Local History & Genealogy

North York History Resources

Getting Started

The Canadiana Department at the North York Central Library houses the North York History Collection where you can find books, newspapers, photographs and maps of people, places and events in North York. Both Canadiana and the Humanities and Social Sciences Department at Toronto Reference Library house minutes, reports, planning documents etc. from the former municipality of North York

Searching the Library Website

Suggested Subjects and Keywords (to limit results, use Advanced Search and the subject field)

• Land use-Ontario-North York
• "North York" history
• "North York" township
• York Ont county
• York Ont township

Suggested Titles

• Don Valley Conservation Report, 1950 (Chapter 2 Land Settlement available at North York History Collection 333.720971354 D)
• Humber Valley Report: Land and Settlement
• North York: Realizing the Dream
• North York lot owners
• Pioneering in North York

Using Online Resources

• Visit the Toronto Neighbourhoods Map

• click on a neighbourhood name and follow the link for books and digitized images

Recommended Websites

• North York Historical Society   includes a timeline of North York history
• Toronto and its neighbourhoods - North York (from TPL website)

Recommended Databases

• Toronto Public Library Digital Archive
This archive contains digitized images including photos, books and maps.

• Globe and Mail - Canada's Heritage from 1844 (Toronto Public Library card login required)

• Toronto Star - Pages of the Past (Toronto Public Library card login required)

In-Library Resources

Database

• Ancestry Library Edition (access from any Toronto Public Library computer)

Files

• North York History Files 
Contains mainly newspaper articles about North York people, places and events . (In Reading Room)

• North York Pamphlet Files
Contains pamphlets and other material concerning North York people, places and events. (In Closed Reference Stacks)

• North York Historical Society Scrapbooks (also available on microfilm reels NY022 - NY026)

• Urban Affairs Scrapbook Collection (years 1969-1999 available on microfiche)
→More scrapbooks

Newspapers on Microfilm

• Bayview-Mills Town Crier (1993- [almost] present)*
• Bayview Post (1989-[almost] present)*
• Enterprise (1926-1969) [some issues missing]
• Mirror (various editions: 1957-[almost] present)*
• North York News (1951-1995)
*More recent issues available in paper format

Microfilms

• Abstract index [by lot and concession number], York Township (Reel LML 1494+)
• Assessment Rolls, York Township, 1882-99 (Reel LML 2-105-6+)
• Deeds, York Township,1868+ (Reel LML 1455-6+)
• York County Surrogate Court Records Index 1940-1967 (Reels MS 869)

Additional Resources

• Cemetery transcriptions (additional Ontario Genealogical Society transcriptions for North York cemeteries also available)

• Directories (list in North York History Files) and some extracts (917.1354 Y in North York History Collection)
• Family histories
• Maps and aerial photos (see finding aid Guide to Canadiana Maps)
• Municipal Documents (former City of North York documents such as official plans, minutes of North York Council)
• Photographs
• Township Papers (Toronto and York)
• Voters' Lists, York Township and North York (1942+)

For further assistance contact:

Canadiana Department, North York Central Library 416-395-5623

Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Toronto Reference Library 416-395-5577

Guide to Census Records

Getting Started

Census :  an official enumeration of populations that can help you discover birth dates, the names of parents and siblings, immigration details and much more.

Search the library's website for:

• census handbooks  for background and tips on using the censuses of various countries
• Add  location and year to the word "census"
• Use library recommended websites to discover a variety of  online census records.

    Suggested Titles:

 Finding answers in British Isles Census records . 

    Additional material on Great Britain census handbooks

 Guide to the United States census 1790 - 1930. 

    Additional material on the American censuses

Manual containing "The Census Act" and the instructions to officers employed in the taking of the first census of Canada (1871)  .

    Additonal material for 1871 census of Ontario.

Online Resources

Canadian Census Records Online

Catalogue of Census Returns on Microfilm 1666- 1901
Searchable online geographic index allows for identifying microfilm reel numbers for census returns. 

Electoral Atlas of the Dominion of Canada
Provides access to a set of detailed maps showing federal electoral boundaries. Most of the electoral districts described in this 1895 atlas are identical to the 1901 census districts. Detailed ward maps for cities are also available.

