Sunday, July 16, 2017

Canada's Four Corners

In perusing my 'suggestion file' for potential writings, I found an article forwarded to me by my son. In reference to my blog Five Basic Senses ~ Part 3: TOUCH written June, 2014, I commented on visiting The Four Corners in United States on my return drive home from California. They were the States of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico...the borders of these four states TOUCH! Most of this region belongs to Native American nations. A most fascinating place to visit: state flags blowing in the breeze...one can place both hands and both feet to 'touch' these four states...with native arts and crafts and food available to view and/or purchase.
My son discovered our Four Corners from a map observation.
However, this destination is not really approachable...too much wilderness!
But it's a great suggestion for someone to develop...with a few million dollars.

The Four Corners of Canadian political subdivisions hypothetically meet at a point near 60 degrees N 102 degrees W. These are the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the Territories of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

The Four Corners are located between Kasba Lake to the north and Hasbala Lake to the south at a place which, according to the Canadian Tourism Development Corporation is “extremely remote and inaccessible.” It is located by an area of marginal taiga forest, the only place in Nunavut which is not Arctic tundra or ice cap. It is in remote northern wilderness...hundreds of kilometres from any road or railway. The site can be accessed from neaby Kasba Lake Airport/WaterAerodrome. Alternatively, it is possible to fly from Points North Landing near Wollaston Lake to Hasbala Lake.

The intersection of the boundaries of Manitoba and Saskatchewan with NWT is marked by a metre-high aluminium obelisk inscribed to say it was erected in1962. At that time Nunavut was part of the Northwest Territories. On the top there is a disc warning of:
five years imprisonment for removing or destroying the monument.
About 8,000 other such monuments are used to mark borders aound Canada.

The establishment of Nunavut in 1999 led to the creation of Canada's only “Four Corners” at this same place. In the legal definition of Nunavut, its border is specified as “Commencing at the intersection of 60 degrees 00N latitude with 102degrees 00W longitude,being the intersection of the Manitoba, Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan borders.
To ascertain whether the four areas meet at a quadripoint,
surveys began in2011.
(Notation: This page was last modified on 4 October2013)

If interested in checking the website you will find 5 informative boxes:
A map highlighting the corners of the 4 Canadian provinces and territories which theoretically meet.
The obelisk as seen from the Manitoba (southeast) side, with a survey tower in the Territories.
The disk on top of the obelisk.
NASA map showing Kasba Lake and the 4 corners.

See also: Geography of Canada...List of regions of Canada...
Four Corners Monument, a surveyed quadripoint in the United States.

Merle Baird-Kerr...compiled from article June 28, 2017

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