History Research Guide

Census returns are official Government of Canada records that enumerate the country's population. They are an invaluable source of information for genealogy research. Starting in 1851, most census records included the names of every resident, their country or province of birth, age and many other details.

Library and Archives Canada holds an extensive collection of Canadian census records from 1640 to 1926, and Newfoundland from 1671 to 1945. 

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) helps Canadians gain a better understanding of who they are. It serves as the continuing memory of the federal government and its institutions and as the guardian of Canada’s distant past and recent history.

The Royal BC Museum Corporation is one of Canada’s greatest cultural treasures. The museum was founded in 1886; the archives, in 1894. In 2003, these two organizations joined to become British Columbia’s combined provincial museum and archives, collecting artifacts, documents and specimens of British Columbia’s natural and human history, safeguarding them for the future and sharing them with the world.

The Royal BC Museum is home to thousands of spectacular photographs, films, recordings and objects showcasing the many First Nations cultures in BC. These items represent up to 10,000 years of history from across the province, celebrating the diversity and resilience of Indigenous peoples. The Royal BC Museum is honoured to care for these extraordinary collections, which provide an invaluable resource for research and public programming.