All  Canadian census returns from 1851 to 1916 have been digitized and are currently available on multiple websites in addition to Ancestry Library Edition.   Ancestry Library Edition can be used in any Toronto Public Library branch and has all Canadian censuses from 1851.

Below are websites that have census information. Note: some are indexes, some have images, some are only searachable geographically.

Library and Archives Canada : Censuses 

Gives an overview of the Census collection with links to LAC census databases and finding aids.  The microfilm of the 1916 census  has also been digitized. Details on census column headings, abbreviations and enumeration dates can also be found on their site.

Canadian Censuses on FamilySearch  includes provincial censuses prior to 1842, and censuses 1851 - 1906, and 1916. 1861 census is listed by province. FamilySearch is provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Automated Genealogy has indexed the 1852 census (Ontario and Quebec and New Brunswick), 1901, 1906 and 1911 censuses

OntarioRoots.com   has a Toronto Street Finder for ward and district for the 1901 and 1911 censuses.

The Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), has the 1851/2 and 1881 census data.

Alberta Genealogical Society, Edmonton Branch   has indexed the 1901 census for Alberta and Saskatchewan.

 Newfoundland (prior to entering Confederation in 1949)

Transcriptions for various years Newfoundland (Newfoundland's Grand Banks Genealogical and Historical  Data)   Some are incomplete.

 

British and Irish Census Records Online

1841 - 1911 Census for England,Wales and Channel Islands   (FamilySearch)
  ( note: 1871 census is ~ 80% complete)

1901 Census of England and Wales
Free to search, pay to view records

1911 census of England and Wales
Free to search, pay to view records

IRELAND

Griffith's Valuation 1847 -1864
Griffith's is considered the Irish Census substitute.

Census of Ireland 1901/1911

 SCOTLAND

Scotlands People
Census records for 1841 - 1911. Free surname searches; pay to view records.

1841 - 1891 censuses  free on Family Search.

US Census Records Online

1790 - 1940 US censuses  (FamilySearch)
 Indexed and usually linked to images. Free

Digitized microfilm of 1790 - 1930 US census on Internet Archive. For help in using the microfilm try Donslist Finding Guides. 

Note: 1890 US census largely destroyed by fire.

In Library Resources

North York Central Library's Canadiana Department has all the available Canadian census records on microfilm. It also has an extensive collection of Ontario census indexes published by various genealogical organizations. The Toronto Reference Library  has microfilm census records for provinces outside Ontario. Prior to the 1911 census, its Ontario holdings are limited to Toronto & York County only. To identify which microfilm reel to search, consult the Catalogue of Census Returns on Microfilm 1666 - 1901 also available in paper format.  

The Toronto Reference Library's Humanities and Social Sciences Department houses many CD-ROMs and materials for U.S. and British and Irish census resources as well as early Quebec censuses (1660's) and the 1681 census of New France.

Ancestry Library Edition can be used on any computer in a Toronto Public Library branch, but is not available remotely.  It allows individual name searches, often with original images to:

Canadian censuses 1851 - 1916;  UK Census Collection for 1841 - 1911;  American  Census Records 1790 - 1940 and some European census records

Quebec Records.com  (available at North York Central and Toronto Reference Library)

French Canadian genealogy resource includes census information for Quebec in 1881 and for both Quebec and Ontario in 1901.  

 Additional Library Collections

Ontario Genealogical Society Deposit Collection  at the North York Central Library has an excellent collection of materials on British, American and Canadian censuses.

 

Canadiana Department, North York Central  416-395-5623

Humanities and Social Sciences, Toronto Reference Library 416-395-5577

 

Black Genealogy

Getting Started

The Canadiana Department at North York Central Library houses research material for genealogists and local historians, with a particular emphasis on Canada and includes the Deposit Collections of five genealogical societies. The Toronto Reference Library (TRL) has an extensive genealogy collection including non-Canadian genealogy.

