Ontario, Canada Genealogy

Guide to Ontario ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

History
Located in Central Canada, Ontario is Canada's most populous province, with 38.3 percent of the country's population, and is the second-largest province by total area. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the region was inhabited by Algonquian (Ojibwe, Cree and Algonquin) in the northern/western portions, and Iroquois and Wyandot (Huron) people more in the south/east. In 1615, French missionaries began to establish posts along the Great Lakes. French settlement was hampered by their hostilities with the Iroquois, who allied themselves with the British. The first European settlements were in 1782–1784 when 5,000 American loyalists entered what is now Ontario following the American Revolution. The Kingdom of Great Britain granted them 200 acres land and other items with which to rebuild their lives. The Constitutional Act of 1791 split Quebec into the Canadas: Upper Canada southwest of the St. Lawrence-Ottawa River confluence, and Lower Canada east of it. The British North America Act took effect on July 1, 1867, establishing the Dominion of Canada, initially with four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. The Province of Canada was divided into Ontario and Quebec so that each linguistic group would have its own province.
 * See Ontario History Wiki page for more details.

Current Ontario Jurisdictions
The article, Current Ontario Counties, Districts, and Municipalities, shows the most recent government divisions at the county or equivalent level.

Extinct Counties and Districts
Addington County· Bothwell District· Brant County· Cardwell District· Carleton County· Dufferin County· Dundas County· Durham County· Frontenac County· Glengarry County· Grenville County· Haldimand County· Halton County· Kent County· Leeds County· Lennox County· Lincoln County· Monck District· Niagara District· Norfolk County· Ontario County· Patricia County· Peel County· Prescott County· Prince Edward County· Russell County· Stormont County· Sudbury Regional Municipality· Suffolk County· Victoria County· Welland County· Waterloo County· Wentworth County· York County

Migration Routes
Ottawa River· St. Lawrence River· Lake Champlain· Lake Erie· Lake Huron· Lake Ontario· Lake Superior· Addinton Road· Bobcageon Road· Halifax Road or Grand Communication Route· Hastings Road· King's Road· Monck Road· Nipissing Road· Opeongo Line· Provincial Road· Talbot Trail· Chambly Canal· Erie Canal· Soo Locks· Canadian Pacific Railway

FamilySearch Resources
Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in researching your family.
 * Facebook Community - Facebook groups discussing genealogy research
 * Learning Center - Online genealogy courses
 * Historical Records - databases and record images on FamilySearch
 * Family History Center locator map