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Canadian Birth, Marriage and Death Records
Article updated: 15 April 2008
By: Fawne Stratford-Devai   Biography & Archived Articles




ALBERTA

Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths in Alberta actually pre-dates the formation of the Province. The earliest records date from 1870 when Alberta was part of the Northwest Territories (there are apparently a few records which note birth dates as early as the 1850s). The Province of Alberta as we know it today did not come into being until 1905.

HISTORIC RECORDS
Original vital records issued between 1870 and August 31, 1905 are held by the Provincial Archives. The Provincial Archives of Alberta is responsible for acquiring, preserving and making available records of enduring value created by the Government of Alberta. The Archives can be contacted as follows:

Provincial Archives of Alberta
12845 - 102 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5N 0M6
Telephone: (780) 427-1750
Fax: (780) 427-4646
Email: paa@gov.ab.ca
Website: Front page; Genealogy section

Vital Statistics' civil registers (1870 - 1983) can be examined after reading and signing an agreement covering use. A file list organized by locality is available at the Archives. Some name indexes are also available. No photocopying is permitted. Transcripts can be provided for a small fee. The Provincial Archives of Alberta holds original vital statistics certificates issued up to and including August 31, 1905. Transcripts of historic vital records certificates can be obtained for a fee. To learn more about vital records held by the Archives and other important collections of value to family historians, check out the Archives' Genealogy Services web page at:

http://www.cd.gov.ab.ca/preserving/provincial_archives/family_roots
/genealogical_services/index.asp


Religious denominations were often the first groups in a region to maintain any records. In Alberta the main groups were the Anglicans, Roman Catholics (principally the Oblate Order) and the Methodists. The Archives holds some original church records such as:

  • Anglican Church: Those records of prime interest to Alberta genealogists are parish registers showing baptisms, confirmations, marriages and burials from the Dioceses of Athabasca, Edmonton, and Mackenzie River. Records of the Diocese of Mackenzie River have many Inuit and Dene names and date back to 1859. Those from Athabasca and Edmonton date back to 1875 and 1893 respectively. The records of the Anglican Diocese of Calgary are held in the special collections Library of the University of Calgary.


  • Roman Catholic Church The Collection of the Missionary Oblates, Grandin Province (les Oblates de Marie Immaculée o.m.i.) contains records from Parishes and missions in which they served though most of central and southern Alberta. Types of records of interest to genealogists will vary from location to location, but the Liber Anima rum (Book of Souls) and the Codex Historicus, a journal kept by the Priest of the day-to-day activities of the Mission or Parish may be available. Since a significant portion of the collection is in French, a reading knowledge of the language is extremely useful. There may be access restrictions on some records, so the Oblates Archivist on the site should be consulted in advance.


  • United Church of Canada The administrative and congregational records of the Alberta and Northwest Conference of the United Church of Canada (including those of the Methodist, Congregational and some Presbyterian churches, prior to 1925) are in the Archives. Of particular interest to genealogists are the baptism, marriage and burial registers for each church. An inventory indexed by church locality is available at the Archives.


  • Lutheran Church The Alberta Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada has deposited records of congregations in Alberta which have disbanded. Certain active congregations within the Synod have also deposited records. Most congregations were established by German and Scandinavian immigrants. Their records may include information about births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages and deaths. Some Scandinavian registers also include information about place of origin, arrival in North America and local parish.


