DLS🇨🇦 Canada
Manitoba Principal Meridian (W1) DLS descriptions
The Principal Meridian, often written W1 in DLS descriptions, anchors the western Canadian township grid in Manitoba.
What to know about Manitoba Principal Meridian (W1)
- W1 is central to Manitoba DLS descriptions, but river-lot descriptions along the Red and Assiniboine use a different historic pattern.
- Descriptions such as NW-10-12-3-W1 need the W1 suffix to distinguish them from similar township and range values farther west.
Example descriptions
Each opens a decoded parcel with a map, coordinates and a plain-English breakdown.
Learn the terms
Last reviewed June 2026. General information about survey systems — not legal, title, or survey advice.
Sources: Natural Resources Canada — About Canada Lands surveys, NRCan — Manual of Instructions for the Survey of Dominion Lands.