Identify province or territory, locality and period. Local, religious and civil records may use different services.
Prepare your research
Province or territory, locality, period, record type and documented French or English variants. Note the repository instead of assuming all records are national.
The method, step by step
- Library and Archives Canada guides help choose collections, especially censuses. Read collection details and what information was actually recorded.
- Search English and French variants where used. Confirm translated given names with other clues.
- For immigration connect arrival records to origin records. Use provincial and local archives when national holdings do not include the document.
Choose the right repository
LAC provides national collections and guides. For vital and church records identify province, territory and local holder.
Choose a route from the record you have
- Classify the record: census, arrival, citizenship, military file or land. LAC offers these routes; province, place and dates guide selection.
- Reconstruct the household in two different sources. A provincial move requires a new repository and context check; do not transfer one province’s rules automatically.
Find archives
Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada →
The service presents Canadian genealogy collections and research help, including censuses and other historical records. Identify province, locality and period, then use the appropriate guide to understand the collection before searching a name.
Civil and religious registers may be held by provincial or local archives. Coverage varies by collection and period.
Sources & references
- Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada ↗ (Resource review date : )