This dataset is produced for the Government of Alberta and is available to the general public. Note that the distribution contact is different for the general public than for Government of Alberta ministries. Please consult the Distribution Information of this metadata for the appropriate contact to acquire this dataset. The National Topographic System of Canada (NTS) is a national mapping reference grid defined by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) that is based on degrees of latitude and longitude. Starting at the Prime Meridian and at the Equator, the 1:50 000 grid is formed by intersecting every 1/8 degree of the meridians with every 1/4 degrees of parallels. It is also true that the standard 1:20 000 NTS block is broken down into 4 1:20 000 blocks that are labelled by quadrant. Each polygon in the grid is designated with a two digit number; a single letter; two additional numbers and a two letter quadrant value (Example 83H08NE). The 1:20 000 NTS grid was developed to support the Provincial Digital Base Mapping Project and is not part of the formal NRCan NTS program. The province of Alberta is covered by 2838 complete and 269 partially complete 1:20 000 NTS blocks.