Ancestry.com is already home to the first and only fully indexed 1911 Census of Canada. And now you can trace your Canadian ancestors one step further back in time, thanks to the 6 million new names in the 1901 Census of Canada and the 1906 Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
The combined databases encompass approximately 5,931,267 names/records on 154,280 images.
Having access to the Canadian census has a huge help. Are you going to get the complete 1871 census?
This is another example of why so many people are frustrated with
Ancestry.com. You take a small segment of material and charge a
large amount for it. I know many people that are giving up on
ancestry.com. You are a bunch of money grubbers.
Having access to the Canadian census returns is wonderful and I hope that the other ones will be transcribed as well. I have found though that they are very, very poorly transcribed and as a result I go to other transcriptions online first. More than not, names are transcribed wrong and it is extremely frustrating to say the least. New transcribers that actually can read and use their common sense (eg. a wife named Rose is not an uncle named Rase as the transcription incorrectly states for someone I looked up yesterday) as well as know the area being dealt with need to be brought it. Of course speed is a priority with a site like Ancestry to get more online to tempt people to buy subscriptions but if people consistently can’t find their ancestors due to horrible transcriptions, they will not continue to be subscribers.
Keep those comments coming – both positive and negative.
I am a fence sitter – haven’t decided to join yet.
The 1911 Canadian Census is on a Canadian web-site for free. Check it out.
The ability to see census images online is a huge blessing to all geneaologists. While misinterpretations of the handwriting are inevitable, they have been present in the written indexes as well as online. They have forced me to think outside the box and to broaden my searches. I start with the details I know, and if nothing is found, then I eliminate search criteria and try different combinations of first name, last name only, no sex, no age, without birthplace. This has allowed me to pull up misspellings or close spellings and review those entries. They have often proved fruitful, and I have had to search dearly for one of my family names, but now have it three generations back. Online availability allows me to do searches when libraries are closed. I have spent many, many hours in Salt Lake City at the FHL. After searching two microfilms for a name reference, only to find that someone else has the microfilm you need or the page number documented isn’t accurate is MUCH more frustrating that anything I have encountered online. I say thank you to Ancestry for getting these images online. As a typist of 30 years, I recognize the time commitment to accomplish this. Hopefully, your transcribers are screened prior to hire for their ability and accuracy of performance.
http://www.collectionscanada.ca is the website for Library and Archives Canada – They have free databases of many sorts: 1871 census indexed (heads of household only); soldiers of WWI and Boer Wars databases of attestation papers; home children (ongoing); and much more – plus Canadian Genealogy Centre – all free sources .
Also http://www.automatedgenealogy.com – has 1901, 1906 and 1911 censuses extracted by volunteers – all free – which connect to the digitized original version at Library and Archives Canada.
No need to pay fees for what is available free!
Check out CyndisList.com for more free sources for Canada.
When I first accessed your 1901 CANADA census for Halifax in Feb 2006, I found all my Stanhopes. Then I was unable to access that database again. Now in this 1901 census they have become STANTOP or STANLOP Mary has become Hary . What happened?
I am in full agreement with the transcribing issue – I knew my grandfather must be on the 1911 census somewhere and found Frank Coates transcribed as Frank Coster and his father Herbert Coates transcribed as Woobert Coster. Good grief!! Thank heavens they put in the correct birthdates and places of birth!! I used Frank’s first name and found them. Upon reading I could not imagine making the Woobert error!!
If I find a mistake in an ancestor’s name on ancestry.com how do i correct it?
I’m looking for my grandparents whom came to Canada via Halifax Harbor sometime around 1950’s. Where would I look for that time period?