Find Your History
If spending time with your family over the holidays has sparked an interest in your family history, the Government of Canada has resources for you to explore your genealogy.
Through Libraries and Archives Canada online you can access census, immigration, citizenship and naturalization, employment, and First World War Personnel records to gain insight into your family history. Some of these records are digitized and others available to order.
Starting in 1851, census records included the names of residents, their country or province of birth, age, and many other details. Library and Archives Canada holds an extensive collection of Canadian census records from 1640 to 1926, and for Newfoundland from 1671 to 1945. Starting in 1901, most census records indicated the year of arrival for immigrants.
Library and Archives Canada holds citizenship records including naturalization lists from 1915 to 1951, Naturalization records in Upper Canada and Canada West from 1828 to 1850, and Citizenship registration records for the Montreal Circuit Court from 1851 to 1945. They also hold many land-related records that paint a picture of the lives of homesteaders in the prairies.
Related to the First World War, Libraries and Archives Canada holds personnel records, Courts Martial files, Navy records, CEF sailing lists, Prisoner of war records, Hospital records, air services records, and other files.
An additional resource is Canadiana Heritage: a free tool for accessing digitized archival collections encompassing nearly 40 million pages of primary-source documents. Chronicling the country and its people from the 1600s to the mid-1900s, this collection represents a vast and unique resource for Canadian historians, students, and genealogists.
These documents are categorized into collections including Genealogy, Aboriginal History, Government Documents, Military History, and Landmark Papers. Canadiana, the sister site of Canadiana Heritage, contains monographs, serials, government publications, and maps.
You can access these resources and more at www.library-archives.canada.ca. Happy hunting!
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