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Finding Canadian civil registration records is akin to scrounging up the same kind of documents in America. It's about as much fun as sticking pins in your eyes. For the latest word on what's happening north of the border, I contacted Pat Pettitt. She volunteers at the Edmonton Branch Library and the Provincial Archives of Alberta. See www.agsedm.edmonton.ab.ca
"In genealogy, it seems nothing is straightforward and certainly civil registration in Canada falls into that category," said Pettitt.
"Each province and territory in Canada is responsible for recording the vital statistics in its area. This is similar to the United States. Each stateinitiated the recording of vital statistics at various times in its history and each state has its own rules and regulations regarding the registration of births, marriages and deaths.
"In Canada, each province institutes its own rules about requirements and details needed for each registration," said Pettitt. "Genealogists must also deal with differing degrees of access to these documents in each province. Some provinces have opened access to "historic' registrations. Others have not. By "historic,' I mean older records that no longer have access restrictions. More recent records can only be obtained by next of kin."
If you are among those stymied by Canadian civil registration, you may find answers at the Global Gazette, an online magazine (http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/gazfd/gazfd71.htm)
The editor emphasizes the best way to get results. "When requesting information, make sure you ask for a complete genealogical extract and not just a copy of a certificate. Modern certificates do not provide information about the names of parents of a child and other important details. Researchers will want as much information as possible from the record of registration itself. Usually, if the original registration is found, a genealogical abstract is provided for a slightly higher cost or, in some provinces, for no additional fee."
For a more global view of Canadian records, you can't beat the On-Line Canadian Genealogy Centre at www.genealogy.gc.ca AVITUS, a directory of Canadian genealogical resources, is the site's main attraction.
Browsing by subject, one quickly learns how to retrieve birth, death, marriage and adoption information for Newfoundland and Labrador dating back to 1892. Other searchable databases include naturalization records and the 1901 census. The latter must be searched by geographical region and not surname.
The volume of information on this site ranges from contact information for provincial and territorial archives to advice and research tools.
No online search of Canadian records would be complete without a visit to the Canadian Archives and Library at www.archives.ca You can order the free publication Tracing Your Ancestors in Canada.
The Glenbow Museum (www.glenbow.org) is one of the largest nongovernmental repositories of Canadian records.
Other resources include a searchable database of the 1881 Canadian census at www.familysearch.org, immigration data at http://ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/index.html andwww.genforum.com and www.rootsweb.com.
- Donna Murray Allen will present a 3-hour seminar on intermediate research topics at the Silverthorn Genealogy Club in Springhill. The event takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 28. The cost is $5 per person. Please contact Sally Scales at (352) 799-3640 or write to 4997 Championship Cup Lane, Spring Hill, FL 34609-0361.
You can write to Allen c/o Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail her at rootscolumn@yahoo.com Her Web site: www.rootsdetective.com which includes information on classes and lectures.