There are several ways of determining the centre of Canada giving different locations.
Longitude
The rural village of Taché, Mantioba, east of Winnipeg on the Trans-Canada Highway, has a sign at 96°48'35"W that proclaims it the longitudinal centre of Canada. The sign was upgraded with the opening of Centre of Canada Park in 2017. In effect, it marks the north-south line midway between the extreme points of Canada on the east and west, including islands (including Newfoundland since 1949).
Latitude
The latitudinal centre of Canada (including islands, but excluding Canada's claim to the North Pole) is a line at 62 degrees 24 minutes North.
Intersection of latitude and longitude
The intersection of these two lines is one definition of the centre point of Canada, as explained by the Atlas of Canada's website:
The centre of Canada can be measured in many ways. The most readily understood would be by taking the mid-point of the extremities of the Canadian landmass section, above. The resulting location 62°24′N 096°28′W / 62.400°N 96.467°W / 62.400; -96.467 (62 degrees 24 minutes North, 96 degrees 28 minutes West) is located just south of Yathkyed Lake in Nunavut, west of Hudson Bay.
— The Atlas of Canada website, Natural Resources Canada
The nearest inhabited places to this point are Baker Lake, Nunavut well to the north, and Arviat to the east. A sign that proclaims the point as the geographic centre of Canada was added in 1959.
Pole of inaccessibility
The pole of inaccessibility of Canada (the point furthest from any coastline or land border) is near Jackfish River, Alberta at 34-115-17-W4 (Latitude: 59°1′ 48" N, Longitude: 112°49′ 12" W).
References
- ^ Campbell, Meagan (29 June 2015). "The centre of controversy: Where is Canada's middle?". Maclean's. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- "Meet in the middle: Centre of Canada park opens in RM of Taché, Man". CBC News. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- "The Atlas of Canada - Frequently Asked Questions About Canada". 22 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22.
External links
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