The release of the 1940 U.S. census has created a lot of talk and interest in the genealogy community. Regularly, I encounter books, articles, and classes on where to find and how to research the U.S. censuses. However, little is ever discusses, south of the border, about Canadian censuses. There are many in the states who can trace their heritage to Canadian soil. In some cases, Canada was only a stop over on the way from the Old World to new home in the United States and its territories. For others, their Canadian blood rings true and even recent census records are where you will find their families. For those who may find value in research Counting Canadian censuses, then Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census is the book to provide the answers.

Counting Canada provides an in-depth look at the history of the Canadian census and the records. It took some effort for the Canadians to get their regular census going. But, since 1851, a census has been held regularly since. The Canadian census does share some traits with the U.S. census. Like in the U.S., the Canadian census has grown and changed. Different schedules are kept for different census years. The questions have been modified or changed for different census as well. Handwriting makes older censuses more difficult to read, and privacy laws restrict availability. These attributes and changes can make it difficult to trace families from one census to the next without a base model or guide to provide research assistance.

This book guides the reader through the different census years. Not every census asked the same questions and not every province did either. The guide is meant to help researchers "make the most of the Canadian Census." The knowledge gained in these pages can help the individual researcher trace their family ties across the norther border and throughout Canada.

Contents

1. A record of the people
2. History of the census
1. A Census timeline
3. Research in the census
4. De jure or de facto?
5. Why aren't they there?
6. 1604-1840
7. 1841-1850
8. 1851-1852
9. 1861
10. 1871
11. 1881
12. 1891
13. 1901
14. 1906
15. 1911
16. 1916
17. 1921
18. 1926
19. 1931 and later
20. Supplementary sources

Appendix A: A list of Canadian censuses

Appendix B: The 1870 census legislation

Internet sites of note

Select bibliography

Illustrations

Index