  • MODERN RECORDS
    For records after September 1, 1905 information can be obtained from: Vital Statistics
    Government Services, Alberta Registries
    Box 2023
    EDMONTON, Alberta T5J 4W7
    Telephone: (780) 427-7013 (recording)
    Website: http://www3.gov.ab.ca/gs/services/vpe/index.cfm
    E-mail: vs@gov.ab.ca
    For a complete listing of Alberta Registry Agents refer to:
    http://www3.gov.ab.ca/gs/information/registries/ran.cfm

    When searching for information on family events in Alberta, applications for genealogical searches may be made through Registry Agents. Recorded events are births, stillbirths, marriages, deaths and legal change of names that have occurred in Alberta. When making an application, provide as much information surrounding the event as is possible. Such as:

  • Type of event being searched (birth, marriage, death, etc.)
  • full name of the person(s)
  • date of the event
  • place of the event
  • age of the individual(s) at the time of the event


  • The more information you are able to provide, the better the chance of locating a record. If the exact date of the event is unknown, give a range of dates to search as all Vital Statistics events are filed in chronological order. Alberta residents applying for a registration which occurred in Alberta must apply through a Registry Agent. Non Alberta residents applying for a registration which occurred in Alberta can be made through a Registry Agent or the Vital Statistics Office (see contact information above).

    IMPORTANT NOTE The registration of vital events in Alberta was privatized in January 1999. At that time, the government of Alberta announced that Vital Statistics services will be provided solely by private registry agents.

    ADDITIONAL LINKS & SOURCES For additional information about Alberta vital records and family history information visit the following helpful websites:
      Alberta Genweb: http://users.rootsweb.com/~canab/index.html

      Alberta Genealogical Society: http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/abgensoc/

      Archives Society of Alberta: Visit the website to learn more about the Society and use their online searchable database of thousands of collection-level descriptions of records held in Alberta's archival institutions. http://www.glenbow.org/asa/home.htm

      Glenbow Museum and Archives The Glenbow Archives is one of Canada's largest non-governmental repositories and a major research centre for historians, writers, students, and the media. It houses an extensive collection of unpublished archival records of individuals, families, organizations and businesses. http://www.glenbow.org/

      Museums Alberta http://www.museumsalberta.ab.ca/ Includes an online directory of Alberta Museums.

      Hudson's Bay Company Archives: http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/index.html Founded in 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company's (HBC) chief interests for its first two centuries were the fur trade, exploration and settlement. After 1870, when its territory of Rupert's Land was incorporated into the Dominion of Canada, its interests became more varied. The area once known as Rupert's Land encompassed most of Northern Ontario and Northern Québec, all of Manitoba, most of Saskatchewan, the southern half of Alberta and a large part of the Northwest Territories.

      Alberta Family History Society - Cemetery Index: Includes index of burials in the region that surrounds Calgary and information about cemetery transcripts available from the Alberta Family History Society. http://www.afhs.ab.ca/data/cemeteries/index.html

      Edmonton Parks and Recreation Municipal Cemeteries: Information and a searchable listing of those interred in municipal cemeteries serving Edmonton. http://www.gov.edmonton.ab.ca/comm_services/rec_facilities/cemeteries/

      Alberta Family Histories Society: http://www.afhs.ab.ca/ Note: The Alberta Family Histories Society has established the Canadian Genealogical Projects Registry with many useful links for genealogy research in Canada.

    More Alberta Resources - from Global Genealogy


    BOOK - Place Names of Alberta
    By Geographic Board of Canada
    Originally published by the Department of the Interior - Canada, 1928
    This edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2006

    Place Names of Alberta includes the names of all cities, towns, villages and municipal districts, all post offices, all railway stations and the names of many of the rivers, streams, lakes and mountains as they were known in 1928. This resource is especially helpful to those who are researching Alberta families or history for the period of early setlement of the province. Many names of placs have changed in the years since 1928. Other places have ceased to exist since the printing of this record in 1928, while others have flourished to assimilate their nieghboring towns and villages.
    ISBN 1-894571-73-8    More information
    Coilbound......CDN$   $19.95

    BOOK - Finding Your Ancestors in Alberta
    By: A. Borstede
    This book lists over 800 sources of information found in archives, libraries and societies. Also included are over 200 Alberta genealogical addresses. This book is used as a text by the National Institute of Genealogical Studies.
    Softcover, 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, 222 pgs,
    ISBN 1-894018-97-4     More information
    Cerlox bound......CDN$   $19.00

