Alberta Census

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Canada

Alberta

Census

Online Records

Records at Ancestry.com and FindMyPast can be used free-of-charge at a Family History Center near you.

Library and Archives Canada

• 1881 Census of Canada from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• Census of Canada, 1891 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• 1901 Census of Canada from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• 1911 Census of Canada from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1916 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• Census of Canada, 1921 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1926 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.

FamilySearch

• Canada Census, 1881 Index and Images.
• Canada Census, 1891 Index only. Also at FindMyPast, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1901 Index only. Also at FindMyPast, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1911 Index only. Also at FindMyPast, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1916, index
• Canada, Prairie Provinces Census, 1926, index and images.

Ancestry.com ($)

• 1921 Census of Canada, index and images. ($)
• 1911 Census of Canada, index and images. ($)
• 1901 Census of Canada, index and images. ($)
• 1891 Census of Canada, index and images. ($)
• 1881 Census of Canada, index and images. ($). Included as part of the Northwest Territories.
• 1916 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, index and images. ($). Included as part of the Northwest Territories.
• Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, index and images. ($). Included as part of the Northwest Territories.

FindMyPast ($)

• 1881 Census of Canada, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1891, index, ($).
• 1891 Census of Canada ($) Index and Images.
• Canada Census, 1901, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1911, index, ($).

Alberta GenWeb Digital Archives

• 1891 Index Alberta Institutions
• 1891 Alberta - Northwest Territories Index Edmonton District
• 1891 Alberta - Northwest Territories Index Edmonton-St. Albert Sub-district
• 1891 Alberta - Northwest Territories Index Lac La Biche District
• 1891 Alberta - Northwest Territories Index-Fort Saskatchewan District
• Alberta - Northwest Territories entries

Hudson's Bay Company Census Records

The Hudson’s Bay Company Archives has census returns for the years 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1835, 1838, 1840, and 1843 which are indexed.

• Hudson's Bay Company Archives
  • Resources
  • Name Indexes

Additional Indexes

• 1891 Census of Canada for Districts 197 (Southern Alberta) & 199 (Assiniboia West) (archived Web pages - may be unavailable, incomplete or slow to respond))
• 1891 Index to the 1891 Dominion Census Lethbridge Sub-District, Alberta, Northwest Territories-Davie Obee
• ALBERTA District 1901 Census Index - Automated Genealogy An every name index to over 60,000 individuals enumerated in the 1901 Census of Canada for the Alberta District of the Northwest Territories.
• 1901 Victoria, British Columbia Census: Alberta and Northwest Territories Entries
• Index to the 1906 Census of the Northwest Provinces (Canada.)
• Index to the 1911 Census of Canada : Alberta

History

A census is a count and description of the population. Censuses have been taken by the colonial, provincial, and national governments of Canada for a variety of reasons, including taxation and levying for militia service.

Census records can provide family relationships, age, year of birth, description of property, religion, and place of birth. Microfilm copies are available at many repositories and through interlibrary loan. Generally, more recent censuses are more complete. They can provide information missing in other records. Use census information with caution because information (which may have been given by any family member) may be incorrect or deliberately falsified.

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.

Additional censuses were taken in the Prairie Provinces in 1906, 1916, 1926, and so on.

Contents

These censuses list a large proportion of the population. Unfortunately, portions of some have been lost, and some geographical areas within the provinces were missed by the census takers.

The 1871 and later censuses list for each member of the household:

• Name.
• Age.
• Occupation.
• Religious affiliation.
• Birthplace (country or province).

The 1871 and 1881 censuses list for each person:

• Father’s origin or ethnic background.
• The 1891 census, in addition, asks:
• If persons are French Canadian.
• For parents’ birthplaces.

The 1891 and later censuses ask for a person’s:

• Relationship to head of household.

The 1901 census asks for:

• A complete birth date, not just the year.
• The year the person immigrated to Canada.
• The year of naturalization.

The father’s racial or tribal origin, not whether the person was of French Canadian descent.

The 1901 and 1911 census also contains a buildings and lands schedule for each locality. This schedule gives a city street address or a farm land description—such as township and range, or township, concession, and lot number—for most families.

The 1921 Canadian Census was released to the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) on June 1st, 2013 from Statistics Canada. According to the legislation, 92 calendar years must have elapsed before the census is released to the LAC.

Prairie Censuses

The 1906 and later censuses ask for:

• Surname
• Given Name(s)
• Gender
• Age
• Marital Status
• Place of Birth
• Relationship

The 1916 and 1926 added ethnic origin. The 1926 and census added year of immigration.

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