Canadian Church Records

Church records can be excellent places to look for baptisms, christenings, marriages, and deaths in the family. In general to find church records, you should know the denomination of the church that your ancestor attended, as well as the name of the parish or mission district where your ancestor lived. The most direct way to find the records is to then write to the current priest or minister in the parish or mission district. This person is most likely to know where older records are located.

In addition to the parish or mission district itself, there are several other places where you may find church records. Many of the provincial archives will have church records for their province. For the addresses of the provincial archives, see the topic Canadian provincial archives. The Canadian National Archives has selected church records, including original records, transcripts of records, and microfilm copies of records.

Many religious institutions also maintain archives of church records. For example, the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has extensive microfilm collections of church records. Look in your telephone book to locate the nearest LDS Family History Center. You'll also find church records in the archives of the Catholic church and other churches existing in Canada. Contact a church of the denomination of the person that you are researching. The church staff should be able to guide you to the appropriate archives.