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Branch Information:  Virden  |  Elkhorn  |  McAuley

Genealogy & Family History

Hints & Tips

  • Have conversations with family members, and write down all the stories--even the ones that aren't strictly official. Templates for ancestral charts and research logs exist through Ancestry.com (see below)
  • Remember to note your sources or where the information came from, even if provided through a family oral interview.
  • Try different spellings of names, eg. Pollock and Pollok, and anglicized names such as Bhana for Barney.
  • Marriage records will give you the parents' names on both sides
  • Death records will often give you the last address lived at and for how long, professional details, and marriage names.
  • Obituaries are usually published within a week of death, and can provide a lot of information but should be fact-checked as these are usually submitted by family members to the local paper. Death notices are submitted by undertaker or funeral home and usually only provide information about the service.
  • Other resources include: Directories, Fire Insurance maps, Newspapers and more.
  • Online databases have different ways of searching so be sure to check out the help guides that each offers.

Getting Started

  • FamilySearch Getting Started - A series of activities that will help you get started, or watch the YouTube video.
  • How to Build A Family Tree (National Genealogical Society) - offers questions to ask to get started, and discusses several types of resources.
  • How to Begin (Library and Archives Canada) - Step-by-step, more information than you ever realized.
  • BackgroundChecks.org's New Genealogy Resource Guide - An excellent resource for both beginning and experienced genealogists produced by a U.S. organization. The site includes sections on types of records, reliability of sources, tools for your Search, genealogical societies, professional genealogists, DNA testing, and links.

Databases

Manitoba Resources

  • Archives of Manitoba - The Archives collects Manitoba's rich documentary past. The website offers information about its services including how to visit the Archives & search its holdings, research from a distance, copies & reproductions, family history research, and more.
  • FamilySearch Wiki - Manitoba - This page provides links to relevant sites, records and also instructions specific to this region.
  • Manitoba Genealogical Society - The Manitoba Genealogical Society is the umbrella genealogical organization in Manitoba whose mission is to assist individuals from all backgrounds with their family research and to collect and preserve genealogical resources. Their Winnipeg branch has a library over 10,000 items (books, indexes, maps, periodicals, microfiche, etc.), access to ancestry.com, newspaper archives, and many reference resources and volunteers that offer assistance to researchers. The MGS Library/Resource Centre has produced an online catalogue of all books and reference material held in the library, called KOHA searchable by title, author and keyword that is accessible to all.
  • Manitoba Historical Society - In addition to their own journal devoted to the history of Manitoba and Western Canada, the MHS has digitized many local history books and made them available free on their website.
  • Manitoba Local Histories (University of Manitoba) - books document the histories of families, farms, communities, schools, churches, businesses, and other institutions across Manitoba.
  • Manitoba Online Genealogy Records - Guide to Manitoba Online Genealogy Records for researching ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth, marriage, death, census, church, military, immigration, and naturalization records.
  • Manitoba Research Gateway (University of Manitoba Libraries) - Resources for research, teaching, and life-long learning.
  • Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency - The Vital Statistics Agency manages civil records for the province, including birth, marriage and death certificates. You can search their database for unrestricted records and request certified copies of the full documents for a fee. The database includes records of births from more than 100 years ago, marriages from more than 80 years ago, and deaths from more than 70 years ago.
  • Peel's Prairie Provinces' Featured Collections - A resource dedicated to assisting scholars, students, and researchers in their exploration of western Canadian history. It offers an online bibliography, as well as a searchable full-text collection of many items including a selection of Henderson Directories for Saskatchewan and Manitoba (including Winnipeg), and digitized French-language newspapers like "La Liberté" (1913-2013).
  • Pioneers of Manitoba - Part of the Western Manitoba Genealogy Project website, this page list the pioneers who lived or were born in Manitoba before 1919.
  • Prairie Immigration Experience - Thousands of digitized diaries, letters, photographs, and more (organized by nationality & ethnic group) depict the experiences of immigrants who came to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. A collaboration of the University of Manitoba's Archives and Special Collections, the University of Saskatchewan Archives, and the archives of Oseredok, the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre.
  • Red River Ancestry - This website is devoted to ancestors and descendants of early explorers and settlers who first inhabited the region of the Red, River of the North. In addition to the index of family trees of individual families with roots in Manitoba, resources on historical topics related to Red River ancestors are provided.
  • Winnipeg Free Press obituary index since 1999 - This is a free database providing full text of the obituaries from the newspaper since 1999, which usually contain a lot of family information and photographs.

