Collection search - CN land records collection donated by Paul Edward [textual record, cartographic material]

Record information – Brief
1
CN land records collection donated by Paul Edward [textual record, cartographic material]

Hierarchical level:

Collection

Date:

1806-2002, predominantly 1850-1940.

Reference:

R13969-0-8-E

Type of material:

Maps and cartographic material, Textual material

Found in:

Archives / Collections and Fonds

Item ID number:

4193278

Context of this record:

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CN land records collection donated by Paul Edward
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Record information – Details
Collection includes:

2 lower level description(s)
View lower level description(s)

Date(s):

1806-2002, predominantly 1850-1940.

Place of creation:

Canada

Added country of publication:

United States

Extent:

41.4 m of textual records: includes ca. 49,000 index cards
ca. 15,400 maps: blueprints, profiles

Language of material:

English

Accession:

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CN records from Paul Edward [textual record, cartographic material]

Scope and content:

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The collection consists of records created or accumulated by the Canadian National Railways, Central Ontario Region, from mid 19th century to early in the 21st century, but predominantly 1850-1940. They were created by the Title Registration Branch and consist of land records, mainly transactions surrounding the building of tracks, train stations and other buildings related to operational activities. There are two types of records in this collection--land folios and maps--which are complementary to each other. The records predominantly concern company property in Ontario, predominantly southern Ontario. However, the collection also contains a few records from the province of Quebec and the Prairies.

Provenance:

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Canadian National
Additional name(s):

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Surveyor: Edward, Paul, 1953-

Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada
Biography/Administrative history:

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Canadian National : The Canadian National (CN) company is a major economic and industrial player in the history of Canada. As a huge transportation system, it is unquestionable that the CN Company played a predominent role in the economic and social development of the country. Created in 1918, following the amalgamation of the Canadian Northern Railway system with the Canadian Government Railway system, the CN grew up along the years and the decades with the additions of several other railways that were facing bankrupcy. One of the major acquisitions was the Grand Trunk System in 1923. That same year, the Head Office of the Canadian National Railway Company was declared to be in Montreal, Quebec.

The CN was facing several changes and had to adapt to the economic situation and business demand throught the XIXe century. One of the major changes was the creation of Via Rail Canada in 1977. VIA became a Crown corporation and assumed responsibility for the management of all CN and CP Rail passenger services. On 27 February 1995, the Minister of Finance announced in his budget statement the Government's intention to sell the Canadian National. On 28 November 1995, the company ceased to be owned by the Government. The former Crown Corporation was privatized and now operates as a private-sector freight railway.

Edward, Paul, 1953- : Mr Paul Edward is a Canadian citizen born in Sudbury in 1953. He was commissioned as an Ontario Land Surveyor in 1982 and he is currently the president of Rady-Pentek & Edward Surveying Ltd. Rady-Pentek & Edward Surveying Ltd. employees more than 50 professional surveyors and technicians who specialize in providing cadastral surveys to the public and the homebuilding and land development industry.

Prior to undertaking a land survey of any property, Land Surveyors are obliged to conduct research to find all the documentary evidence and old surveys that previously were used to establish boundaries (the cadastre). In the course of their daily activities they research records in the Land Registry Office, they search other surveyor's records and they also make enquiries with other corporations, agencies and Ministries that may have pertinent records that will assist them in re-establishing the cadastre.
They have had frequent contact with CN over the years and found their records to be unique and invaluable in assisting them to re-establish the cadastre. It was during one of these research visits to CN that Mr Edward came to learn that they were moving and that many old records and plans would be destroyed as there was no space for them in the new location. He offered to take charge of all these records and at is own expense arranged for the safe removal and storage of the records until they were donated to Library and Archives Canada.

Finding aid:

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Textual records, cartographic material (Electronic) Finding aid is a file list of volumes 1 to 207. Please note that a searchable finding aid in PDF format contains basic information about the various land folios, and can be found in the Land Folios series descriptive record. Individual file descriptions are also available linked to the Land Folios series. MSS2607 (90: Open)

Cartographic material (Electronic) The records listed in the finding aid have a tag number, which reflects neither chronological nor geographical order. Most titles contain a name (township, village, town, city, county, railway subdivision or railway company) that may help narrow the scope of a search. However, researchers should be aware that titles often exclude many locales found on any map. Information that appears between square brackets was inferred from surrounding context. It is supplied for research purposes but users should allow for a tangible error margin. Please note that searchable finding aids with basic information about the various plans are available in PDF format in the lower level sub-series descriptions. Finding aids with more detailed information (such as reference numbers relating to former railway companies, such as Grand Trunk Railway, relate to numbers on the plans) can be found are in excel format and are available upon request. 90: Open MSS2607 Finding aids are file lists of volumes 208-375. (90: Open)

Additional information:

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Custodial history:

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These records, created by CN, were held at its Toronto office. In 2004, CN decided to move its storage facilities from downtown Toronto to buildings at Concord Yard, outside of the town. CN took this opportunity to sort out the records and to destroy those that were no longer needed for operational activities. The employees from CN Toronto were not aware at that time of the 1969 agreement between CN and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) which stipulates that all archival records must be transferred to LAC.

In 2002, a CN Toronto employee called Mr Edward to alert him about the imminent destruction of archival records. In light of the situation, Mr Edward decided the best course of action was to preserve the records by removing them and keeping them in his own custody. The records were stored for two years before Mr Edward donated them to LAC. Before this irregular transfer, LAC asked CN to take back possession of the records and to transfer them as per the 1969 agreement. However, in 2004, CN declared that it was no longer the owner of these records and recognized that the records now belonged to Mr Edward. Even though CN was in agreement with the fact that this transfer was irregular, they judged the situation to be irreversible. The records were transferred to LAC in June and October 2006 and the donation contract was signed in April 2009.

Related material:

Please also see the Canadian National Railway Company fonds, RG30 and R231, for other material relating to the corporate history of CNR. More specifically, please see Canadian National Railways. Office of the General Manager of Real Estate.
Subject heading:

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Canadian Northern Railway Company

Plans

Deed Of Conveyance To Crown

Railway Maps

Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway Co

Toronto, Niagara and Western Railway Co

Toronto Belt Line Railway Co

Index

Title Records

Railway Property

Right of way
Source:

Private

Related control no.:

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2011-00351-2
Ordering and viewing options

Conditions of access:

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Cartographic material

[Consultation90 Open]

Volume [R13969] 208--324

[Consultation 90 Open]

Textual records

[Consultation90 Open]

Volume [R13969] 324--375

[Consultation 90 Open]

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Date modified:: 2024-05-10