Canadian Census Records

The earliest census records available for Canada were taken in 1666, 1667, and 1681 under the instructions of Intendant Jean Talon and lists the early residents of New France. This census revealed that there were twice as many men as women therefore King Louis XIV sent young French Women, known as Filles du roi, to settle in New France to increase the population. The Filles du roi are believed to be behind the creation of one of the most quintessential Canadian dishes, the Butter Tart.   

From 1851 to 1901, a census occurred every ten years to assist in determining parliamentary representation based on population. But the census turned out to be so much more since it provides a history of Canadian families and a  snapshot of societal shifts at a specific point in time. Unfortunately, some of the early censuses only partially survived, including the 1861 Lambton County census where much of the townships census information did not survive the historical record.  

In 1905, the Census and Statistics Act shared that a general census of Canada was to occur in 1911 and every ten years after, while a census of population and agriculture was to be taken in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in 1906 and every ten years after.  

Searching via Library and Archives Canada

Most census records can be located through Library and Archives Canada. When searching a database, keep in mind that spelling variations of names are common.  Also, it is sometimes difficult for indexers to interpret the handwriting of the census enumerators, especially on pages with poor legibility, so databases do contain many errors and omissions.  If you cannot find a name in a database, try searching the census pages for the place where your ancestor resided.