    BOOK - South Albertas: A Canadian Regiment at War
    By Donald E. Graves
    The 29th Canadiand Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (South Alberta Regiment) was formed in 1940 from five Alberta militia units, and most of its arogiinal members came from western Canada. More Information


    BOOK - The Western Canada Photographers List (1860-1925)
    By Glen C. Phillips
    Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton 2002, 2010
    An invaluable guide to help you identify the place and date when a photograph was taken. Many family history researchers have boxes of photographs, but do not know who is depicted in the photo nor when or where it was taken. This book lists individual photographers, where they worked and when. That means that if you have a photograph that includes a photographer's stamp or other identification you can easily find out when and where that picture was taken. Oftentimes that will help you to identify who is in the picture.
    ISBN 1-894378-56-3    More information
    Coilbound......CDN$   $30.00

    BOOK - Starting Out in Genealogy - Second Edition
    By Ruth Burkholder
    Building a family tree looks like a daunting taste to the unititiated, however it's easier than you think! Family history research is not complicated as long as you know which records are available, where to find those records, and how to organize the information that you gather. Though this guide is designed for beginners, it will also be of considerable help to those who have already started researching and recording family history, but want to improve their skills and results.
    ISBN 9781926797441     More information
    Coilbound......CDN$   $14.95

    BOOK - Canadian Records of Birth, Marriage and Death: A Guide
    By Fawne Stratford-Devai
    This popular guide provides a province-by-province description of where to access provincial vital records, complete with contact information including postal addresses, telephone numbers (most are toll-free), fax, email addresses and websites. The categories addressed for each province and territory include: Modern Records; Historic Records; Additional Links and Sources. Several helpful maps are included.
    ISBN 1894571894     More information
    Coilbound......CDN$   $14.95

    BOOK - Routes To Routes
    By Ryan Taylor
    A wide range of genealogical and research topics assist family historians with their quest to uncover their roots. Included is an essay describing how to effectively use libraries for family history research and how to best utilize the skills and training of professional librarians. The book is an entertaining read, however, before you know it, you will accumulate many sound research ideas from the vast experience of Mr. Taylor.
    ISBN 0-9682524-0-0     More information
    Softcover......CDN$   $9.95

    BOOK - The Sash Canada Wore - A Historical Geography of The Orange Order in Canada
    By Cecil J. Houston and William J. Smith
    Originally published by Universtiy of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1980
    This edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 1999 [CD 2011]

    Significant migration of Protestant Irish to Canada in the early 19th century brought with it the establishment of the Orange Order in Canada. This work explores the role of the Orange Order in the unfolding settlement geography of Canada. Protestant Irish soldiers and emigrants, largely Ulster-born, introduced the organization into New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario within the first decade of the nineteenth century. At its zenith, he movement had a membership of as many as one in three Canadians.
    ISBN 978-1-894378-31-4 (Hardcover Edition)    More information
    Hardcover......CDN$   $49.95
      Book on CD......CDN$   $19.95
    PC & Mac - PDF format

    BOOK - Cyclopaedia Of Methodism In Canada
    By Rev. George H. Cornish
    Originally published by Methodist Book and Publishing House, Toronto, 1881
    This edition published by Global Heritage Press, Milton 2001 (CD 2009)
    Originally published in 1880, this high quality reprint provides historical, educational and statistical information regarding the Methodist Church in Canada, dating from the "beginning of the Work" (1765) in the several provinces of the Dominion Of Canada and extending to 1880. Includes information about all of those who served as ministers and circuit riders, complete with a record of where and when they served.
    ISBN 1-894378-16-4 (Hardcover)    More information
    Hardcover......CDN$   $104.95
    Book on CD ......CDN$   $19.95
    PC & Mac - PDF format

    BOOK - The First Century of Methodism in Canada, 1775-1883. Two Volumes In One
    By J. E. Sanderson
    Originally published by William Briggs, 1908 (vol. 1) & 1910 (vol. 2)
    This edition published by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2008 (CD 2011)