Searching the Library Website

Suggested Keywords:

• Black Canadians genealogy

• Blacks genealogy

• Black Loyalists

• Blacks Ontario  or another province e.g. Blacks Nova Scotia

• Underground railroad Canada

Suggested Titles: Handbooks and Guides

American and Caribbean

• African American genealogy: a bibliograpny and guide to sources
• Black genesis: a resource book for African-American genealogy
• Black roots: a beginner's guide...
• Caribbeana: a re-publishing project for Caribbean genealogy
• Finding Oprah's roots: finding your own    
• Genealogist's guide to discovering your African-American ancestors: how to find and record your unique heritage
• Jamaican ancestry: how to find out more
• Lineages and linkages: solving Trinidad roots in India
• Tree without roots...tracing British, African and Asian Caribbean ancestry

Canada: Early Black history

• Black Loyalist directory: African Americans in exile after the American revolution
• Blacks in Canada: a history
• Dictionnaire des esclaves et de leurs propriétaires au Canada français
• Ontario's African-Canadian heritage: collected writings
• Spirit of Africville (2nd ed)
• Under the north star: Black communities in Upper Canada before Confederation

Publications on Black settlements in various town and townships in Ontario are also available.

Using Online Resources

Recommended Websites:

•  Blacks- Genealogy

Recommended Databases:

• Globe and Mail - Canada's heritage from 1844 (available from outside the library with a valid TPL library card)

• Toronto Star: Pages of the Past (available from outside the library with a valid TPL library card)

In Library Resources

Database

• Ancestry Library Edition (access from any Toronto Public Library computer)
e.g. their database "Slave registers of former British colonial dependencies in 1812- 1834"

Additional In Library Resources

African-Canadian newspapers on microfilm

• Voice of the Fugitive 1851 -1852 (Windsor)
• Dawn of Tomorrow 1932 - 1972 (Canadian League for Advancement of Colored People)
• West Indian News Observer 1967 -1969 (Toronto)
• Islander 1973 - 1975 (Toronto)
• Uhuru 1969 - 1970 (Montreal)

Other Resources

• Canada: a people's history, Episode 3 (DVD) on the Loyalists and Episode 5 on the Underground Railway.

• Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection [at the following TPL branches : Cedarbrae, Maria A. Shchuka, Parkdale and York Woods]

For further assistance contact:

Canadiana Department, North York Central Library  416-395-5623

Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Toronto Reference Library 416-395-5577

Digitized Toronto Newspapers: Globe & Mail and Toronto Star

Getting Started

The Toronto Star - Pages of the Past and the Globe & Mail – Canada’s Heritage from 1844 are two databases that allow users to search for words and phrases in complete issues of these newspapers.   These databases display images of the newspapers as they were originally published, including news stories, editorials, photographs, advertisements, classifieds, and birth, marriage, and death notices.

Coverage: (usually stops at 3 years before the current year)

Globe and Mail - Canada's Heritage: starts in 1844

Toronto Star - Pages of the Past: starts in 1894

 

Access to the databases from outside the library 

Note: Valid Toronto Public Library card required. (Many Ontario Public Libraries also subscribe to these two databases)

• Select A - Z list of all databases on the Toronto Public Library website
• Scroll down and choose either Globe & Mail: Canada's Heritage or Toronto Star: Pages of the Past
• Click the "Access Online" button.
• Sign in using your Toronto Public Library card and PIN number


Searching the newspapers

• For the Globe & Mail choose either  "Search by Word or Phrase" or "Browse by Date"

 

• For the Toronto Star use "Click here to Search".

 

 

• Select a start date and end date. You can search from one day to 5 years at a time
• Narrow your search by selecting a particular section e.g. News, Births/Deaths/Obits etc.  Caution is advised when specifying content/section in older newspapers

 

Searching for a phrase or a person's name

Do not use any punctuation in the Toronto Star database.

All Words is the default search type and will include any pages where all the words appear, even if they are on different parts of the page.

Exact Phrase retrieves pages where the words appear exactly as you have entered them (e.g. the words "John Smith" together). You may need to enter names in reverse order ( e.g. "Smith, John")  to find occurrences in obituaries, lists, etc.

 Viewing the results of a search

• A chronological list of newspaper pages matching your search appears
• Click on the date to view
• Search terms may be highlighted in yellow, but if not, use CTRL- F (Find) to locate your search terms.
• To change the size of the image use the Adobe toolbar (hover the mouse at the bottom of the image to bring up the toolbar) and use the + or - buttons.
• Use the arrow buttons at the top of the screen to move to the next or previous result. To return to the complete list of results, click on  Results List.

