Canada

Find your Canadian ancestors, local history and details of their lives with these links to online family history and genealogy resources.

General Family History Websites

  • Can Genealogy
    Dave Obee’s recommended links for genealogy research in Canada.

Archives

  • Archives Canada
    In homes, schools and libraries across Canada, people are looking for evidence of what it means to be a Canadian.
    ARCHIVESCANADA.ca is a gateway to archival resources found in over 800 repositories across Canada–it’s your gateway to Canada’s collective memory!
  • Library and Archives Canada
    As the custodian of our distant past and recent history, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is a key resource for all Canadians who wish to gain a better understanding of who they are, individually and collectively. LAC acquires, processes, preserves and provides access to our documentary heritage and serves as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions.

Burials & Cemeteries

  • Canadian Cemetery Directory
    CanadaGenWeb’s Cemetery Project currently offers a free and searchable listing of over 18,000 known Canadian cemeteries.
  • Canadian Headstones
    This photo project has almost 2 million gravestone photos from all across Canada.

Census Records

  • Census of Canada, 1901
    Free access to the Canada Census 1901 which includes 5,371,315 individuals from British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Territories. The 1901 census was the fourth scheduled collection of national statistics, and it began on 31st March 1901.

Immigration

  • Canadian Naturalisation 1915-1951
    The Canadian Naturalisation database contains references to people who applied for and received status as naturalised Canadians from 1915 to 1951.

Newspaper Archives

  • Canada Gazette
    Often referred to as “the official newspaper of the Government of Canada,” the Canada Gazette has been an important instrument in the Canadian democratic process for more than 160 years. The database comprises images taken from microfilm, microfiche and rare original copies of the Gazette held by LAC.

Obituaries

  • Legacy.com
    Recent obituaries from over 1000 American and Canadian newspapers.

War Memorials

  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial
    The Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM) is a registry of the more than 118,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who have given their lives serving Canada or the United Kingdom. It was established to allow all Canadians the opportunity to honour and remember their sacrifices.
    The names in the CVWM are the same names contained in the Books of Remembrance which records those who have died in battle or as a result of their injuries from battle. The CVWM provides information about each individual’s gravesite, any memorials and other information.

British Columbia Genealogy

Births, Marriages & Deaths

Electoral Registers

These searchable books contain lists of voters in several electoral districts of BC.

Newspaper Archives

  • British Columbia Historical Newspapers
    The following newspapers are available to search.
    Abbotsford Post, Alberni Advocate, Anaconda News, Atlin Claim, Bella Coola Courier, Boundary Creek Times, British Columbia Record, Cariboo Sentinel (Barkerville), Coast News (Gibsons), Creston Review, Cumberland News, Daily Building Record (Vancouver), Daily Ledger (Ladysmith), Enderby Press and Walker’s Weekly, Grand Forks Sun, Hedley Gazette, Hot Springs News (Ainsworth), Independent (Vancouver), Kelowna Record, Kootenay Mail (Revelstoke), Ledge (Fernie, Nakusp, New Denver), Ledge (Greenwood), Massett Leader, Miner (Nelson), Mining Review (Sandon), Moyie Leader, Nelson Economist, Nicola Valley News (Merrit), Orchard City Record (Kelowna), Peninsula Times, Phoenix Pioneer, Prospector (Fort Steele), Revelstoke Herald, Tribune (Nelson), Western Call (Vancouver)
  • The British Colonist
    Published in Victoria, The British Colonist became the leading paper in the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, and was the paper for the province of British Columbia until the emergence of Vancouver and competitors in the 1890s.
    You can search and view all the issues of the British Colonist (also called The Daily British Colonist, the Daily Colonist, and other variants) from its first issue in 1858 to December 1980.

Nova Scotia Genealogy

  • Nova Scotia Births, Marriages and Deaths
    Search over 1 million names in the Nova Scotia BMD database. Every name is linked to the original record in digitised form and you can search and view every item free-of-charge. Records available are:
    • Births – 1864-1877, 1908-1913 (300,334 records online)
    • Marriages – Bonds 1763-1864, Registrations 1864-1938 (235,854 records online)
    • Deaths – 1864-1877, 1908-1963, City of Halifax 1890-1908 (447,916 records online)
  • Place-Names of Nova Scotia
    Some history about the names of towns, villages, rivers and lakes of the province.
  • History of Nova Scotia Vol. III
    Biographies of its citizens and genealogical records of old families. Printed in 1916.
  • Nova Scotia Archives
    Find out what records they hold and how to view them. Based in Halifax.

Cemetery Records

Burials from many Nova Scotia counties.

Ontario Genealogy

  • Ontario Burials
    Find a Grave has many burial records, memorials and headstone photos for 50 Ontario counties.
  • Ontario Genealogical Society
    The Ontario Genealogical Society has existed for over 50 years helping people with their family history and genealogy. The site has many things of interest including some resources for learning about genealogy, a list of events organised by the society, links to other local societies, membership options and many other resources to aid your Ontario research.
  • Upper Canada Criminal Database
    The Upper Canada Criminal Database contains a long list of prisoners in Ontario from the 1800s. There is a nice list of the prisons that are included in the database with a short history of each one. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to search for individual names, but the list is alphabetical which makes things a bit easier. You could always use your browser’s search function (normally CTRL+F).
  • Peterborough, Ontario City Directories
    The City of Peterborough, Ontario in partnership with the Peterborough Public Library, the Peterborough Museum and Archives, the Trent Valley Archives and the Trent University Archives, have digitised their joint collection of city and county directories.
    There are currently 123 directories, ranging in date from 1858 to 2010, available to view and search online.
  • Ailsa Craig Voters’ List 1897
    A list of voters’ names, occupations and street.
  • Northumberland & Durham Directory 1865-66
    A gazetteer and business directory with the names of residents.
  • Farmers’ & Business Directory 1884-5
    Covers the counties of Durham, Northumberland, Peterborough and Victoria.
  • Fredericksburg Baptisms 1787-1813
    It’s not 100% clear what this township is now called. Could it be Delhi?
  • Niagra Baptisms 1792-1832
  • Niagra Marriages 1792-1832
  • Niagra Burials 1792-1829

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