Government Resources

  • Ancestors Search: Library and Archives Canada collection of databases, including: birth, marriages, death; census; immigration; land titles; military. Review the "Instructions to Enumerators" which will give context to how the data was collected and for what reason.
  • Canada’s National History Society - This is the site of the publishers of The Beaver magazine. Its web resources include a list of government archives, libraries, museums, organizations, publications and societies involved in genealogical research.
  • Canadiana - Search the digital collections of libraries, archives and museums from across Canada, as well as access 60 million pages of Canadian digital documentary heritage.
  • Genealogy and Family History (Library and Archives Canada)- A gateway to Canada's genealogical resources offering genealogical content, advice, services and research tools. Several databases included with different search approaches.
  • Hudson’s Bay Company Archives - Founded by Royal Charter in 1670, Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) is the oldest chartered trading company in the world. The records of the Hudson’s Bay Company were donated to the Province of Manitoba in 1994 and include photographs, documentary art, cartographic records, architectural drawings, moving images and sound recordings.
  • Indigenous Heritage (Library and Archives Canada)- provides access to published and archival heritage material that represents First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation experiences and contributions to Canada. This includes text, photographs, maps, and audio-visual material. Databases include Indigenous Genealogy, Residential Schools, virtual exhibitions and more.

Genealogy Groups & Other Resources

  • Canada Gen Web
  • Canadian Historical Association Booklets – Digitized and free-to-download PDF version of booklets written by members of the Canadian Historical Association between 1953 and 2015. Of especial interest is the collection devoted to Immigration and Ethnicity.
  • Cyndi's List - A comprehensive categorized and cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the internet. A good starting point for genealogy research by topic. Compiled by someone who has worked as a librarian, and knows how to cite sources.
  • Facebook for Canadian Genealogy – “Here you will find a list of Canadian genealogy and historical pages and groups on Facebook, in English and French,that may help with our research. The list also includes archival centres and museums that offer genealogical and historical resources. I encourage you to share this list with others, but please credit me, Gail Dever. Suggestions for additions to this list or broken links should be sent to: gaildever@genealogyalacarte.ca.”
  • FamilySearch - The new super-site for the genealogy services from the LDS (Mormon) church. Massive digitization projects are underway as their extensive microfilm collection is digitized.  View a tutorial.
  • Family Tree Kids – from Family Tree Magazine (UK) “Working on a school project about your family history? … You’ve come to the right place! Family Tree Kids is a site where you learn how to become a “family detective” and dig up clues about your ancestry. Our games and activities are created just for kids—none of that boring grownup stuff—so you can have fun tracing your roots!”
  • Find A Grave - database of memorials. Can be searched by cemetery.
  • Historical Atlas of Canada - Though still being developed, this site enables users to explore the data and themes presented through interactive mapping. Map Tours help users navigate a number of these themes easily and effectively.
  • The Nauticapedia – nautical heritage site with information on Canada’s Pacific nautical history and heritage and other topics of general maritime interest curated by local author John MacFarlane. Includes biographies.
  • Root's Web - A forum for people to help each other and share genealogical research. It includes many user contributed records and databases as well as message boards. Supported by Ancestry.com.
  • Second World War: Researching the Canadian Fallen – Resources – A list of resources for those researching ancestors and relatives who served during World War Two, from genealogist Ken McKinlay.

Historical Atlases / Place Names

  • Historical Atlas of Canada - Though still being developed, this site enables users to explore the data and themes presented through interactive mapping. Map Tours help users navigate a number of these themes easily and effectively.
  • In Search of Your Canadian Past: The Canadian County Atlas Digital Project - A searchable database of the property owners' names which appear on the township maps in the county atlases (forty-three atlases in total). Township maps, portraits and properties have been scanned, with links from the property owners' names in the database.
  • Maps, Charts and Architectural Plans Collection - From Library and Archives Canada, this search guide provides access to approximately 40,000 item-level descriptions from the "old map card catalogue." About 4,000 items from the catalogue, now in the public domain, have been digitized and may be consulted online.
  • Peel’s Prairie Provinces - Peel’s Prairie Provinces is a resource dedicated to assisting scholars, students, and researchers of all types in their exploration of western Canadian history and the culture of the Canadian prairies.