 

Printing or Saving

To print the whole newspaper page, reduced to letter or legal size paper, click on the printer icon in the Adobe toolbar and select  "Print All".  

To print part of a newspaper page:

• Click on the Graphics Select button    in the Adobe Acrobat toolbar.
• Select the area you want to print by clicking the mouse and dragging it to draw a box.
• Click on the print button in the Adobe toolbar and
• Select the "Print Selected Grahic" option.

Note:  The "Graphics Select" feature is only found in newer versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Older version of Acrobat Reader will only allow you to print the whole page.

To save a page to a flash drive/memory stick (PDF format)

• insert a memory stick into the computer
• click the diskette/save icon in the Adobe toolbar 
• in the "save in" box select the correct drive name, for instance "E", for the flash drive
• click "Save"

Not getting the results you expected?

Review any punctuation - is it allowable? The computer sometimes reads words incorrectly due to poor resolution especially in the earlier papers. Column or line breaks with unexpected hyphens can also create problems. Try alternate spellings, different search settings or Browse by Date (Globe and Mail) or enter a date to browse the Toronto Star.

 

Military Records

Getting Started

When searching for ancestors in earlier military records such as muster rolls or pay lists, you may only find lists of names.  However in later periods, personnel records which include date and place of birth, next of kin and occupation may be available. The Canadiana Department at North York Central Library has resources focusing primarily on Canadian military records.  The Toronto Reference Library has additional resources on British records.

Searching the Library Website

Suggested Subjects and Keywords

• Military pensions
• World War 1914-1918 registers or World War 1939-1945 registers
• [location] militia registers e.g. Ontario militia registers
• [name of war] officers e.g. War of 1812 officers
• Canadian Expeditionary Force (for World War I)
• Canada war medals
• [regimental name] e.g. Princess Patricia's
• regimental histories [location] e.g. regimental histories Canada

Suggested Titles

General

• Canadian military experience 1867 - 1995: a bibliography
• In search of the "forlorn hope": a comprehensive guide to locating British regiments and their records
• My ancestor was in the British army: how can I find out more about him?
• Regiments and corps of the Canadian army

War of 1812

• His majesty's gentlemen: a directory of regular British Army officers of the War of 1812
• Redcoated ploughboys....militia of Upper Canada 1813-1815. (ebook and print)
• Soldiers of the King: the Upper Canadian militia 1812 - 1815
• Taken and destroyed: War of 1812 losses claims, London and western districts.
• York's sacrifice: militia casualties of the war of 1812  (ebook and print)

1828-1913

• "The Canadians": those who served in South Africa, 1899-1902
• Men of Upper Canada: militia nominal rolls, 1828-1829
• Militia list for Canada West, 1847
• Répertoire des officiers de milice du Bas-Canada

1914 - 1918

• C.E.F. roll of honour...1914-1919
• List of officers and men serving in the First Canadian Contingent of the British Expeditionary Force 1914

1939-1945

• Canadians in the Royal Air Force
• Index to overseas deaths of Ontario servicemen and servicewomen 1939-1947
• They shall grow not old: a book of remembrance
• Official casualty lists: Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian army, Royal Canadian Air Force, 1941-

Using Online Resources

Recommended Websites

• Military Records
• Library and Archives Canada: Military (overview)
  •     Soldiers of the South African War
  •     Soldiers of the First World War CEF
  •     Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead

In Library Resources

Database

• Ancestry Library Edition (access from any Toronto Public Library computer)

Periodical 

• Canadian Military History

Microfilms  (those marked with *** have been digitized at Library and Archives Canada )

Check the finding aid available at the North York Central Library:

• 1755-1815 Registers of POWs
• 1777-1783 Loyalist regiment muster rolls (see also Online Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies)
• 1812 Claims for losses index (and documents)***
• War of 1812 nominal rolls & paylists - Lower and Upper Canada***
• 1812-1838 index to British military and naval records (and documents)***
• Records relating to the Rebellion of 1837/8
• 1866-1870 Fenian Raids bounty, general service, medal registers
• 1885 - North West Rebellion medal registers
• 1899-1902 - South Africa/Boer War medal registers
• 1902 - Coronation medallion register
• 1910-1940 - Canadian Navy lists
• 1914-1917 - Canadian Expeditionary Forces nominal rolls

