Canada, Northwest Provinces Census, 1906 - FamilySearch Historical Records

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

There are some printed forms that were written in English and French. The responses that the people gave to the enumerator, were either in English or French. The census day for Canada was June 24th, 1906.

National census records are arranged by province and within provinces by census districts and sub-districts. Census districts are voting districts, not counties. Although a voting district may have the same name as a county, it may not include the same townships. In some provinces, townships are equivalent to census sub-districts. A number was assigned to a district, a letter to a sub-district and a number to a subdivision of a sub-district. Some sub-districts also have a number, i.e. "a(1)" means sub-district "a1" and "a1" means sub-district "a", subdivision "1".

The national government of Canada has taken censuses every ten years since 1871 and every five years since 1971. Newfoundland was not part of Canada until 1949 and most 19th-century censuses for this area contain statistical summaries and very few names.

The Canada Census article has more details.

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

1906 Census
 * Full name
 * Gender
 * Age
 * Marital status
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Place of birth
 * Approximate year of birth

Coverage Map
The map below shows the Provinces and Territories between the years of 1905 & 1912. The census covers what is known as the Northwest provinces which are made up of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Manitoba is smaller than current day Manitoba.

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search 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?

 * Use the information to search for 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 in your research for your family in Canada.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.