Survey of the Gulf and River of St. Lawrence

Between 1827 and 1856 the first complete hydrographic survey of the Gulf and River St. Lawrence was carried out by Captain Henry W. Bayfield and his assistants. From the time of Cartier, French and British navigators ad surveyed these waters and produced charts, but by the 1820s these waters and produced charts, but by the 1820s these had become inadequate to the changing needs of shipping. The charts and sailing directions produced from Bayfield’s work were the authority for the area until the 20th century. His relentless pursuit of accuracy set the standard for the Canadian Hydrographic Service, founded in 1883.

Entre 1827 et 1856, le capitaine Henry W. Bayfield et ses adjoints effectuèrent le premier levé hydrolique complet du golfe et du fleuve Saint-Laurent. Depuis l’époque de Cartier, navigateurs français et anglais avaient cartographié ces eaux, mais leurs travaux ne répondaient plus aux besoins de la navigation des années 1820. Les cartes de la région et les instructions nautiques produites à l’aide des travaux de Bayfield firent autorité jusqu’au XXe siècle, et le souci constant d’exactitude caractérisant toute son œuvre jeta les fondations du Service hydrographique du Canada, créé en 1883.