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Rating: 
Summary: Essential for anyone travelling within Nova Scotia, Canada
Review: I bought this book in Toronto, Ontario in preparation for my move to Wolfville, Nova Scotia. I am an avid naturalist and outdoor enthusiast (hiking, biking, Nordic skiing, canoeing), as well as an explorer of old roads and villages, so I required a detailed set of maps that would let me discover my new home province.This highly detailed and up-to-date (2001) road atlas covers Nova Scotia at 1:150 000 (1 cm=1.5 km or 1 inch = 2.4 miles) in 90 highly detailed and colourful, yet very clear, map pages. Each map is large (25.5 cm x 18.5 cm or 10 in x 7.25 in) and overlaps a generous but not excessive 1.5 km (1 mi) with the adjacent map pages. The index has over 14 000 geographical names (towns, villages, rivers, lakes, islands, etc.). The book is 33.5 cm x 25.5 cm (13 in x 10 in) in total size, and weighs 780 g (1 lb, 11 oz). It is prepared by the Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, and the Nova Scotia Geomatics Centre. This volume has all of the features that one would expect from a conventional road atlas, including well-labelled highways, railways, ferry routes, cities, towns, villages, historic sites, parks, lakes, rivers, designated beaches, hospitals and airports. What sets it apart, however, is that it displays many features more typical of topographic maps in the convenience of one volume. Natural features such as contour lines, point elevations, wetlands and even the smallest ponds, streams and islands are clearly displayed. Human features, including sections of crown (public) land, airstrips, heliports, firetowers, power lines, pipelines, quarries, aeronautical obstacles and geodetic monuments are also well-marked. What is most impressive, however, is that every road, paved and unpaved, longer than 200 m (600 ft or 1/8 mi) in the province is indicated in a colour and thickness that corresponds to the type of road and surface. These roads include limited access highways (Nova Scotia 100 Highway series), arterial highways (NS Highways 1 to 28), collector highways (NS 200 and 300 Highway series), local highways, local roads, loose surface roads, cart tracks, public hiking trails and rail trails. Needless to say, this detail is an absolute dream for those that like to explore the province off the beaten track, and for those that wish to hike, mountain bike or Nordic ski on old logging roads. The contours and natural features labelled on the pages will also help in determining the topography of a trip. My only wish is that some of the larger non-highway side roads (which the province unfortunately does not number) were labelled on the maps. However, my guess is that the author may have felt that these labels would clutter the pages to the point where they would decrease the quality of the atlas. After travelling in a certain region, I have taken to labelling the roads on the corresponding atlas page with an index number, and then, in the generous margins, cross-referencing the number with the name of the road so that I know where it is in the future. This atlas is fantastic value when one considers the price of individual governmental topographic maps. I am of the opinion that it will satisfy all but the most hardcore back-country adventurer in Nova Scotia (I would still suggest the governmental 1:50 000 map series for individuals planning longer canoe or backpacking trips). Combine the information in this book with excellent and up-to-date books on Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia by Michael Haynes (completely different trails are featured in the 7th AND 8th editions), and Mountain bike! Atlantic Canada by Sarah L. Hale and Jodi E. Bishop, and you are set to explore this beautiful part of the world! Have fun and drive safely!
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional atlas
Review: If you are planning a trip to Nova Scotia, start here. This truly excellent atlas has topo features, cities and towns, roads, and what are probably no more than paths or tracks. It contains about 90 individual maps covering all of Nova Scotia, more than you ever wanted to know. Never having visited the Maritimes, I cannot attest to its accuracy, but it gives every appearance of being a superbly useful set of maps, professionally and carefully prepared.
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