"Your Canadian census course looks really interesting, but my ancestors weren’t in Canada until 1873. I don’t need the first two weeks of the course. Is it possible to take just one or two parts instead of the whole course?"
Sue’s question really made me stop and think. Not everyone’s family history follows the same path. Some researchers may only need to explore early census records like those in New France, while others might be most interested in the later ones. That’s the beauty of family history—it’s always personal and unique.
Up until now, I’ve structured my course, From Habitants to Households: Mastering Canadian Census Records from New France to 1931, as a four-part series that builds chronologically. We begin with the earliest lists and schedules (1842–1861), move into the Confederation years (1871–1891), then cover the early 20th century (1901–1911), and finally wrap up with the 1921 and 1931 censuses. Many students have found that working through the whole sequence gives them the deepest context.
But Sue’s point is an excellent one. If your ancestors arrived in Canada, say in the 1870s or 1880s, you might not need to spend as much time on earlier records. And if your family didn’t arrive until the 20th century, you may only need to focus on the most recent censuses.
That’s why I’ve decided to open up registration for individual sessions on Thursday evenings. You can now sign up for the parts of the course that are most relevant to your research. Want to focus on Pre-Confederation censuses, or the 1871 through 1891 censuses? You can. Need more depth on New France and early Quebec or 1921 and 1931? That’s possible too.
Spaces are limited. Save your spot in the week you want now!
Week 1: Founding Families and Feudal Frameworks (1666–1825) New France & Quebec
Discover the earliest Canadian census records. Learn how to analyze settlement patterns, interpret seigneurial obligations, and decode occupational terminology. We’ll also explore how census entries connect with parish registers and notarial acts to reconstruct early families.
Week 2: Pre-Confederation Censuses in British North America (1825–1861) Upper Canada, Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland
Dive into the fragmented and sometimes frustrating pre-Confederation censuses. You’ll gain strategies for working with incomplete or head-of-household-only returns, missing districts, and gaps in the records. Parish, land, and tax records will help you fill in what the censuses leave out.
Week 3: Enumerating a New Nation (1871–1901)
With Confederation came new federal censuses, offering more detail than ever before. Learn how to leverage occupations, property data, and special schedules to track families across provinces, follow generational change, and uncover hidden stories about your Canadian ancestors.
Week 4: Modernizing a Nation (1911–1931)
Step into the 20th century as Canadian census records reveal urbanization, immigration, and social change. In this session, you’ll learn how to pair census entries with directories, maps, and voter lists to create fuller narratives about your ancestors in this transformative period.
Spaces are limited. Save your spot now!
Of course, if you want the full experience, including the historical context and the progression of census development, you’ll still benefit most from the complete four-part course. But now you have the flexibility to tailor your learning to your family’s story.
👉 You can read the full details and register for the full course here: From Habitants to Households: Mastering Canadian Census Records.
