Introduction to French-Canadian Research

France introduced the feudal system of land tenure in the colonial era. Learn how the system worked and where to find land records for your Quebec ancestors.

Quebec has censuses and census substitutes dating back to the 17th century. Find out what information these records contain and how to access them in this webinar.

Discover who the notaries were, how they worked, and the rich resources available in their records. No matter what ethnic background your ancestors were, if they resided at Quebec, they used notaries.

French-Canadians are lucky to have duplicate copies of records dating back to the earliest settlements. This is why there is little major record loss. Learn how to find records of birth/baptism, marriage, and death/burials.

With the right tools, searching for your French Canadian ancestors in Quebec has never been easier. French Canadians are passionate about their ancestral lineage, consequently a large number of repositories exist, both public and private, to help trace your French Canadian ancestors. Although the well known Drouin Collection is a wonderful source of genealogical data, many more databases exist on French Canadian ancestry. This presentation will focus on lesser known databases and websites to help you find your elusive French Canadian ancestors or to add valuable information to your ancestors’ lives.

The landscape of Canada is extensive, and so are our genealogy resources! In this presentation we'll take a look at accessing some of the most common Canadian genealogy documents available online including census, immigration, military, and vital records. We'll also explore the abundant number of Canadian Jewish specific resources including archives and heritage organizations, newspapers, and digitized books.

Did you know that the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives is the largest private archives in the world? Let me show you one very special resource this archive has made available online: the Biographical Information Sheet. These goldmines provide a window into the HBCA’s records pertaining to 1000s of historical employees.

We often hear of the California Gold Rush but the Klondike Gold Rush pulled the US out of a deep depression yet you do not hear much about it. We will outline the importance of this very short Rush, plot the routes and identify locations where you can find the records of your ancestor in the Canadian Rockies.

With the 1931 Canada census finally released to the public on June 1, 2023, a new window into the lives of ancestors who lived in Canada in the early 20th century is being thrown open! This census offers a snapshot of Canada at a fascinating and difficult historical period, a few years into the Great Depression. Join us for a deep dive into this long-awaited collection and discover what you can learn about your ancestors living in Canada during this time.