Note: medal registers information has also been indexed in the Library and Archives Canada database "Medals, Honours and Awards" 

For further assistance contact:

Canadiana Department, North York Central Library 416-395-5623

Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Toronto Reference Library 416-395-5577

Jewish Genealogy

Getting Started

 The Canadiana Department at the North York Central Library specializes in Canadian genealogy and Ontario local history.  Canadiana also houses the Deposit Collection from the Jewish Genealogical Society of Canada (Toronto branch). The Toronto Reference Library has additional resources on British and international Jewish genealogy.

Searching the Library Website

Suggested Subjects and Keywords

• Jews genealogy
• Jews [place name] genealogy e.g. Jews United States genealogy
• Jews [country] directories e.g. Jews Canada directories
• Personal names Jewish
• Holocaust Jewish
• [surname] family e.g. Rubinoff family

Suggested Titles

General

• Avotaynu guide to Jewish genealogy
• Discovering your Jewish ancestors
• Getting started in Jewish genealogy
• Field guide to visiting a Jewish cemetery
• A guide to reading Hebrew inscriptions and documents
• Sephardic genealogy: discovering your Sephardic ancestors and their world
• World Jewish Directory

Canada and the U.S.

• Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy, volume 1: sources in the United States and Canada
• A student's guide to Jewish American genealogy
• Jews resident in Ontario according to the 1851 to 1901 censuses of Canada
→More on Jewish residents in the rest of Canada
• Roots and remembrance: explorations in Jewish genealogy
• Salt fish and shmattes: the history of the Jews in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1770
→More on Canada

Great Britain

• A beginner's guide to Jewish genealogy in Great Britain
• A guide to Jewish genealogy in the United Kingdom
• Tracing your Jewish ancestors: a guide...
• When Scotland was Jewish: ...twelfth century Semitic roots
→More on Great Britain

Europe

• Finding your Jewish roots in Galicia
• A dictionary of Jewish surnames from the Russian Empire
• A dictionary of Jewish surnames from the Kingdom of Poland
• →More on Poland
• A guide to Jewish genealogy in Germany and Austria
• A guide to Jewish genealogy in Latvia and Estonia
• Where once we walked: a guide to Jewish communities destroyed by the Holocaust

Israel

• A guide to Jewish genealogical research in Israel
• Guidebook for Sephardic and Oriental genealogical sources in Israel

Using Online Resources

Recommended websites

• Jews - Genealogy
• Library and Archives Canada: Genealogy - Jews
Check the Likacheff-Ragosine-Mathers collection (LI-RA-MA) for documents such as passports and identity papers of those who came to Canada from the Russian Empire between 1898 and 1922.

Recommended databases

• JewishGen

The databases below require a TPL library card to login

• Encyclopedia Judaica
• Globe and Mail - Canada's Heritage from 1844
• Toronto Star - Pages of the Past

In Library Resources

Database

• Ancestry Library Edition (access from any Toronto Public Library computer)

Periodicals

• Avotaynu: the international review of Jewish genealogy
• Shem Tov

Microforms

• Jewish genealogical people finder
• Jewish genealogical consolidated surname index

Additional Sources

• Jewish Genealogical Society of Canada (Toronto Branch)

Consult the JGS Toronto Branch's Resources link .  The Canadiana Department at North York Central Library houses their library collection.  Their library includes an extensive collection of periodicals from other Jewish genealogical societies, some family histories, as well as directories, dictionaries, bibliographies of memorial books and information on local and European Jewish cemeteries.

For further assistance contact:

Canadiana Department, North York Central Library 416-395-5623

Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Toronto Reference Library 416-395-5577

Genealogical Biography

Getting Started

Could your ancestors have been  prominent in their community?  Did they belong to a group or association, or were  they members of a profession or trade?  They may well appear in publications produced by these organizations. The Toronto Reference Library and the Canadiana Department at North York Central Library hold numerous examples of such resources, ranging from biographical dictionaries to membership directories.

