Northwest Territories Church Records

--

Denominations
The largest denominations by number of adherents according to the 2001 census were Roman Catholic with 16,940 (46.7%); the Anglican Church of Canada with 5,510 (14.9%); and the United Church of Canada with 2,230 (6.0%), while a total of 6,465 (17.4%) people stated no religion.Wikipedia

Information Found in the Records
To effectively use church records, become familiar with their content. Click on these links to learn about a specific record type:

Look for digital copies of church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog.

 * The FamilySearch Library (FS Library) has microfilmed and/or digitized records for churches in the Canada.
 * Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the province or a town.
 * If you find a record that has not yet been digitized, see How do I request that a microfilm be digitized?
 * Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations.
 * To find records:
 * a. Click on the records of Canada, Northwest Territories.
 * b. Click on Places within Canada, Northwest Territories and a list of towns will appear.
 * c. Click on your town or the town where the church was, if different.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

-

Correspond with or visit the actual churches.
Some records are still held in the local churches. Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.
 * Make an appointment to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
 * To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
 * Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname".
 * A donation ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
 * If the church has a website, you may be able to e-mail a message.
 * See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

Addresses

 * Canadian Church Directory
 * Each denomination page offers an online address directory of local churches for that denomination.

Check the church records collections in archives and libraries.
Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. Watch for links to digitized, online records offered by the archives. Some archives provide research services for a fee. For others, if you cannot visit in person, you might hire a researcher. '''Here you will find archive information unique to the province. Many more archives are kept by denomination. For denominational archives, go to  Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Anglican Church of Canada
Diocese of the Arctic Archives Synod Office PO Box 190 Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N2 Canada Phone: 867-873-5432 Fax: 867-873-8478 E-mail: dota@arcticnet.org
 * The General Synod Archives has copies of some parish registers and can provide certified copies.  Parish register enquiries that cannot be fulfilled at the General Synod Archives may be referred to the Diocese of the Arctic Synod Office in Yellowknife.  Doug Doak, Executive Officer, will direct the enquiry to the relevant parish.
 * Parish Register Inquiry Form

Catholic
Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith 5117‐52 Street Yellowknife, N.W.T. X1A 1T7 Canada Telephone: (867) 920‐2129 Fax: (867) 873‐9021 Email: diocese.mackenzie@theedge.ca
 * Parish Addresses
 * Contact the local parish first with inquiries for information.

United Church Records
The United Church of Canada Archives holds the local church records of the United Church and its uniting denominations (Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian (1925 union); and Evangelical United Brethren—joined in 1968).

Alberta and Northwest Conference Archives Provincial Archives of Alberta 8555 Roper Road Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5W1 Telephone: 780-427-8687

The Alberta and Northwest Conference area encompasses the province of Alberta and the northeastern section of the province of British Columbia, all of the Yukon Territories, and all of the Northwest Territories. Holdings include those records created by local congregations such as registers of baptisms, marriages and burials and numerous other records.

Presbyterian Church in Canada
The records of the churches which did not join at union but remained part of the continuing Presbyterian Church in Canada after 1925 are held at:

Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives and Record Office 50 Wynford Drive Toronto, Ontario M3C 1J7 Telephone: (416) 441-1111

Go to the Wiki article for your ancestors' denomination to find more archives.
There are frequently additional, nationwide or regional archives for each denomination. Find the article for your ancestors' denomination and follow the instructions there to access these sources. This is especially important if local archives are not given above.

Correspond with genealogical or historical societies.
Some church records have been given to historical societies. Also, historical societies may be able to tell you where the records are being held. To find a society near you, consult these lists:

Carefully compare any record you find to known facts about the ancestor
You will possibly find many different people with the same name as your ancestor, especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the grandparents or aunts and uncles. Be prepared to find the correct church records by organizing in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor as possible:
 * name, including middle name and maiden name
 * names of all spouses, including middle and maiden name
 * exact or closely estimated dates of birth, marriage, and death
 * names and approximate birthdates of children
 * all known places of residence
 * occupations
 * military service details

Carefully evaluate the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a "near match". If one or more of the details do not line up, be careful about accepting the entry as your ancestor. There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, Evaluate the Evidence.