Four Provinces, Three Drainages, and Two Centuries of History
Alberta Land Surveyors will be taking part in the David Thompson Brigade this spring and summer as the biggest event of the David Thompson Bicentennial Celebration from 2007 to 2011.

The 2008 David Thompson Brigade will travel from Rocky Mountain House, AB to Fort William, ON (near modern-day Thunder Bay) covering a total distance of 3,300 km.   The route includes paddling downstream, upstream, across open water, and approximately 35 portages. The journey will begin on May 10, 2008 and finish on July 12, 2008.

Wherever David Thompson traveled, so did the voyageurs engaged by him. Just as the voyageurs were the backbone of the fur trade, the voyageurs under Thompson, in many respects, were the backbone of his explorations.

For over 200 years, the use of the canoe from the beginning of the fur trade era until near it’s end was a vital part of the transportation network of goods and also provided a mode of transportation for David Thompson in many of his explorations. Following his crossing of Howse Pass in June of 1807, David Thompson began his return trip in the spring of 1808 to report his findings to the partners of the North West Company.

Several surveyors are on a Brigade team of 20 paddling one of fourteen 25’ voyageur canoes.  They will be paddling the 1130 km part of the entire Brigade route from Rocky Mountain House to Prince Albert Saskatchewan. At least 10 canoes are paddling the whole route. The survey Brigade canoe is sponsored in part by the Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association, Alberta Historical and Educational Foundation for Land Surveying, private corporations and other survey associations in Canada.

For more information, visit www.thompsonbrigade2008.com

Follow the 2008 David Thompson Brigade via GPS Live Tracking and help commemorate the Bicentennial of David Thompson’s work as an explorer, surveyor and mapmaker.

Alberta Land Surveyor Elected to Legislature
Alberta Land Surveyor Ken Allred was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Alberta in a general election on March 3, 2008 as a representative of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party.

Ken was elected as a vice-president of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) in Athens in 2003 for a four year term which ends on December 31, 2008.  He currently serves as the Vice President in charge of FIG’s financial affairs.  He was chair of Commission 1 – Profession Practice from 1994-1998 and has served on several FIG Task Forces.

Mr. Allred has a long history of service to the surveying profession and to his community.  He served as President as well as Executive Director of the Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association and also as President of the Canadian Council of Land Surveyors.  He also served as an Alderman for the City of St. Albert for 15 years and chaired the Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Planning Commission.  He has practiced as an Alberta and Canada Lands Surveyor since 1965.  More recently he has been involved in adjudication involving land and boundary disputes as well as on native rights, health, insurance and employment tribunals.