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Census of Canada, 1911

Search Help

The Database

The database on which this research tool is based contains 9705 records. Each record contains the following fields: Province; District Name; District Number; Sub-district Name or Description; Sub-district Number; Reference; and Microfilm Reel Number.

Geography is the key to using this database successfully. The 1911 Census was conducted according to census districts and sub-districts, and the records were compiled accordingly. As a result the database on which this research tool is based is indexed according to province and by districts and sub-districts (where available). Therefore, knowledge of the districts and sub-districts is of great value in locating either an individual or a geographic location.

To provide assistance with district names and sub-district descriptions, a list of Census Districts and Sub-districts is provided.

The Search Screen

The Search screen has many fields into which you can enter a value:

The Province is a drop down list allowing you to retrieve all the returns for a specific province. This field can also be used in combination with the Geographic Location field.

The Geographic Location field allows you to search all fields in the database.

District Name is the official name given to the Census District by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. In some cases District names correspond to County names.

A District Number was assigned to each Census District by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics for administrative purposes. District Number can be used to quickly retrieve a previous result by using it in combination with a province.

Sub-District Names were assigned to areas within each Census District. Again, the names of Sub-Districts often correspond with place names within a county, and can include ward, town, village or parish names.

Sub-District Number were also assigned by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics for administrative purposes and the numbers are only unique within a Census District. Again, a Sub-District Number can be used to quickly retrieve a previous result by using it in combination with a District Name or Number.

Microfilm Reel Number allows you to retrieve a series of records based on a Library and Archives Canada assigned microfilm reel number. This field will assist those individuals who wish to order a copy of the microfilm to search the records off-line.

The Keyword search field allows you to search any of the above fields alone or in combination.

To use the fields in combination you should note that the default Operator is "AND."

To determine a valid term for any of the following fields, you can consult the list of Census District and Sub-district Names.

The Search Results Screens

If you click on the link "PDF" found next to the label "Associated Images" you will be brought to a new page listing all images associated to this entry. The images are available in PDF format. Please see our section on Downloadable Formats for links to free software to assist in the viewing of these images.

The first time you request a PDF image in a given session, your PDF software will launch inside your current browser window. Use the "Back" button to navigate back from an images to the list of available images.

Search Tips

For all locations, use the list of Census Districts and Sub-districts to find district and sub-district numbers. You can then search with those two numbers using the Detailed Search screen, which will produce more specific results. If you are uncertain of the sub-district number, try searching by district number only. This will help you find all sub-districts regardless of spelling variations of place names.

For smaller towns in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, the range, township and meridian numbers are required for effective searching. These numbers can be found in the Post Offices and Postmasters database. To search this database, enter the province and the name of the town. At the top of each Post Office description, you will see the Federal Electoral District name, which is often the same as the Census District used in 1911. At the bottom of the page, the geographic location is given. Make a note of the range, township and meridian numbers. For example, the Post Offices database lists Gretna as being in Lisgar District, Range 1, Township 1, E1 (east of the 1st meridian). Use this information to search the list of Census Districts and Sub-districts for the census sub-district number. For example, with the range, township and meridian numbers, you would find that Gretna was located in Sub-district 40 of District 17. You can then inscribe the district and sub-district numbers on the Detailed Search screen.

For some cities, some wards or suburban areas were enumerated in the surrounding county/district. For example, parts of Ottawa were enumerated in Carleton County. Thus, be careful not to overly limit your search when looking for a particular city.

For Montreal, some wards were enumerated in the districts of Hochelaga, Jacques-Cartier and Maisonneuve. Moreover, some districts of the city included more than one ward. For example, district 179, Ste-Anne, includes Ste-Anne Ward, as well as Centre Ward and West Ward. Thus, be careful not to overly limit your search when looking for a particular area.

For the City of Toronto, use the Ontario Roots database Toronto 1911 Census Street Finder (www.ontarioroots.com/1911/index.html). Enter the name of the street and the database will show you in which districts and sub-districts that street was enumerated. You can then enter the district number and sub-district number into the Detailed Search screen of the 1911 Census database.

Indexing the 1911 Census

Volunteers with the Automated Genealogy project have completed a Canada-wide name index of the 1911 census. If you find a reference of interest, you can link to the image of the actual page to see the complete details for that individual. For additional panning and zoom features, you should note the reference (District, sub-district and page number) and then access the page from our database rather than linking to the image from Automated Genealogy.

Please note that spelling variations of names are common. Also, it is sometimes difficult for indexers to interpret the handwriting of the enumerators, especially on pages with poor legibility. If you cannot find a reference in the index, you should search the census pages for the place where your ancestor resided.

The Automated Genealogy Index to the 1911 Census of Canada