Searching the Library website

Suggested keywords and subjects:

The terms "biography", "dictionaries" and "directories" can be useful in combination with the group/occupation/place  for instance:

• [occupation] [place] biography e.g. farmers Ontario biography

• [place] biography e.g. Muskoka biography

• [occupation] [place] directories e.g. artists Ontario directories ; lawyers Ontario directories

• [group] [place] biography e.g.  women Toronto biography; politicians Ontario biography

• [group] biography dictionaries e.g. musicians biography dictionaries

 

Suggested Titles

General Biography

• Biographical scrapbooks: Index  (1911-1967)
• Biography and Genealogy Master Index
• Canadian who's who    (1898 - )
• Canadian who's who index (1898 - 1984)
• Cyclopaedia of Canadian biography  (1886 - 1919)
• Dictionary of Canadian biography  (also available online)
• Macmillan dictionary of Canadian biography   (to 1978)
• Prominent people of the province of Ontario  (to 1925)
• Standard dictionary of Canadian biography   (1875 - 1937)
• Who's who in Canada   (1913 - 2001)

Arts & Education

• Biographical index of artists in Canada
• Schools and teachers in the province of Ontario  
• High schools yearbooks
• University yearbooks

Ethnicities

• Biographical dictionary of Canadian Jewry 1909 - 1914
• Dictionnaire biographique des ancêtres québécois 1608 - 1700
  
• Ethnic directory of Canada
• Who's who in Black Canada
  

Business, Government and Legal

• Blue book of Canadian business
• Canadian directory of parliament 1867 - 1967 
• Canadian parliamentary companion
• Canadian parliamentary guide
• Canadian law list  (1890's)  Canadian law list (1900's - present)
• Upper Canada law list
  

 Local

• Commemorative biographical record of the County of York 
• Dau's official blue book for Toronto
• Municipality of Toronto: a history  (to 1923)
• Sketches of celebrated Canadians  (to 1862)
• Society blue book of Toronto... (various years online)
• Torontonian society blue book  [1921-1946]
• Upper Canada sons and daughters of United Empire Loyalists
  

Medical

• Canadian medical directory and physician's handbook
• Canadian medical directory  (1955 - )
• Medical directory of Toronto and suburbs  (1900,1903)
• Medical register for Upper Canada 1867
• Ontario medical register  and Ontario medical register [1870 - 1898]  on microfiche

Regional

• Atlantic Canadians 1600 - 1900
• Central Canadians 1600 - 1900
• French Canadians 1600 -1900
• Western Canadians 1600 - 1900

Religious

• Ontario Catholic yearbook and directory
• Catholic almanac of Ontario for 1895 and 1898  (Online)
• United Church of Canada yearbook
• Yearbook and clergy list of the Church of England in the Dominion of Canada
• [Methodist clergy]

 

Early Immigrants - Lists

    There are numerous titles about early immigrants from various European locations.  Check our Passenger List Research Guide

 

Online Resources

    Available through the TPL website with a TPL library card:

• CBCA(Canadian Business and Current Affairs)
• Canadian Parliamentary Guide
• Canadian Periodical Index (CPI.Q)(1980 - )
• Early Canadiana Online     (for complete content, TPL library card required)
• Globe and Mail - Canada's Heritage since 1844
• Toronto Star -  Pages of the Past

Available on the Internet:

• Architectural Index for Ontario
• Canadian Encyclopedia Online/Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
• Dictionary of Canadian Biography online
• Our Roots   (Canadian local histories)
• Internet Archive  (wide selection of digitized books including directories)

In Library Resources

• Canadian Periodical Index   (1920 - )
• Canadian Newspaper and Canadian News Indexes  (1977 -1992)

• Newspapers  on microfilm  such as:
  •  Toronto Telegram (1876 - 1971)
  •  Ottawa Citizen (1850 -   )
  •  Winnipeg Free Press (1874 - 2010)
  •  Montreal Gazette (1785 -   )

 

For further assistance contact:

Canadiana Department, North York Central Library,  416-395-5623

Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Toronto Reference Library,  416-395-5577

Asian Genealogy

Getting Started

Trace your Chinese ancestors in Canada using immigration records and head tax certificates.  The Library also has some handbooks and name guides on Japanese, Korean and East Indian genealogies. Some resources are written in the ethnic language.

