Canada’s 4 Corners

In the United States there is a spot where four of the states come together at a common point known as the Four Corners. It’s easily approached by road and for a modest admission fee, visitors can touch four states simultaneously, take pictures then shop for Navajo crafts set up among several booths around the perimeter. What is less known, or surely less visited, perhaps even by Canadians themselves is that as of 1999 Canada also has a Four Corners. On April 1, 1999, Canada’s newest and largest territory officially arose through the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act. Nunavut was split from the Northwest Territories and became the first significant change to the Canadian map since 1949. Thus the newly created Canadian Four Corners marks a common border point for Nunavut, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories.

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In a recent post I discussed a website called The Corner Corner. I must admit that I stumbled across it while researching the Canada’s 4 Corners spot. It contains an amazing account – including photographs — of the daunting trek necessary to reach to Corner. The monument itself is located on a muskeg between Kasba Lake to the north and Hasbala Lake to the south but reaching it requires significant logistical maneuvering and advance planning. The trekkers drove hundreds of miles deep into Canada to reach Wollaston Lake and Points North Landing in northeastern Saskatchewan, then tagged along on a freight flight to the Hasbala Lake Lodge (thus proving that every spot on earth has a website) just south of the confluence. From there they hired a guide who transported them near the spot in a small fishing boat, and hiked through bog and swarming mosquitoes to reach the actual spot marked by an aluminum obelisk. All of this effort was expended to see a point where four imaginary lines came together. Now that’s my kind of adventure!