Local History & Genealogy

Getting Started

The Toronto Reference Library has resources in English and French and in print, microfilm, and online to help you research French Canadian and Acadian genealogy.

Searching the Library Website

Suggested Subject and Keywords

• Acadians genealogy
• French Canadians genealogy
• Registers Acadian
• [location or parish] genealogy e.g. Sacré Coeur genealogy

Suggested Titles

English

• Acadian church records
• Acadian genealogy & notes concerning the expulsion
• Finding your Acadian ancestors
• Finding your French-Canadian ancestors
• French and native North American marriages 1600–1800
• French-Canadian Sources: a guide for genealogists
• Granby & Eastern Townships newspaper extracts 1855-1910
• Miller’s manual: a research guide to the major French-Canadian genealogical resources
• Tour of inspection made by the Sieur de la Roque:census 1752  (Cape Breton)

French

• Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec
• Dictionnaire généalogique des familles acadiennes
• Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation
• Histoire et généalogie des Acadiens
• Nos origines en France : des débuts à 1825
• Recensement du bas-Canada  en 1825: (Eastern townships and South shore)
• Répertoire des actes de baptême. mariage, sépulture et des recensements du Québec ancien
• Traité de généalogie

Using Online Resources

Acadian Genweb

Recommended databases:

(Franco-Ontarian research; membership required)

Réseau du patrimoine franco-ontarien  http://www.rpfo.ca/

Digitized book:

Acadian Culture in Maine

In Library Resources

Databases

• Ancestry Library Edition (access from any Toronto Public Library computer)
  Drouin Collection whose records are primarily from 1621 to the late 1940’s. Includes the following databases:
  • Quebec Vital and Church Records 1621 - 1967 (which contains records for all religious denominations)
  • Ontario French Catholic Church Records 1747 - 1967
  • Acadia French Catholic Church Records 1670 - 1946

• Quebec Records.com (available at North York Central Library and Toronto Reference Library) from the Drouin Institute has a number of different databases which are usually linked to digital images, including:   

•  La France: Catholic marriages up to 1911; baptisms and deaths up to 1849 includes vital records and notarial records and covers  Acadia and parts of Ontario - must be searched geographically.  Comprehensive coverage up to late 1940's ; spotty thereafter through mid-60's

• Great Collections: includes the Drouin marriage information on men and women up to 1935; searchable by family name

• Obituaries: internet and newspaper mostly since 1980's or later

• Quebec marriages and deaths 1926- 1996

• a number of smaller specialized databases including the Loiselle Marriage Index listed below

Additional sources

• Loiselle Marriage Index : (index and microfilm numbers)  The microfilms are at the Toronto Reference Library

Periodicals

• Acadian genealogy exchange  (1972-current)
• Le chaînon / La Société franco-ontarienne d’histoire et de généalogie  (1983-current)
• Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-française (1944-current)

Newspapers

• Canadian Illustrated News (Montreal) 1869-1883
• Montreal Gazette 1785-1949 (microfilm)

Note:

1950 onwards available at Toronto Reference Library
• Montreal Herald 1814-1817 (selected extracts only) (microfilm)
• Quebec Gazette 1764-1817, 1862-1873  (microfilm)

Microforms

Check the Finding Aids for the following:

• Catalogue of census returns on microfilm: 1666-1891 and 1901 supplement
→See online version at

Library and Archives Canada

• Généalogies des familles acadiennes (Placide Gaudet)
• Lower Canada land petitions - records partially digitized on Library and Archives Canada
• Lower Canada marriage bonds nominal index
  Also: Marriage bonds digitized on Library and Archives Canada

Toronto Public Library contacts:

Answerline: 416-393-7131
[email protected]

Toronto Reference Library, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, 416-393-7175