Searching the Library Website

Suggested Subjects and Keywords

• [name of ethnic group]  genealogy  e.g. Chinese genealogy
• [name of ethnic group]  names   e.g. Japanese names
• [name of ethnic group] place  e.g. Koreans Ontario

Suggested Titles

• Asian American genealogical sourcebook
• Ethnic genealogy: a research guide
• Family lineage records as a resource for Korean history
• A gazetteer of Japanese place names: in characters and in Romaji script, giving latitudes and longitudes
• In search of your Asian roots: genealogical research on Chinese surnames
• Shuben xungen baijiaxing
• Tracing your Philippine ancestors
• They came in ships: guide to finding your immigrant ancestor's arrival record
• Xing shi jian jie [Chinese names]

Using Online Resources

Recommended Websites

• Genealogy - Asia

Chinese

• Library and Archives Canada Genealogy - Chinese
• Vancouver Public Library - Chinese-Canadian Genealogy

East Indians

• Library and Archives Canada Genealogy - East Indians

 Recommended Databases

• Globe and Mail - Canada's Heritage from 1844 (Toronto Public Library card login required)
• Toronto Star - Pages of the Past (Toronto Public Library card login required)

In Library Resources

Database

• Ancestry Library Edition (access from any Toronto Public Library computer)

Microforms

Check the finding aids available at the North York Central Library :

    Census

• Catalogue of census returns on microfilm: 1666-1891 and 1901 supplement (also available online free from Library Archives Canada)
• 1906 and 1916 Censuses of the Northwest Provinces

     Ships, Passenger Lists:

• Registers of Chinese Immigrants, 1887-1949 
• British Columbia Ports - Passenger Lists 1905-1935
• Newfoundland registers of arrivals and outward registrations
• The above are combined in one database available online free from Library and Archives Canada)

 For further assistance contact:

Canadiana Department, North York Central Library 416-395-5623

Humanities and Social Science, Toronto Reference Library 416-395-5577

 

Western Canada - Genealogy

Getting Started

The historical development of the Western provinces greatly determines the location and availability of genealogical records.  The Canadiana Department at the North York Central Library has a variety of resources including early historical maps, census returns,  directories and more.  Also available are deposit collections from the Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants, and Jewish Genealogical Society.The Humanities & Social Sciences Department at Toronto Reference Library has extensive records for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Searching the Library Website

Suggested Subjects and Keywords

• census [place] [year] e.g. census Alberta 1891
• [place name] genealogy e.g. Calgary genealogy
• registers [province or district] e.g. registers British Columbia
• prairie provinces land   or Northwest, Canadian emigration and immigration
• western canada genealogy

Suggested Titles

General

• Federal voters lists in Western Canada, 1935-1979: a finding aid
• Peel's Bibliography of the Canadian Prairies to 1953
• Researching the Prairies
• Western Canadian directories on microfiche and microfilm: a finding aid
• Western Canadians 1600-1900: an alphabetized directory of the people, places and vital dates

Alberta

• Alberta, formerly the Northwest Territories: index to registration of births, marriages and deaths, 1870-1905
• Genealogical resources in the Edmonton area: a helpful guide
• Tracing your ancestors in Alberta: a guide to sources of genealogical interest in Alberta's archives and research centres

British Columbia

• British Columbia 1871: a list of residents based on the work of Edward Mallandaine [primarily Vancouver Island]
• Genealogical resources for British Columbians
• Pioneer register: pioneers of British Columbia, pre 1900

Manitoba

• Finding your ancestors in Manitoba
• Biographical resources at the Hudson's Bay Company archives
• Manitoba marriages (also on microfilm) [1834-1979 St. Boniface region]

Saskatchewan

• Finding your ancestors in Saskatchewan
• Exploring family history in Saskatchewan
• Tracing your Saskatchewan ancestors

Using Online Resources

Recommended Websites

• Western Canada - Genealogy   (then  narrow by province, if required)

Recommended Databases

(Please note: the databases below all require a Toronto Public Library card to login)

• Early Canadiana Online (partially available free online)
• Globe and Mail - Canada's Heritage from 1844
• Toronto Star - Pages of the Past

