization roads was arduous and very dangerous. The early surveyors also faced challenges in accuracy due to primitive instruments and high pressure to complete the work quickly.
The junction of what is now Chatsworth marks a diversion of the two major routes in and out of the area being what we now know as now Highway 10 and Highway 6, which was originally the Garafraxa Road.

The Toronto-Sydenham Road Heritage Plaque can be found in Memorial Park in Chatsworth and reads as follows: “The northern terminus of this early "colonization road" was located near here at its junction with the "Garafraxa Road". In 1848 the government ordered Charles Rankin, P.L.S., to survey a road from Melancthon Township through the present counties of Grey and Dufferin which would attract settlers and provide a more direct connection between Sydenham (Owen Sound) and Toronto. Free grants of 20 ha lots were given to persons fulfilling the required settlement duties, and by 1851 some 400 families had taken up land. In 1852 almost 64 km of the road had been opened although portions were still impassable for wagons. Most of this old settlement road is still in use as Highway 10.”

04/01/2026

Spring appears to be here – finally! Melting snow causing standing water can still be an issue for our field crew but we are happy to see the snow melting. As the old saying goes “April showers bring May flowers” and weather can cause us delays at all times of the year. If you are looking for survey work this year whether a boundary markout for fence construction or other project around the house, new home construction, a severance or any survey work, contact our office as early as possible to get your project on our schedule. Have a question or need more information? Call us at 519-323-2451 or email [email protected].

03/17/2026

03/10/2026

Treaties, Promises (?), and the Courts

In our previous posts we traced the surveyors who mapped Bruce, Grey, Huron and Wellington Counties — men who walked the land with compasses and chains, cutting roads through dense forest. But before those first survey lines were drawn, this land was governed by a different legal framework entirely: treaties between the Crown and First Nations peoples. And unlike the survey monuments those early surveyors planted, many of those treaties are far from settled.

The Treaties That Shape This Land

The territory covered by our posts — Bruce, Grey, Huron and Wellington Counties — sits within lands governed by a series of historic treaties, most notably Treaty 45½ (1836) and Treaty 72 (1854). Treaty 45½ saw the Chippewas and Ottawas surrender vast tracts south of Owen Sound, with the Crown promising to protect the Saugeen Peninsula in perpetuity. Within two decades, that promise was broken, and Treaty 72 followed — an agreement the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) has long argued was signed under pressure and on unfair terms.

Still in the Courts Today

These are not merely historical grievances. The SON’s treaty claim, launched in 1994, resulted in courts confirming that the Crown breached its 1836 promise. Compensation and remedy proceedings are ongoing. In 2025, SON launched a further $167.6 million lawsuit against Ontario relating to quarry operations and the Goderich salt mine — the largest in the world — operating on ancestral lands without fair compensation or meaningful consultation.
Further north, the 2024 Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Robinson Huron Treaty annuity case found the Crown in breach of treaty promises stretching back to 1875 — nearly 150 years of underpayment. A $10 billion settlement followed with 21 First Nations, though at least one nation’s claim remains unresolved. In northern Ontario, ten Treaty 9 First Nations are challenging who holds governance authority over roughly two-thirds of the province’s land mass, a case with profound implications for resource development.

Two Perspectives Worth Understanding

First Nations’ position is consistent: treaties are solemn, nation-to-nation agreements, not historical footnotes, and the Crown must honour what was promised. The Crown’s position has historically been that treaty rights exist within the framework of existing provincial and federal law. Courts have increasingly sided with a more expansive view — that treaties are living documents requiring meaningful, ongoing fulfilment.

For surveyors, this history is not abstract. The lot lines, road allowances and property corners we locate every day were established on lands subject to these treaties. Understanding the legal and cultural context of the land is part of understanding the land itself. To learn more about our survey services across Bruce, Grey, Huron and Wellington Counties, visit us at wilsonford.ca.

03/06/2026

Sunday, March 8 is International Women’s Day!
Women have made significant strides in the survey profession, yet they remain underrepresented, facing various challenges while contributing to the industry’s growth and diversity.
We at Wilson-Ford Surveying & Engineering are proud to employ women in both office and field staff positions.

