Immigration/Naturalization Resources: Library and Archives Canada

The Montreal Emigrant Society Passage Book covers those immigrants who received assistance from the group in 1832.

The Upper Canada/Canada West (aka: Ontario) Naturalization Registers are organized by county for the years 1828 to 1850 and contain over 3,000 references.

Historic Photograph Collection at Vancouver Public Library

In looking at Vancouver Public Library's website, I suddenly realized they offer a database of historical photographs digitized and otherwise indexed via their Special Collections section of their website. Just to give you an idea of the collection size, this is what they write:
"The Historical Photographs Subject Index provides access to the entire collection of over 87,000 accessioned photographs." Wow! Here's the link if you want to do a search as they do not appear to be part of Images Canada at this point.

Chinese-Canadian Genealogy: Vancouver Public Library

The Vancouver Public Library is making a number of resources available for those who may be researching Chinese-Canadian family history. Their website is a true collection of resources, including information on how to research the General Register of Chinese Immigration or "Head Tax" records. It's a complicated process, but well worth the effort of you are Chinese descent.
Many thanks to Paul Whitney, City Librarian of Vancouver Public Library, for pointing out this resource they have been hard at work on in collaboration with Library and Archives Canada.

NB: LAC also has a database available of the "Port of New Westminster Register of Chinese Immigration (1887-1908)" Be sure to click on Search on the left side navigation bar to conduct your research.

I Ho, I Ho, to CLA I Go! - Updated!

Just a quick reminder that I'm off to Ottawa tomorrow to present a session to interested Library Folk at the Canadian Library Association Conference on "Internet and Programming Resources for Family Historians @your Library." I'll try and add to my blog while I'm away, especially if it means scooping some news that the other genealogy bloggers might not find out about! Otherwise, I'll be back at it on Monday, June 19.
Wish me luck! Not that I'll need much - like Genealogists, Librarians are just plain old good folk. Computers are another story all together ;-D

CLA has been mounting presentations online as they arrive. Since I haven't figured out how to make mine available through my blog, here's a link to a show of my presentation from their website.

Searchable Online Data Canada/Canadian Genealogy & History

The list of links to various databases is quite extensive from the Global Genealogy website. It's described as follows:
"The links in this section are to useful, searchable online genealogical and historical information for those researching their Canadian roots. Most links are free online resources ( free ) however there are also links to some commercial resources ($) that were recommended by satisfied users."
I'm certain that if you're aware of others that you've found useful, Rick and Sandy would love to hear from you!

Société Franco-Ontarienne d'Histoire et de Généalogie

I have made some assumptions about the people reading my blog:
1. They are librarians or library staff in any number of places around the world who assist people conducting family history research into Canadian branches of their family tree
2. The Library Staff and those family historians they assist read and research in English

Please let me know if either or both of my assumptions are off-track.

Quite a number of people I know are conducting research into their French-Canadian roots, and while there is always the difficulty of Anglicized French names (Courtesy of Dick Eastman) sometimes just knowing where to turn for research purposes is a bit tricky.

The Société Franco-Ontarienne d'Histoire et de Généalogie or SFOHG is the place for you if you're in Ontario. With 13 regional locations across the province, it might make it easier than travelling to Quebec.

British Columbia Baptisms

This database came online in April, and in the words of the database's creator:

"It consists of the majority of baptisms in the whole province of B.C. from 1836 to 1885. Most denominations are represented (over 345 parishes). The database includes, along with the individual being baptized, parents names extracted from the original parish registers
as well as aboriginal names where given and also tribal affiliation. Anecdotal notes from the register are also added in a detailed search. Some of the latter include added family members and relationships.

The British Columbia Archives also makes available other Vital Statistics Indexes online, such as Births, Marriages and Deaths. Be sure to visit their website for further information.

Many thanks to Dr. Penelope Christensen for bringing this resource to my attention!

1851 Canadian Census Online and CLA Ottawa 2006

Old news for some, but since I've promised my readers and myself I'll update my blog more often, here's the scoop on the 1851 Canadian Census online. It's by geography only, until someone undertakes to index it. One thing to remember: Like the 1906 Census that covers only Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, 1851 is only available for Canada West (Upper Canada or Ontario,) Canada East (Lower Canada or Quebec,) and New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Need to know when each province or territory joined Canada, or the variants in name as above? Check out The Canadian Encyclopedia online.

I'll be away at the Canadian Library Association Conference in Ottawa next week. I'll be presenting a session titled Internet and Programming Resources for Family Historians @your Library on Thursday, June 15 from 9-10 a.m.

1901, 1906 and 1911 Canadian Census Indices Online

As a Public Librarian, I tend to be very intent on finding resources for researchers to use for free. Many family historians are quite willing to use an online index if it means it will lead them to the resource they can then view as microfilm, a book, other online resource, etc.

Ancestry.ca officially launched in Toronto on Thursday, May 25 with an impressive gathering of Canadian Genealogists and special guest, Shirley Douglas. Ancestry.ca, like it's parent Ancestry.com and its other divisions, is a fee-based research facility that indexes and, when possible, makes available the digitized version of the information. Their announcement at the launch? To have fully indexed the 1901 and 1906 Canadian Census by July 1st. Thanks to my colleague, Ruth Blair, Professional Genealogist of Blair Archival Research for letting me in on the event!

Yes, this resource will make life easier for those who are doing research and prefer to do it from the comfort of their own home. Additionally, for those researchers who have access, any Library with Ancestry Library Edition now have the Canadian data available which makes up Ancestry.ca. But, Automated Genealogy already has indexed both the 1901 and 1906 Censuses, so it's really easy to search their indexes, then head over to the Canadian Genealogy Centre and look at the digitized versions of the 1901, 1906 and 1911 census by geographic region. It's free!!! Don't get me started on the number of groups that have created their own online indexes that otherwise get overlooked. Check AVITUS, the directory of resources to see if the area you're researching has one. One example is our very own Halton Information Network which has taken it's existing Census index by name and connected it to the 1901 census images online.

I'd better get cracking! Recent Honourable Mentions

I understand from a colleague that this blog was mentioned by Marian Press during one of her presentations at the recent Ontario Genealogical Society Seminar in Oshawa, Ontario. Given the fact that I haven't added to it lately, I guess that means I'd better get back into it! ;)

I was also honoured to find out that Cyndi's List now has my blog listed as a resource. When I told my husband, his response was, "Oooo! Can I touch you?"

So, time to earn my keep - or at least ensure the safety of my reputation!

Thanks for reading!