    Sanderson's fine history of the early years of Methodism in Canada has served as an essential resource for more than a century. Being out of print for over one hundred years, this new edition has been pubished to provide access for today's researchers. This editon is a facsimile reprint of both of the original volumes, bound into a single book.
    ISBN 978-1-897446-34-8 (Hardcover)     More information
    Hardcover......CDN$   $109.95
    Book on CD ......CDN$   $19.95
    PC & Mac - PDF format

    BOOK - Getting From Here To There, Identifying the Origins of Immigrants to Canada Revised and Expanded Edition
    By: Fawne Stratford-Devai
    Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton 2005
    One of the more difficult things to do in a family history research project is to identify where your original immigrant ancestor came from. Sometimes we know the country they came from, but not the specific place within that country. In order to find records in the "old-country" it is very helpful to know which town, parish, county etc that the person came from. This book identifies a long list of potential sources in Canada, where you may find that critical piece of information.
    ISBN 1-897210-80-9     More information
    Coilbound......CDN$   $14.95

    BOOK - Canadian Family History in the 21st Century, Lessons, Links & ResourcesSecond Edition 2005
    By Fawne Stratford-Devai
    This newly updated and expanded second edition offers readers valuable lessons, links and recommended resources that will help you keep you family history research project on-track, saving time, effort and expense. The author is a popular genealogical lecturer, educator and author/co-author of more than 50 important genealogical and historical books.
    ISBN 1-897210-68-X     More information
    Coilbound......CDN$   $14.95

    BOOK - Lovell's 1873 Gazetteer of British North America
    By John Lovell and Son, Montreal, 1873
    Originally published by John Lovell and Son, Montreal, 1873
    This facsimile reprint by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 1998 (CD 2010)

    This facsimile reprint of The volume contains over six thousand descriptions and historical facts about cities, towns and villages across Canada, as they were known in 1873. Also included is a listing of over fifteen hundred lakes and rivers with their location, size and general information. A table showing the railway and steamboat routes within British North America in 1873, which will assist researchers in understanding the routes that their ancestors may have migrated over. The table lists the distance that each place in British North America is to the nearest railway station or port.
    ISBN 0-9682524-5-1 (Hardcover)    More information
    Hardcover......CDN$   $79.95
    Book on CD......CDN$   $19.95
    PC & Mac - PDF format

    BOOK - True Stories of New England Captives Carried to Canada During the Old French and Indian Wars
    By C. Alice Baker
    Originally published by E. A. Hall & Co., Cambridge, 1897
    This edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2006 (CD 2010)

    This thoughtfully written book provides the reader with the gripping history of Indian attacks in Maine; New Hampshire; and Massachusetts. Events leading up to the attacks and the attacks themselves are described in considerable detail with an emphasis on how those engagements affected specific people, especially those who were captured and removed to Canada.
    ISBN 1-897210-98-1 (Hardcover)    More information
    Hardcover......CDN$   $64.95
    Book on CD......CDN$   $19.95
    PC & Mac - PDF format

    BOOK - The Canadian Almanac of 1862
    Originally published by W. C. Chewett & Co. 1862.
    Many family historians value a carefully compiled almanac. Almanac's assist genealogists, historians, social historians and geographers locate information and records that affected the inhabitants of the area being researched.
    ISBN 1-897210-98-1     More information

    Coilbound......CDN$   $19.95


    BOOK - Using Maps in Family History Research, Revised and Updated
    By Fawne Stratford-Devai
    Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2005
    his book provides insights into the use of maps for genealogical and historical research. The visual representation of the land and communities on a map can offer evidence in its own right. It is the task of the researcher to carefully evaluate every piece of the puzzle in order to identify and understand individuals, families, migration routes, and even settlement patterns. Examples used include Canada, USA, UK, world. Every family historian can benefit from this valuable booklet.
    ISBN 1-894378-85-1     More information
    Coil-bound......CDN$   $14.95


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