Orthodox Churches in Canada

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Online Records

 * 1621-1968 - Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968, index and images ($). Can be used free-of-charge at a Family History Center.
 * 1642-1967 -, digitized, browsable index.
 * 1763-1967 -, images only.

Correspond with or visit the actual churches.
Records are still held in the local churches. If it appears that a parish church as closed, contact the diocese.
 * 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.
 * Canadian Church Directory
 * See address lists in above chart for each denomination.
 * Orthodox Wiki List of Parishes in Canada Combined list of Orthodox churches. Numbers in brackets are clickable links to websites.]

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:

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.