Canada, Prairie Provinces Census, 1916 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1916 (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta). Other Census years of the Prairie Provinces include the 1906 and 1926.

The national government of Canada has taken censuses every ten years since 1871 and every five years since 1971. The 1871 census covers the four original provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. The first coast-to-coast census was taken in 1881. Newfoundland was not part of Canada until 1949. For Newfoundland, there are few, found 19th-century censuses that list names. They mostly contain statistical summaries.

These censuses list a large quantity of the population in the areas surveyed. However, portions of some have been lost, and some areas within the provinces were missed by the census takers.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 3

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The name of a relative or date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find your ancestor in additional censuses
 * Use the information to find other records such as birth, christening, marriage, land and death records
 * Use the information to find additional family members
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Canada.
 * Canada Record Finder
 * Canada Research Tips and Strategies

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Doris Bourrie. Researching Canadian census records. 2nd ed. Toronto, Ontario : Heritage Productions, 2003. FHL 971 X27b 2003
 * Dave Obee ; Jutta Missal, ed., Counting Canada : a genealogical guide to the Canadian census Victoria, British Columbia : D. Obee, c2012. FHL 971 X27o

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.