In Library Resources

Databases

• Ancestry Library Edition (access from any Toronto Public Library computer)

Periodicals

• Alberta history (also available online with TPL Library card)
• The British Columbia genealogist
• Bulletin (Saskatchewan Genealogical Society)
• Chinook: the journal of the Alberta Family Histories Society
• East European genealogist  (Manitoba Genealogical Society)
• Generations: the journal of the Manitoba Genealogical Society
• Obituary notices index...Winnipeg Newspapers 1975-1993
• Relatively speaking: a publication of the Alberta Genealogical Society

Microforms

• Winnipeg Free Press 1874 - (selected articles available online from 1982 with TPL library card)
• British Columbia Directories 1900-1954
• Western Canada: Directories 1880 - 1953

For further assistance contact:

Canadiana Department, North York Central Library 416-395-5623

Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Toronto Reference Library 416-395-5577

Atlantic Canada - Genealogy

Getting Started

The historical development of each Maritime province greatly determines the genealogical records available to trace family histories.  For example, civil registration was not required until the late 19th century.  The Canadiana Department at the North York Central Library has some early vital statistics, family histories, census records and more. Also available are deposit collections from the Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants, and the Jewish Genealogical Society. The Humanities & Social Sciences Department at Toronto Reference Library has extensive records for Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Searching the Library Website

Suggested Subjects and Keywords

• [name of province] genealogy e.g. Prince Edward Island genealogy
• census [place] [year] e.g. census Colchester 1891
• registers [name of province] e.g. registers Newfoundland
• cemeteries [name of province] e.g. cemeteries Nova Scotia
• maritime provinces genealogy

Suggested Titles

General  

• Atlantic Canadians 1600 -1900 
• In search of your Canadian roots: tracing your family tree in Canada
• Genealogist's handbook for Atlantic Canada research
• Erin's sons: Irish arrivals in Atlantic Canada 1761-1853

New Brunswick

• Early marriage records of New Brunswick: Saint John City and County from the British conquest to 1839
• Finding your ancestors in New Brunswick
• Starting a family history project in New Brunswick Canada
• Vital Statistics from New Brunswick newspapers

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Births, deaths, marriages in Newfoundland newspapers [1825-1888]
• Cemetery inscriptions from the Labrador
• Family names of the island of Newfoundland
• Researching your family's history in Newfoundland and Labrador [pamphlet]
• Researching your family history in Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

• Deaths, burials and probate from Nova Scotians, 1800-1850, from primary sources
• Genealogical research in Nova Scotia, 4th ed.
• Nova Scotia vital statistics from newspapers (multi-volume set)

Prince Edward Island

• Checklist and historical directory of Prince Edward Island newspapers, 1787-1986
• Early Prince Edward Island probate records, 1786-1850
• Family history in Prince Edward Island: a genealogical research guide

Using Online Resources

Recommended Websites

• Atlantic Canada - Genealogy

Recommended Databases

• Globe and Mail - Canada's Heritage from 1844 (Toronto Public Library card login required)
• Toronto Star - Pages of the Past (Toronto Public Library card login required)

In Library Resources

Database

• Ancestry Library Edition (access from any Toronto Public Library computer)
  

Periodicals

• Generations (New Brunswick Genealogical Society)
• Newfoundland ancestor ( Newfoundland & Labrador Genealogical Society)
• Newsletter (P.E.I. Genealogical Society)
• Nova Scotia genealogist (Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia)
• Them days (Labrador Heritage Society)

Microforms

• Census returns 1666-1891 and 1901 supplement (see Catalogue of Census Returns on Microfilm 1666-1901)
• Newfoundland census 1921, 1935, 1945 (see finding aid)
• Directories (see Atlantic Directories to 1900 on microfiche and Checklist of Canadian directories 1790-1950)

Maps

• Historical Atlas of the Maritime Provinces 1878
• Atlas of the Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada (1928)
• Atlas of York County, New Brunswick
• Illustrated historical atlas of Pictou County, Nova Scotia (1879)
• Illustrated historical atlas of Prince Edward Island  (1880)

For further assistance contact:

Canadiana Department, North York Central Library 416-395-5623

Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Toronto Reference Library 416-395-5577