Review: Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census by Dave Obee

 Counting Canada:  A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census by Dave Obee, Self-published, 2012, 220 p.

            Counting Canada is a much-needed guide to Canada’s federal and provincial censuses specifically for genealogists. Obee is the Editor/Publisher of the Times Colonist newspaper in Victoria, BC, and has written a dozen books on various genealogical topics, five of which are currently offered as free downloads on his website (https://www.daveobee.com/).

            The first five chapters provide background information on the history of censuses in the world and their introduction to Canada, pre-confederation. Obee also discusses how to research in these records and the many ways genealogists can access them. He also delves into the terms “de jure” and “de facto” and why the way census information was recorded has a bearing on statistical accuracy and a genealogist’s ability to locate their ancestors in the returns. If an ancestor can’t be found, Obee provides reasons for their apparent absence which may assist in eventually locating them.

            The next 14 chapters deal with specific censuses by year, detailing the information included in each census, the availability of the returns and if they are complete or partial. Maps, photographs, and charts are interspersed in the text to illustrate and add visual interest and explanation. Appendix A provides a complete list of Canadian Censuses in chronological order, while Appendix B provides readers with an original transcript of  “An Act Respecting the First Census Assented to 12 May, 1870.” Of course, this refers to the first census of the Dominion of Canada (Canada being officially formed in 1867) and not the first census taken in the area known as Canada. The book also contains an excellent bibliography of other books relating to censuses in Canada, “Internet sites of note” (some now defunct) and a comprehensive index. It should be noted that, even though the 1931 Canadian Census had not been released at the time of publication, Obee presciently included a chapter on it, along with the list of questions asked by enumerators, so researchers would know what information they should expect to find.

            Even though some of website information is now out-of-date, I can recommend this title wholeheartedly for anyone wanting to know the ins and outs of Canadian Census information as it pertains to genealogy.

Review: Finding Your Canadian Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide by Sherry Irvine and Dave Obee

 Finding Your Canadian Ancestors:  A Beginner’s Guide by Sherry Irvine and Dave Obee, Ancestry Publishing, 2007 (Second printing, 2008), 269 p.

             I was reluctant to review this title because it is truly the definitive guide to Canadian genealogy. Most public libraries in Canada have copies, and most researchers have probably consulted this book at one time or another if they have Canadian roots. But a ubiquitous book is still deserving of a review, especially since there are people new to genealogical pursuit who may not know of its existence. A second look, 17 years after publication, may help readers assess if the book is still valuable to today’s researchers. It’s still available for purchase online though, to my knowledge, there have not been any new editions.

             The book is initially organized by topic and record type, starting with a chapter on the holdings at Library and Archives Canada as well as their online databases. As I browsed this chapter of the book, I was brought back to 2000s when searching on the LAC website for census and immigration information was extremely painful. In book’s introduction, Irvine and Obee remind readers that, “the web is always changing.” I headed on over to the LAC’s genealogy website to evaluate that theory (since it had been so bad for so long) and I was pleasantly surprised about the improvements made to the search functions for the censuses. However, the pleasure was short-lived when I tried to find naturalization records, which have not made the transition to the “new site.” It looks as if the LAC website is a mixed bag. Some of the records are easy to use, and other interfaces are exactly as they were in 2008 (and earlier).

             So, heed the authors’ warning about web addresses and websites. URLs will have changed and there will be additions to the records available since then. For example, at the time of this book’s publication, the 1931 Federal Census had not been released. It is now available on the LAC website. However, even with these changes the book is still valuable to the Canadian researcher. The historical information presented about the specific record types provides researchers with solid information about the availability and access to these records. There are chapters covering the topics of vital records, censuses, immigration & naturalization, probate, military records, land and homestead records, cemetery records, and newspapers. The book is further divided into chapters for each of the provinces and territories and include a brief history of each place and any specialized records that may be unique to that geographic location. There are also snail mail addresses for important local archives, a bibliography for further research, and a listing of websites available at the time.

             The authors have included separate chapters on significant groups whose research is specialized, such as Indigenous People, the Acadians, and Loyalists. The book concludes with useful appendices dedicated to research methodologies, as well as a Canadian history timeline. Appendix C “The Internet,” can be, for the most part, ignored since so many of the websites have changed or disappeared from the web. A table of contents and comprehensive index are also included.

             I recommend this book to researchers of Canadian genealogy, especially those new to Canadian research, even with the out-dated bits. A revised edition would be most welcome, but that, too, would become out-dated in a short period of time. Most genealogists know how to use a search engine, so locating the tools to access the records described should not be a problem. The value of this book lies in the historical information it provides, the discussions around the who, why and when of each of the record sets, and the identification of likely repositories for these records.