Making the Most of the Canadian Census Records
Summary Details60-minute presentation with Q&A session and 4-page PDF handout
Audience Level: Beginner -Expert
Summary: Canadian census records from 1851 to 1931 contain more than names, ages, and birthplaces. Follow three families from different backgrounds through the censuses and learn how to manage surname variations, use enumerator instructions, understand changing questions, find the records online, and uncover details that are easy to miss at first.
Outline
This presentation follows three families, Canadian, French-Canadian, and Black Canadian, through census records from 1851 to 1931. Their records show what you can find when you search carefully and read every column.
Topics include:
- Where to find Canadian census records online
- How surname variations, spelling differences, and transcription errors affect search results
- Search strategies for finding people who are not recorded under the expected name
- The seven basic questions found throughout the censuses
- How the questions changed from one census to the next
- Why column headings and enumerator instructions must be read
- Details about birthplace, origin, religion, occupation, immigration, naturalization, property, and family relationships
- What the first federal census of 1871 can tell us about families shortly after Confederation
- The 1906, 1916, and 1926 censuses of the Prairie Provinces
- The additional information recorded in the 1901, 1911, 1921, and 1931 censuses
- How following the same family through several census years can reveal changes, inconsistencies, and new clues
- Why other members of the household and nearby neighbours should not be overlooked
Learn how to get beyond the index, make sense of changing census questions, and find the clues that can move your Canadian family history research forward.
Book This Webinar NOW!
Click HERE to have me present this webinar either through your group’s virtual meeting platform or my StreamYard platform. Includes 45-50 minutes of instruction plus a 10-15 minute Q&A session, a PDF handout and a limited-time webinar recording.