“If you want something said, ask a man;
if you want something done, ask a woman.” ― Margaret Thatcher

03/03/2026

This week we will focus on a limited history of Wellington County, where we provide survey services quite frequently. The land now known as Wellington County was not vacant land prior to the arrival of Europeans in Canada but home to numerous First Nations and subject to historic treaties signed between the Crown and Indigenous peoples. One of the earliest treaties was signed in 1836 (Saugeen Treaty 45 ½) in which the Chippewas and Ottawas surrendered their territory and were ‘moved’ to other portions of their territory north of Owen Sound. Apparently, this move was to enable them to become “civilised”. More to follow on various Treaties in upcoming posts.
Surveying in Wellington County began in earnest during the 1790s with Augustus Jones surveying the “Jones Baseline” in 1792. Surveying of the townships followed to facilitate settlement. As was the case in Grey County, Charles Rankin, a government surveyor, was one of the key figures mapping roads such as the Elora Road (Highway 9) and the Owen Sound Road (Highway 6) guided by Ojibway Chief Nawash. These early surveys often relied on Indigenous knowledge to locate rivers and navigate the landscape. In April of 1837 Mr. Rankin was commissioned by the Surveyor General of Upper Canada to survey a line of road from Oakville on the North side of Lake Ontario to Owen Sound, establishing the general location of what is now Highway 6 from Arthur to Owen Sound.
There was no significant settlement in what is now Wellington County until the 1820s. Prior to that, the area was largely unexplored on maps and was moved from one jurisdiction to another. By the late 1830s Upper Canada consisted of 20 districts and one of these in 1838 was the District of Wellington. In its original form it consisted of much of the later Wellington, Waterloo, Grey and Dufferin Counties. After numerous changes, Wellington County became its own entity in much the same shape as today in 1854.
As we mentioned in our previous post on the history of Huron County, there are seven distinct systems of township surveys adopted by the executive government in Upper Canada (Ontario). Wellington County was laid out using three of these. The Townships of Eramosa and Nichol were the earliest to be laid out in 1819 using the double-front system which was the specified methodology of laying out the lots and concessions, and not in groups of lots. Road allowances were set out one chain in width and between alternate concessions and every third, or fifth lot. The same method was used for the Townships of West Garafraxa and Erin in 1821 and Puslinch starting in 1828. The Townships of Minto and Pilkington were laid out in 1853 using the 1,000-acre sectional system with 100-acre size Parcels in sections of 10. The 2,400-acre sectional system was utilised for the Townships of Maryborough (1849), Peel (1843), Arthur (1841) and West Luther (1854) which were created with 200-acre size Parcels grouped in sections of 12.
Early surveys were often hampered by incorrect mapping, such as the initial belief that the Saugeen River was the Maitland River. In addition, parts of the county posed challenges due to glacial, rocky, or swampy terrain, resulting in unique, non-grid-like survey patterns in some spots.
The survey boundaries established in the 1820s through 1850s still define the lot lines, road allowances, and property corners across Wellington County today. When questions arise about your property boundaries, easements, encroachments, or land development, those original survey monuments are often exactly what we’re searching for. Understanding this history is not just fascinating — it is fundamental to resolving modern land questions accurately.
Do you have a land question in Wellington County? Whether you’re planning a severance, dealing with a boundary dispute, or starting a development project, we’d love to help. Contact us today for a free consultation and let our team put two centuries of surveying history to work for you.
📍 We’re curious — do you know which of the original Wellington County townships your property sits in? Let us know in the comments below!
Next week: We’ll be diving deeper into the history of Indigenous land treaties in Ontario and what they mean for surveyors and landowners today. Stay tuned!

