There are very distinct periods of official record keeping in the province of Ontario at various time periods. The purpose of this resource is to highlight how vital records were recorded during these distinct time periods of our history and to provide some hints as to where to look when you cannot search the parish registers or other records in person. With this knowledge, genealogists searching for the elusive needle in the haystack will have a little better understanding of what records were required to be kept and therefore will be better able to make an informed judgement about where surviving records could possibly be found.

Part 1 examines official Civil Registration records available from 1869 to the present. Originally published in the December 26, 1997 issue of The Global Gazette, Canada's Genalogy & History On-line Newsletter

Part 2 details vital records information available during the time period 1858 - 1869. Originally published in the January 9, 1998 issue of The Global Gazette, Canada's Genalogy & History On-line Newsletter

Part 3 highlights the earlier vital records available during the time period of pre-1858 of Upper Canada and Canada West. Originally published in the January 23, 1998 issue of The Global Gazette, Canada's Genalogy & History On-line Newsletter

Part 4 provides an overview of additional sources of information to use when searching for vital records during the early days when the Province of Ontario was known as Upper Canada. Originally published in the February 6, 1998 issue of The Global Gazette, Canada's Genalogy & History On-line Newsletter

Books by, or co-authored by Fawne Stratford-Devai include:
• Leaving Ontario, Resources for Tracking Ontario Migrants
• Researching Your English & Welsh Roots From Afar, A Guide
• Canadian Records of Birth, Marriage and Death: A Guide
• Getting From Here To There, Identifying the Origins of Immigrants to Canada
• Canadian Family History in the 21st Century, Lessons, Links & Resources
• Using Maps in Family History Research
• Province of Ontario Immigration Records, An Overview
• Ontario Land Registry Office Records: A Research Guide
• Vital Records In Ontario Before 1869, A Guide to Early Ontario Vital Records
• District Marriage Registers of Upper Canada (27 vols)
• District Vital Records of Upper Canada / Canada West (8 vols)
• Fegan's Homes Newsletters (Home Children) (10 vols)
• Men of Upper Canada- Militia Nominal Rolls 1828 - 1829. (census substitute)
• Middlesex County (Ontario, Canada) Marriages and Baptisms 1848 - 1858.
• Haldimand County Marriage & Burial Register, 1851 - 1865
• Middlesex County (Ontario, Canada) Marriages and Baptisms 1848 - 1858.