Family History Research
Databases (Library card required)
Ancestry Library — International genealogy resource with the largest online Canadian family history collection, searchable by surname. Includes many digitized full records. Available in library only at the Cloverdale Library Family History department.
Find My Past — British genealogy resource offering the 1911 U.K. census, British military records, English births, marriages and deaths and much more. Available in library only at the Cloverdale Family History department
HeritageQuest — Combines digital, searchable images of U.S. federal census records with other genealogical and historic collections. Available in library only at the Cloverdale Library Family History department.
- Getting Started
- Canada - National
- Provinces
- First Nations
- Métis
- Chinese Canadian
- International
- Connecting with Others
- DNA Testing for Genealogy
- Adoption
Getting Started
How to Begin: Canadian Genealogy Centre
Tracing your Family Tree Alberta Family Histories Society
Getting Started in Genealogy & Family History: UK perspective
BBC Family History: Getting Started
Family Search: How to Start Your Family History
Find People From the Past: A Genealogy Resource Guide for Kids
Canada - National
Library & Archives Canada (ArchiviaNet)
Canadian Genealogy Centre (Library and Archives Canada): an essential resource for Canadian research. You may search through all available records using the consolidated search on the main page, or search individual record groups by choosing What to Search: Topics from the left column. Select Military, Land, Immigration or any topic and you'll find detailed information about the subject as well as name searchable databases in many cases.
Canadian Immigration Records,1801 to 1849 at Ingeneas
- 1851NB, 1851(1852), 1901, 1906 & 1911 digitized, surname searchable, Canadian Census Records
CanGenealogy: web portal to Canadian genealogy resources
Canadian Local Histories: Our Roots / Nos Racines
Canadian Newspapers on Microfilm – held by National Library of Canada
Komagata Maru Journey this Simon Fraser University site offers a comprehensive collection of key materials and related resources on the Komagata Maru incident, and includes personal interviews, digitized content, videos and learning modules. This is a great resource for educators, researchers, students and the general public to learn more about this historic event and its continuing impact.
National Library of Canada Catalogue
United Empire Loyalist Research Guide from VPL
WW1 Canadian War Brides (informational site with a link to the blog)
Who Do You Think You Are (Television show - Canadian edition)
Provinces
Alberta
Alberta Family History Society
British Columbia
- Search BC Archives Online Index (Vital Statistics)
British Colonist Newspaper: 1858-1910
British Columbia City Directories: 1860-1901
BCGNIS: Search for BC place names
History of Surrey Public Library
Murrayville Cemetery Gravestone Transcriptions Online (Langley)
Alphabetical List of Burials: Mountain View Cemetery (Vancouver)
City of Victoria Archives:
Memory BC formerly the British Columbia Archival Information Network (BCAUL). Search archival collections across the province.
Manitoba
Manitoba Archives (includes Hudson's Bay Co. Archives)
Manitoba (Manitoba History)
Search Historic Manitoba Papers
Manitoba Vital Statistics (Search Page)
New Brunswick
New Brunswick Genealogical Society
Newfoundland
Newfoundland & Labrador Archives
Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
The Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia
Consolidated Index to Lunenburg County Probated Wills, 1770-1999
Ontario
Ontario Vital Statistics – Information about registrations
County Atlas Digital Project (searchable by surname)
Toronto Star - Pages of the Past (Name searchable, digitized images include birth, marriage and death notices, 1894 - 2006. Subscription options very affordable for short time periods, as little as one hour.)
Prince Edward Island
PEI Archives
PEI Genealogical Society
Québec
Québec Vital Statistics
Montreal & District Directories 1842-1999
BMS 2000 over 7 million Québec Births, Marriages and Deaths, from Nouvelle France to the 1990s. Fee based site.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Genealogical Society
Saskatchewan Vital Statistics (Search Page)
Regina Public Library: Prairie History Collection includes link to digitized Regina Leader Post Newspaper
First Nations
BC First Nations Directory: alphabetical list of each nation, with contact telephone numbers, location of reserves and number of band members
First Nations Research Guide: BC Archives
Indian & Northern Affairs Canada: Information on obtaining status
Library & Archives Canada: Canadian Genealogy Centre
Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre: Surrey Aboriginal Cultural Centre for local First Nations community
Union of BC Indian Chiefs: Digital Collections and Agency Testimonies from the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province of British Columbia, 1913-1916.
UBC First Nations House of Learning: Xwi7xwa Library
Surrey's History by Jack Brown: Semiahmoo People
USA: Native American Genealogy: Reconnecting With Your American Indian Heritage
USA: Searching the National Archives for Native American records
North American: Tribe Listings
USA: General Tips for finding First Nations Ancestors
Métis
Library & Archives Canada: Information and Database for Métis Records
- Métis National Council: Historical Online Database
Métis Provincial Council of BC
Fraser Valley Métis Association
Chinese Canadian
Library and Archives Canada: Canadian Genealogy Centre:
- Chinese Canadian Research
- General Registers of Chinese Immigration 1885-1949: Searchable database with digital images
Vancouver Public Library's Chinese-Canadian Genealogy website
International
FamilySearch: one of the world's largest, free online resources from the Latter Day Saints
WorldCat: learn how to use this global catalogue of library holdings for Genealogy, eg: finding local history books and documents.
Ancestry Library Edition: record set matches Ancestry.com - access in library only
Heritage Quest: US Census records, digitized local history and genealogy books, PERSI: periodical index (includes Canadian genealogical society newsletters) - access in library only
Progenealogists (Ancestry.com researcher's web resource)
Immigrant Ancestors Project – database of information from international immigration registers
Cyndi’s List: International Web Portal
Obit Finder - Canada and the USA
Mary's Genealogical Treasures (Portal)
Australia
Australian Gateway Site for Tracing Family History
Convicts Family History Guide: State Library of NSW
Death Notices and Obituaries in Australian Newspapers: Ryerson Index
NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
NSW State Records: Online Indexes (Includes immigration, convict, census, indigenous, land, naturalisation and probate records)
Family History Unit: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
United Kingdom including Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland
Historical Directories for UK – 1850s-1910
- 1911 Irish Census (includes digital images)
United States
US Passenger Lists
Connecting with Others Online
Find Descendants and Fellow Researchers - Share Information
Association of Personal Historians
DNA Testing for Genealogy
International Society for Genetic Genealogy
Deep Ancestry Information: National Geographic Genographic Project
Adoption
British Columbia Adoption Registry (ARR)
Family Helper: Adoption Search and Reunion Support Groups Canada
Forget Me Not Family Society