02/24/2026

This week’s feature is Huron County, which was established in 1841, but it’s history began long before that. We must go back to 1826 when the Canada Company was established to develop portions of then Upper Canada such as the Huron Tract. This area of 1,100,000 acres, purchased for the outrageous sum of $295,000, had as it’s mission to provide inexpensive land to immigrants. However, this area was already inhabited for several thousand years by the First Nations such as Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Mississauga and Neutral peoples to which was their ancestral lands.
The area was crucial to the early fur trade. Surveying began in the late 1820s driven by the Canada Company’s purchase noted above. Led by surveyors like Mahlon Burwell and John MacDonald, crews cut the foundational Huron Road (now Highway 7/8 and 8 ) from Guelph to Goderich in 1827 using compasses and 66-foot chains to establish townships and roads. The expedition from Guelph to Lake Huron to survey the initial route relied heavily on indigenous guides. Following the initial trail the main Huron Road was surveyed facilitating settlement in the late 1820s and 1830s. By 1846 the Canada Land Company, its agents, surveyors, contractors and employees had accomplished the surveying of the entire area as well as construction of various transportation routes, such as a sleigh track and road from Wilmot to Goderich (now Highway 8 ), a road from London to Goderich (now Highway 4) and from Bayfield to Goderich (now Highway 21).
Of the seven distinct systems of township surveys adopted by the executive government in Upper Canada (Ontario), Huron County was laid out using four. The Townships of Colborne, Hay, Stephen, Usborne, Tuckersmith, McKillop, Hullett, Grey, Turnberry, and Howick were created in a 1,000-acre sectional system with 100-acre size Parcels in sections of 10. The 2,400-acre sectional system was utilised for the Townships of Wawanosh, Stanley and Ashfield with 200-acre size Parcels grouped in sections of 12. The Township of Morris was created as a single-front township (which refers to the boundaries the surveyor was to demarcate) and not in groups or sections. The Township of Goderich however was created in a double-front system which again was the specified methodology of laying out the lots and concessions, and not in groups of lots. Road allowances were set out one chain in width and between alternate concessions and every third, or fifth lot.
The survey work was challenging. They worked in all seasons and were usually on these projects for months at a time. They lived in tents, dealt with snow and dense forests, and hunted and fished to supplement the meager meals. The resulting maps on linen are considered valuable historical documents.

02/18/2026

The County of Grey was officially established in 1852 from parts of Simcoe and Wellington Counties with the Village of Sydenham (now Owen Sound) as the hub. Like Bruce County, Grey County is also situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek Nation, specifically the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) (for more information on this please see our previous post). Prior to the formalisation of the SON in the early 19th century, the territory now known as Grey County was inhabited by various indigenous nations including Ojibwe (Chippewa), Odawa (Ottawa) and Potawatomi nations as well as Iroquoian speaking Wendat and Petun (To***co) people. The area was also historically used by the Mississauga and Algonquin people. Following the war of 1812 there was a large influx of Odawa and Potawatomi people from the south and west (including Wisconsin) into the SON territory after their land was given to the Government of the United States.
Charles Rankin was the first recorded colonial-era settler in the county arriving in 1833. He was a government surveyor who surveyed the major portion of the county. The southerly portion of the County, comprised of the Townships of Osprey, Artemesia, Proton, Egremont, Normanby, Bentinck, and Glenelg, were created in 100 acre size Parcels and grouped in sections of 10 forming 1,000-acre sections. The northerly portion of the County however, comprised of the Townships of Sullivan, Holland, Derby, St. Vincent, Sydenham, Collingwood and Euphrasia were created in 200 acre size Parcels and grouped in sections of 12 forming 2,400 acre sections. The Township of Keppel, though located at the north end of the County, was surveyed in 100 acre Parcels. Interestingly, Keppel Township is also noted as comprising “Indian Lands”.
Collingwood Township was the first to be surveyed in 1833. The Town of Durham was laid out in 1842 and Meaford in 1845. Hanover was not surveyed until 1855. Due to the Upper Canadian Rebellion, it was not until 1837 that the government commissioned Mr. Rankin to blaze a trail for the builders of the road to follow. In order to blaze a trail, Mr. Rankin would walk through the region looking for the best route. The creation of the Garafraxa Road (now Highway 6) which began in 1837, and the Durham Road (now County Road 4) which began in 1848 were key to the settling of Grey County.

02/10/2026

We will continue our history of surveying and the settlement of the surrounding townships but wanted to focus on Black History Month in this post.

Black citizens have been a part of our area since before the very first non-indigenous settlers arrived in the northernmost part of what was known as the “Queen’s Bush”. The Queen’s Bush was a vast, heavily wooded and largely unsurveyed tract in Upper Canada (Ontario) situated between Waterloo County and Lake Huron primarily in what is now Wellington County located in the traditional lands of the Mississauga and Six Nations indigenous people. Some of these early pioneers were born in Canada, while others had only recently slipped the bonds of slavery in the Upper South (now United States). After a long and arduous journey to freedom, the escaped slaves arrived to discover greater challenges awaited them. The Queen’s Bush area saw over 1,500 Black settlers establish communities despite facing significant, often hostile, racial prejudice and land ownership challenges. Amongst its earliest pioneers were both free Black citizens and fugitive slaves, seeking to establish a community for themselves away from bounty hunters and common prejudice. They knew they were squatting illegally on the land, but as it was not yet surveyed, they could not purchase it. By 1843 about 66,000 acres of the Queen’s Bush were surveyed and mapped and although the government planned on giving the settlers the first right to purchase the land they had already cleared, it was offered to them at exorbitant prices and very few could afford to live there.

Ontario’s Southwest was the gateway into Canada for many freedom seekers via the Underground Railroad, the secret network of citizens who helped escaped slaves reach freedom in Canada. Owen Sound, then known as the Village of Sydenham, served as the northernmost terminus of the Underground Railroad from 1830 to 1865, providing a final safe haven for freedom seekers. Hundreds of formerly enslaved people settled there to build new lives, contributing to the area's growth. Due to its distance from the U.S. border, Owen Sound offered significant safety following the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, acting as a final destination. By the 1860s, most residents of the Queen’s Bush had been forced to sell their farms and move on. Some joined the Union Army during the American Civil War, and others travelled south in search of family following the Emancipation Proclamation. Many resettled in larger Black communities across Ontario, including Berlin (Kitchener), Buxton, Guelph, Owen Sound, St. Catharines, and Toronto.
Today, the story of the Queen’s Bush Settlement stands as a powerful testament to perseverance, self-determination, and community. Despite hardship and systemic injustice, its Black settlers built a thriving, self-sustaining society grounded in hope and faith. Their legacy continues to shape the spirit of this land and reminds us that the pursuit of freedom and belonging can leave an enduring mark on history.

Please remember that as much as we like to share these stories of local history, and legal survey regulations, it’s the latter that we specialize throughout these Counties. If you know of someone that might need a boundary surveyed, or to read more on these accounts including sources, please visit our website at wilsonford.ca

02/03/2026

Last week we provided a brief history and information regarding the origination of the Townships in Bruce County from the perspective of a land surveyor, and was not meant to diminish the history of the First Nations, primarily the Ojibway, who predated the Township settlers.
For those unfamiliar with the history of Bruce County, it has been home to the Saugeen Ojibway First Nation prior to the first surveyors wandering through the County in the mid 1850’s. When the Townships were first created, no less than five (5) were created indicating that the Townships comprised “Indian Lands”. These Townships included St. Edmunds, Lindsay, Eastnor, Albermarle and Amabel.
The lands of Bruce County have always been and continue to be situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek Nation, specifically the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON), comprising the Chippewas of Saugeen and the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. This territory, spanning over 2 million acres, is largely covered by historical treaties. These 2 million acres included a point presently known as the town of Arthur extending west to Lake Huron and north to Georgian Bay. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was created to protect First Nations land in North America and was meant to halt or at least slow down European settlement. However, the encroachment continued and in 1854 the SON signed Treaty 72 that surrendered the majority of the Saugeen Peninsula to the British Crown, a deal that the SON has long argued was unfair and broke promises to protect their land. The SON has been involved in long-standing, major legal battles against the Federal and Provincial governments for breach of treaty obligations regarding the 1854 surrender. These and other subsequent legal documents did little to protect native lands and sadly, our government has failed to honour treaties.
In summary, and for those who commented on last week’s story, we meant no disrespect to the Saugeen Ojibway Nation on whose ancestral lands some of the Townships discussed earlier were created.
In co-operation with our First Nation history, we look forward to highlighting more Indigenous content in the future. More information can be found at https://www.saugeenojibwaynation.ca or https://www.facebook.com/p/Saugeen-Ojibway-Nation-History-100064704815181/